Hello Jen!

Welcome to TCKid.com! Please excuse the mess and Brice's littered LOLcat pictures XD

Thanks for all the comments! You're making me feel right at home. And Brice, thanks for the lolcat! How adorable. A picture welcome is a great idea.

Uncle Dan asked where I've lived and which cultures I identify with as a sum of my experiences - wow - that last one is difficult to answer.

I was born in Libya in 1960 and lived there till age 3, then we moved to Kaduna, Nigeria for 5 years until we were evacuated during the civil war, then to Kinshasa, Zaire for 3 years, then to Fairfax, Virginia for 5 years, then Islamabad, Pakistan for 2 years, returned to the US for college in Portland Oregon for a year, then to University of the Philippines for a year, and back to the states - University of Idaho for 4 years, then to Anchorage Alaska for 14 years, Leamington Spa, England for 3 years, Hayden, Idaho for 6 years, and now Seattle.

My sisters and I always joke about being African American, but that doesn't always go over so well here. I loved Pakistan, where I graduated from high school, had the most intense experiences, and had my best friends who I've managed to reconnect with over the years.

I think in answer to Uncle Dan's question, probably England was a place I identified with as a sum of my experiences because it was so multicultural and I lived in a neighborhood that was probably 65% Pakistani immigrants - I LOVED it - my kids would come home and have samosas and dal with their friends after school. Seattle is also very multicultural though, and I'm finding a lot to like about the area.

Brice asked what issues I still struggle with? Mainly, I still feel like I don't belong anywhere - I'm an expert at fitting in anywhere, but not really fitting in anywhere. I watch other people form good friendships and I realize I have lots of friends, but not a lot of deep, lasting friendships. I moved to Seattle and it was so easy to say goodbye to people in Hayden/Coeur d'Alene and turn my back on that chapter of my life that it scares me. I wonder if I am capable of having a deep connection with anyone.

Also, I still have some issues from going through some of the intense experiences I've been through - namely riots, natural disasters, wars - in Nigeria and again in Afghanistan while I was there on a school outing. You know? You mention something to someone about some of this stuff and there is absolutely NO WAY they can even begin to relate. I stuffed a lot of it deep down for years, and that was a mistake - during our buildup to the war in Iraq it all came bubbling to the surface in some not so healthy ways.

But I've learned one way to deal with the issues is connecting with other TCKs and other people who have been through a lot of stuff like this.

Jen

hi jen! well welcome to tckid! :D you'll have fun here =)

and uh, brice is right about how there's a lot of adult tcks here. barely any teenagers (though I am on of em, im actually the youngest, i think). LOL. well ttyl hopefully.

Hey Jen, welcome to the group. You're definitely not the only one around here who has issues, so, welcome to the club! lol

Brice - I love that picture lol. It's cute, but also kinda sad. Reminds me of that really sad Lolcat of the kitten going "you eated my cookie?" lol. Just makes you want to buy the kitten cookies lol.

Welcome to tckid, Jen!

Many of us are adult TCKs here and we could probably help you, you're certainly not alone. :)

What issues are you struggling with right now?

Your profile says you now live in Seattle? What are you up to? I'm in Vancouver Canada so we're in the same time zone. :)

We have a tradition at tckid to welcome every new comer with a picture, and here's yours!

<img src="http://aycu16.webshots.com/image/34855/2003306069813472405_rs.jpg"></img>

Welcome to tckid! It's always great to welcome more TCKs onto the site, and the site serves as a terrific engine for networking and sharing of issues. We help each other out by providing that sense of community insofar as we can.

That said, where have you lived, and which cultures do you feel you identify with as a sum of your experiences?