You know those lists? "You Might Be From South Carolina If..." and so forth.
Well I found a blog this morning, La Vie en Rose, written by a self-descibed Foreign Service Dependent. And she has one of those lists for third culture kids. It is pretty funny. And true.
Some examples:- You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?" (And when you do, you get into an elaborate conversation that gets everyone confused and/or makes you sound very spoiled.)
- You flew before you could walk.
- You have a passport, but no driver's license.
- You think VISA is a document stamped in your passport, and not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
- You've woken up in the middle of the night to watch the Superbowl on cable.
- You go into culture shock upon returning to your "home" country.
- Your life story uses the phrase "Then we moved to..." three (or four, or five...) times.
- The thought of sending your (hypothetical) kids to public school scares you, while the thought of letting them fly alone doesn't at all.
- You are a pro packer, or at least have done it many times.
- Your passport has more stamps than a post office.
- You wake up in one country thinking you are in another.
- A friend talks about their dreams of traveling to across the world to a secluded country and you can give them all the best restaurants and places to visit. You're like the traveler guidebook.
- The MSGs become your favorite people because you see them all the time and everytime you call your parents you talk to them first.
- You learn that jet lag is easier going West around the globe.
You can read the entire list here.