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Not your average TCK??

USAFinn

Author:
USAFinn

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My name’s Laura, 19 years old, and if you can’t tell from my username, I was born in Finland. When I was 1 year old, I moved to Germany, and when I was 2 years old, I moved to the USA. There are a lot of you who have lived in a lot of countries, but I’ve only really lived in two..sort of. As a kid, I flew to Finland every summer by myself (which most people think is astonishing that a little girl of 8 would fly by herself, with an escort of course), and I even spent a “foreign exchange year” there, living with my uncle, his wife, and my three small cousins (which was a shock to me, since I am an only child). I experienced “reverse culture shock” and that puzzled me until now. I’ve read that TCK’s often experience that when they return to their “passport country” after a while. (I was 16 at the time) I don’t like to say “passport country” since I have a passport from both countries.

I’m also bilingual in Finnish and English (which most people are astonished, since I have no accent in English), and I’m getting to be trilingual with German (I have been studying it for six years now). I never really knew any other TCKs growing up, but now that (I guess) I’m considered to be an adult TCK, I hope to meet others someday, who can understand the homelessness I grew up with. It’s rather liberating, after living in the US for 17 years. Someday I’d like to move back to Finland, but a part of me knows that I would feel so awkward there, having grown up abroad. Even my own family there is awkward towards me, like my grandparents don’t really know what to say to me…

However, next semester (this February) I’ll be going to China, to study the language. I have a parent who lives there (he’s Finnish..), and I’m so excited to live in a foreign country again! It’s been a long time since my pseudo-foreign exchange…

Well, it’s nice to meet you all! (This has been getting really long…)

Laura

P.S: Sorry if this is kind of sporadic, but I’ve never met other TCK’s before!


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November 20, 2007 | Filed Under General Forum, Introduction 

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Comments

7 Responses to “Not your average TCK??”

  1. 1
    Brice
    Brice Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:09 pm

    Welcome, Laura! You never met other TCKs before? Well, there’s plenty of TCKs here that’s for sure hehe. You’re not alone!

    Yes, you can post even if you’re not writing for the contest. That’s what the Forum category is for :)

    Your grandparents don’t know how to relate to you, eh? If you don’t keep in touch, I think it can be difficult to relate to grandparents (or even parents), even if you’re not a TCK.

    Both sides of my family are from different cultures, so I don’t always know how to relate but after living with them for a few days, we always find things to relate to and talk about!

    (Is this spam?)

  2. 2
    lielie
    lielie Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

    HI Laura ! TCK are some of the most tolarant, interesting people on the earth :-) haha, honest !

    (Is this spam?)

  3. 3
    Unregistered
    warona Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:24 pm

    hey laura, welcome.

    check it out, my paternal grandmother only speaks setswana, a language i only learned in the last 5 years (sort of), so imagine that!

    (Is this spam?)

  4. 4
    Brice
    Brice Says:
    November 20th, 2007 at 6:33 pm

    Warona, at least you’ve learned the language! My grandmother only speaks Hararic, (I just know a few words) so we can only communicate using hand gestures… it’s hilarious.

    (Is this spam?)

  5. 5
    Unregistered
    How to Post Like a Ninja : tckid Says:
    November 23rd, 2007 at 6:45 pm

    […] Laura from Finland, Germany, and going to China soon. Ben Donaldson. Canada, China, Kazkhstan. Come and say hi to Ben! Cynthia. Taiwan, Indonesia, Bangkok, Shanghai China, U.S. Mariam, missing Egypt! Warona, our amazing artist. Melissa Miller from San Francisco, India, VA, Istanbul, Ankara, Bangkok and Turkey. Ingrid Giles, Missionary kid from Ecuador, Mexico, U.S. Brice from Vancouver Canada, France, Ethiopia, Reunion, England. […]

    (Is this spam?)

  6. 6
    Unregistered
    sky Says:
    December 4th, 2007 at 4:38 am

    Hey Laura. I was happy to hear that there is someone here little like me. I was born in Finland also and I am also American. It goes like this. My mom is Finnish my dad American. But I have lived in Finland for only one year. All the rest I have lived in Asia (Thailand and Laos). But basically we have similarities. I don’t have an accent either. I totally understand what you feel like when you go to Finland. It depends a lot where in Finland you go to. I went to a countryside town for a year and they were awkward toward me. Where in Finland did you usually go.

    (Is this spam?)

  7. 7
    jul
    jul Says:
    February 17th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

    Hi Laura!

    I’m also a child of immigrants. Although I’ve only ever lived in 3 countries, it’s been enough to make me feel like a TCK.

    I definitely share your feelings of homelessness. For some reason, I feel connected even to places I haven’t spent that much time in. The whole reverse culture shock is very true for me. I’m glad I’m not alone in this.

    I hope you’re making the most of your stay in China! There are probably other TCKs there on exchange like you.

    (Is this spam?)

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