Why TCK's Need TLC

To those of you who know me, it's not big news that I am weird. Well, I am here to tell you, there is in fact a reason for that:

When I was five, my parents packed up me and my sister and hauled us off to Central America. We went under an organization called Mennonite Central Committee, which focuses on relief and development in third world countries (go to www.mcc.org to learn more). In the tiny country of El Salvador, my dad re-built earthquake-resistant houses and taught permaculture, while my mom home-schooled us girls. After four years, our term was up, and we moved back to the States. That's it.

...Except its not.

I'm different. I have been completely immersed in another culture - so much so that my nine-year-old self liked to think I was "Salvadorean" rather than "American". Shortly after returning, we spent a weekend at a re-entry retreat, where they gave me a name for what I had become: a Third Culture Kid. Culture #1: United States + Culture #2: El Salvador = Culture #3: my own personal little culture made from parts of each.

So what does that mean? Well, for starters, I'm bilingual! This is very handy when entering a competitive job market or, say, taking an AP Spanish Language test.

I'm also pretty flexible. This has become more true through the years. I have a comfort zone, but being outside of it isn't really stressful, and is actually kind of normal. 

But the thing about being made in two different places is that, while I can fit pretty well in both, I'm not a complete fit for either. The whole "belonging" thing doesn't work too well for me. This was pretty hard while I was going through middle school, where everyone is convinced that your value comes from being part of some clique or other. I put myself through misery, trying to fit my odd-shaped self into standard-shaped holes. 

When I hit high school, I thankfully realized how pointless fitting in was, and gave up on it. I'm comfortable in my own skin, and am so happy I had the opportunity to live overseas. When you grow up outside of your home country, you are able to look in on it with an objective view and see that it is not so much about "our country" as it is about "our world" - a mindset that seems to be sort of uncommon.

So when you notice that I'm just a tad bit weirder than usual, remember this: I'm a TCK. I don't quite fit anywhere.