Thoughts of a Third Culture Kid

Mambo!  I am so sorry, I haven't posted something in what feels like forever!  We are back in Tanzania, busy with absolutely everything under the sun, from meetings and exams ICSA football tournaments and basketball games with rival schools. This next post is something that is super hard for me, because there is so much that could be said on this topic, and not enough space!  I'll guess I'll go ahead and jump right into it. As the name implies, Third Culture Kids do not belong to one single culture or country that they call home.  They just have a jumble of multiple cultures and selective traits, characteristics and outlooks from each one. The official definition of TCKs (according to Wikipedia, of course) is: Children raised in a culture other than their parents' (or the culture of the country given on the child's passport, where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years.  For example, I lived ...

Hey!  I hope you enjoyed my last post!  I had so much fun writing it, and I do hope you put at least one of those authors on your "must read" list.  :)  My hope for this next post is a tad bit different.  This post is going to be an explanation of sorts, and I hope an eye opener for some. American culture and most African cultures are polar opposites.  Because of that, there are multiple barriers that stay strong and steady between the cultures.  Since I've been crossing "enemy lines" for ten years, I have been able to stand in "no man's land" and view the crossfire coming from both sides at a different angle. Isn't this adorable?! Are you ready for the first big barrier?  This one is probably one of the largest cultural differences between most African cultures and American culture, and it might be surprising. ~Time~ In America, time is a commodity, a tool, something to be used wisely.  You see people rushing around, try...

I'm gonna let you know right off the bat: I am a complete and total bookworm.  I will stand by the phrase that books can be someone's best friend.  Soooo, this is a post I've wanted to do for quite awhile.  I hope you enjoy it...but if you're not a book lover, I apologize.  Because me talking about books is kinda like: #1~ Ok, my all time favorite series (like, seriously) is the Hunger Games.  Please, let me explain myself before you completely shut down.  I know many people are opposed to them because, well, it sounds like they're all about killing.  And I can assure you, there is a lot of killing in them.  But I loved the books despite it, and I'll repeat some of the reasons that I gave to my friends when they stubbornly refused to read them. Suzanne Collins is one of the very few authors who wrote a trilogy that managed to keep readers interested and hooked the entire way.  Most trilogies kinda lose their forward momentum...

Mambo!   I guess I’m in the States now, so…what would be the proper greeting?   Hello?   Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write another post in a long time, but it has been an absolute whirlwind during furlough.   I just got back from camp a little while back, so I'm still trying to catch up on sleep! While I was at camp, I had the privilege of meeting a couple of guys who had recently been adopted from Ethiopia, and I had a blast with them.   One of the things that I enjoyed so much about them was something that didn’t really stand out to me at first.   It’s something that almost every third-culture kid struggles with.   It’s actually the entire reason we’re called third culture kids. (It's kind of a big deal) I loved the fact that the guys noticed and appreciated my background.   They noticed it when I said or did things that totally fit their culture.  We would joke about tons of sugar in the coffee and tea, and I alway...

Fair warning: This blogpost is a compilation of random wacky moments that we have, funny facts, and silly stories.  For any of you who are allergic to some or all of the above, I would suggest not reading any further.  For those of you who love those things, by all means, read ahead! Have you ever been dozing off in the front seat, resting your eyes, when all of a sudden you hear the driver (A.K.A. your mom...) say something totally wacky?  I'm sure you've all been there.  Maybe you've been the driver.  But I'd like to tell you what I hear when I'm resting my feet on the dashboard, because I doubt many of you have ever heard this come from the driver's side of the car!! "Abby, the stoplight is on the wrong side of the road. Is it green or red? Oh, never mind.  I'll go when they start honking behind me.  I'm just a crazy mzungu (white person); no one cares."     This is one of those moments when you just open one eye and glance at th...

It's that time of year again! This only happens once a year, for only one week. The time of year when there are no classes, but you still have to go to school! The time of year that always happens to be the hottest week of the year...proving that God has a sense of humor!  The time of year when you work hard, occasionally hurt yourself or others, and wonder why on earth God placed you in the team he did while you hide on the bottom of the bus! Yes, it's SEW!!! I was tempted to steal this dog. It's so cute! For those of you who don't know what SEW is, it stands for Service Emphasis Week.  It is something our school does every year.  The entire student body participates by choosing one place they would like to go to serve.  We are given a list, and from our choices, we are placed in teams.  For example, this year some of our choices included: ~Salvation Army ~A cancer ward ~An animal shelter ~Many orphanages ~An alcoholic rehabilitation centre ~And ...