Introducing Dutchy. I’ve lived in Curacao, Hong Kong, Holland, Singapore, Denmark, England, France, Ireland and now Canada. | TCKID 2.0

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Introducing Dutchy. I’ve lived in Curacao, Hong Kong, Holland, Singapore, Denmark, England, France, Ireland and now Canada.

Hello!

I’ve never meet anyone whose’s moved quite as much as I have well, till I discovered this site and have been reading it obsessively over the last few days. It’s such a relief or I suppose reassuring to read about other people’s similar experiences!

My parents are Welsh and Dutch, I’m 21 and was born in HK, and have moved on average every two years, I’ve lived in Curacao, Hong Kong, Holland, Singapore, Denmark, England, France, Ireland and now Canada, I just counted (on my fingers and toes) and I have attended 14 schools. I’ve always loved too move, I love the change and I make friend easily; I had always gone to international schools and when I was 15 I moved to the UK too a small island too attend boarding school, I was completely miserable for three years, most people at my school hardly ever left the island never mind the UK, and I found my school peers narrow minded and hard to fit in, I decided just to wait out the three years till I could go to university, and guilt tripped my parents into constantly buying me plane tickets, to visit old friends. Looking back I should of made more off an effort to fit into the island life, I never did all the normal teenage things like drinking (cider at the bus stops), but I couldn’t see the point, with any of this, I was only going to be there for three years!

Finally got to university, I loved university, made fantastic friends and really settled in, I’ve just graduated and had decided to move to London, with some friends, but it all seemed too settled, the idea of living in the same country for the rest of my life and being with the same friends, seemed too easy and made me feel sick , I think my parents we’re disappointed in a way that I wanted to do the same thing as everyone else, or maybe because I’m young they think the best way to spend my youth is to travel more, so a last minute decision, I decided to move to Toronto, Canada, I’ve been here six months, and having a fantastic time, but of course I do miss my friends, but I think that somehow I should be above that, I’ve moved so many times I know in a year, it won’t matter anymore. I love the freedom that moving and removing yourself from an old life brings you, I’ve already made serious plans to move to Aus next year, and I find the idea of just drifting or cramming in as many countries as I can into the next few years extremely appealing, and I’m completely happy to travel/move by myself, I always meet completely random people and somehow find myself at a good party!.

I guess my dilemma is that I have this itch to travel and too keep on moving, and I’m not that bothered about my old English life, but I’m not sure actually being a TCK or even an adult TCK is a healthy life style? Maybe I should go back to England, but my old life doesn’t exist anymore and I have no family in that country, my parents live in Andorra now, of all places. I guess I’m torn between the predictable life in the uk and the unpredictable.

I guess I sometimes worry about myself, it’s not normal to remove yourself from a completely happy life and friends, but I just felt suffocated by it all? I just didn’t want to be there anymore, time was up! I wonder if I’m ever going to lead a normal life? But at the end of the day, sorry I’ve moaned allot! I do really enjoy this life style, I’m far from lonely, I’m happy in my own company, I love all the random crazy people I meet and I get such a rush from seeing and doing new things, and maybe I should just give into my itchy feet and stick to my plans, and see as much off the world, as I can for the next few years,and who knows where I end up, I don’t think I would regret that when I’m eighty

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  • Jen
    Hey Dutchy!!

    I just read your story and my mouth literally dropped open at some of the things you wrote. I have lived in Holland (The Hague), Turkey, France, South Africa, Botswana and Canada (Huntsville, ON- 200 km north of TO) myself... and I am moving to Australia in a month!!! Such a coincidence, eh? So, are you liking Canada so far?

    And just like you I have also lived in a boarding school (well, actually a boarding house for expat children) and have attended french and international schools.

    I was able to relate a lot of other things you wrote, such as: the urge to move again, to end up in a small town (or in this case, you ended up on an island) and how local people had never even left that place, yet alone the country... I moved to 7 schools, 13 houses, I can speak/write and read 3 languages fluently...

    I have to say that yes, it is so much fun but it is very hard to move around... And you're right... when you move back to a country "your old life doesn't exist there anymore". People change, friends change...

    But I guess you just have to make the most of it for wherever you are...

    And just like you, I am happy with my own company. I moved around with my parents the first 13 years of my life. After living at the boarding house, I have traveled alone... and I'm only 21 as well. You know, I often see my life as a coloring drawing... and the best thing about it is: I can choose which colors I want to color in with. And it's really true that you meet such random, crazy people around. Life is an adventure... and I want more and more of it.

    Good luck with your life... and I can assure you, you are not alone out there..!! Might see you in Australia I guess ;) whaha.

    Take care buddy!!
  • Aga
    Dutchy, your story is so uplifting! I can relate to the highly mobile lifestyle -- it never stops + keeps life exciting. I am sure you won't have any regrets when you are eighty. : ) I am made a conscious decision to settle down for now in Toronto. I am making a film about TCKs living in Canada and would love meet with you and talk about your story. Send me a message if you are interested.
    Tckfilm@gmail.com
  • Aga
    Dutchy, your story is truly inspiring! I can relate to the highly mobile lifestyle -- it never stops + keeps life exciting. I am sure you won't have any regrets when you are eighty. : ) I am made a conscious decision to settle down for now in Toronto. I am making a film about TCKs living in Canada and would love meet with you and talk about your story. Send me a message if you are interested.
    Tckfilm@gmail.com
  • Dutchy,

    I think there are many of us that can relate to you on the highly mobile lifestyle.

    Of the many people I've met I was reminded of Barbara Schaetti, an independent consultancy serving the international expatriate and repatriate community.

    She wrote in her article Phoenix Rising: A Question of Cultural Identity:
    "My first re-entry took place at the age of 13, my next at nineteen. It was a painful experience both times. I learned each time that the American I was raised to be was not "American" in the way my new peers experienced it. I shared none of the popular knowledge and few of the common experiences. The things I cared about were irrelevant to those around me. I behaved in ways considered "foreign" and spoke with an accent. I felt "terminally unique." We could all have better understood this, my American peers and I, if we didn't all consider me to be "American." I simply didn't fit in mainstream America. I was a cultural marginal. I felt trapped by my difference. To use Bennett's term, I was encapsulated by my marginality."
  • Brice
    Welcome to TCKID, Dutchy! :) Great story, thanks for sharing! I know, it really is reassuring to read about other people's similar experiences. I've been to Toronto and lived in Ottawa too, we have a TCK group in Toronto if you want to meet people and help us raise awareness!

    Here's your lolcat picture!

    <img src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/funny-pictures-vortex-cat-claims-another.jpg"></img>
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