According to research, there are both positives and negatives to being a TCK. For one thing, they grow to have an expansive worldview, making them more open and accepting of different ways of life. Additionally, they are more likely to handle change well and be more independent.
That said, being a TCK does not come without its challenges; it’s a lonely life to lead and can often cause difficulties with identity and feelings of belonging.
It’s a lonely life to lead and can often cause difficulties with identity and feelings of belonging.
I’m as much of a TCK as they come. My mother is Belgian. My step-father is South African, I was born in Portugal but have lived in Oman, Dubai, Singapore, Holland and the UK. Even within England, I have moved from Cumbria to Yorkshire to the North East. In my twenty years, I have lived in, roughly, 12 different houses. Basically – don't ask me where “home” is because I would have no clue what to say.
Moving around and being exposed to so many different cultures has been a wonderful experience. I have seen and experienced so much and have travelled to so many places, and for that, I will always be grateful. With that said, I often find it difficult to find a place that I ‘belong’ to. In countries such as the UK, where people have such strong ties to their country and many cultural references that I am so behind on (If one more person is shocked that I did not know what a Colin the caterpillar cake was) it can, at times, feel quite isolating.
When you come to university, they tell you – don't worry, you will find “your people”. If you’re Italian and you’re missing home, you can join Italian society. If you’re French and don’t quite get the British references, you can teach others about your music and style of cooking. But where is the sphere of belonging for someone who doesn’t belong anywhere?
But where is the sphere of belonging for someone who doesn’t belong anywhere?
This is where these feelings of being 'lost' truly emerge. Having no concrete place to ground myself in, no solid ‘home’ to claim and no country that I identify with, is not always easy. My passport may be Belgian, but if I met someone from Belgium? We most likely wouldn’t have much in common because I don’t know anything about the culture or way of life there.
Being a TCK, It's comforting to know that there are people out there who have been through similar experiences and have these shared feelings. Together, we create our own uncertain 'rootless' community. Therefore, I may never know what to say when someone asks me where I'm from, but at the end of the day, I would not swap my unique way of life for anything else.