10 Signs You Are a Third Culture Kid

Were you brought up in the country your parents were born and raised in? In this day and age the chances are that you were born in one country to parents born in one or even two others. We are increasingly "global citizens"- people who do not live and die in one country. The children of people who have moved abroad are exposed to the culture of their parents (first culture), the culture of their receiving country (second culture) and their own experience (third culture). Hence the term "third culture kids" which was originally coined in the 1950s to describe children of US military personnel posted abroad.

As the child of a British father and Japanese mother raised in Spain, I have always been aware of certain characteristics that I have, which were not shared by my friends who were born and bred in one country. Oh how I longed to be just like them. Someone with a very clear and uncomplicated history. It is only now that as a mother raising three third culture kids of my own, I can see how the world has evolved and how lucky they are to have these characteristics. Why don't you see which ones you have?

1. You are not sure where "home" is.

Is "home" where you were born? Is it the country your parents are from? Or is it where you live right now? Most third culture kids call several places home and adapt easily to wherever they happen to be. On the other hand you feel "rootless" and always foreign no matter which country you are in. I rather follow the sentiment expressed by Paul Young, "wherever I lay my hat, that's my home."

2. You speak several languages, sometimes at the same time.

Many third culture kids are the offspring of parents from two different countries This often means that you speak the language(s) your parents speak as well as the language(s) of the country you are in or of the school you attend. I had a friend in Spain whose mother was Swedish, his father was Italian and he went to a German school. Of course he also spoke fluent English. I myself could converse happily in Spanglish (Spanish/English) or Jinglish (Japanese/English).

3. You have an "interesting" accent.

As a third culture kid you probably grew up as I did, surrounded by a lot of people speaking their non-native tongue. Being a native English speaker, I was constantly hearing incorrect grammar and vocabulary and strange intonation. You get so used to hearing all the different accents and misuse of the language that you yourself speak a strange hybrid form of language and find yourself easily mimicking the accent of the person with whom you are conversing. This can be a particularly annoying habit. If I don't concentrate, I can feel myself drifting into the same accent and intonation as my companion. This is particularly true when I am with people who have a strong American or "posh" English accent. I have often been told that I "speak good English" on the assumption that I am actually foreign. I usually take it as a compliment.

4. You have been to many schools (and not because you kept getting expelled).

Each time you move country you end up moving school (unless you are (un)fortunate to attend a boarding school). Most likely the first school you land in doesn't happen to be the best school so your parents find a "better" school and move you there as soon as you have settled in to the first one. This is quite typical behaviour and unfortunately I subjected my own children to this when we first moved to Hong Kong as all the schools near where we lived were full.

5. You are good at making friends.

You are used to moving schools (see 4 above) and being the new kid on the block. Consequently you have to be open and friendly in order to establish a new circle of friends quickly. You are also welcoming to newcomers because you know what it is like to be new and a "Billy no mates". You meet lots of people but only stay connected to a few kindred spirits when you move away. Those people remain friends for life and belong to a particular era in your life. I have friends from when I lived in Germany, Belgium, Spain and Hong Kong.

6. You genuinely need to use Facebook.

Rather than just being a tool for showing off, Facebook is the main way you keep in touch with all your friends who live all over the world. Social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook keep you connected with people you would have lost touch with in the olden days of snail mail. I have reconnected with old school mates from the many international schools I attended and enjoy seeing the posts featuring their family and activities. Technology has made it easier to be a third culture kid as goodbye is not the end of the story - you can Skype and Face Time with your distant friends.

7. You have thousands of air miles in the frequent flyer accounts of multiple airlines.

You have been used to living abroad and travelling here and there all your life. You think nothing of a 13-hour long haul flight and come prepared with all the creature comforts you need to make it a pleasant journey. I pre-load my iPad with movies just in case my in-flight entertainment system is faulty (which has happened on numerous occasions). You think nothing of going abroad for the weekend as a city 500 miles away is actually "quite close". I remember going to Boston for the weekend with my mother when we were living in London because she fancied some Maine lobster.

8. You are not a fussy eater.

Having been exposed to other cuisines from a young age, the third culture kid enjoys a great variety of food. You know where to find the best curry, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and fish and chips in town. You have also seen all sorts of interesting items on the menu including turtle, kangaroo, ostrich, crocodile and snake. In Hong Kong there was a popular snake soup stall in Wan Chai I used to hurry past just in case they liked to keep fresh supplies.

9. You are a global citizen.

You see the world as a very small place and you have been exposed to several cultures. You are flexible when it comes to seeking employment in other countries. You are happy to go where the opportunity takes you. As a result you are often top of your employer's list when it comes to relocation. My husband was relocated from London to Hong Kong and then to Singapore. We felt quite relaxed about the moves because we are both third culture kids.

10. You are a cultural chameleon.

As discussed above, you're not quite sure where you fit in, but in fact you fit in everywhere. You are highly adaptable and able to cope with frequent change. You are not firmly rooted in any particular culture - you are the future - you are a third culture kid.