What is a third culture kid?

So many people who are third culture kids/adult third culture kids have no idea that they are one. If you fall into the third culture kid category then you may have already experienced asking yourself questions like…

1. Where do I belong?
2. Where is my home???
3. Why don’t I feel 100% at home anywhere?
4. Why can I feel partially at home in so many different countries?
5. Why don’t I belong in my passport country?
6. Why is it that I still don’t know where to settle?
7. Is there anyone else out there who feels like this?
8. Am I normal?
9. Why do I feel so disconnected all the time?
10. Why is it so hard to make local friends?
11. Why do I usually just get along with international people, and those who have travelled lots?

Yeah, I have asked myself these questions too. By definition, a third culture kid is “someone who has lived somewhere else for a longer period of time than their parents’ passport countries”. In most cases, you have likely already lived in more than 2 or 3 or 4 countries before you turn the age of 20.

You’ve probably stumbled upon this article trying to figure out “who you are” or “where you belong”. I’ve got some good news for you… you’re in the right place. Why? Because I built a community of people who are just like you, and me, and I gave a TEDx talk to create awareness of who and what third culture kids are and in this article, I’ll be sharing with you a plethora of ways you can learn more about yourself.

So, what exactly are you? Aside from the formal definition, I shared with you, you are what can be classified as “rootless”. This means you don’t really have any “strong” ties with any geographical location. You’ve probably moved so many times that you find yourself in a dilemma where you don’t want to move anymore… but can’t seem to want to stay anywhere, and that’s okay. There are many people like you, you are not alone, and you are 100% normal.

To help, here is a list of resources you can check out to learn more about who/what third culture kids are, and place where you can meet others who are just like you:

1. @tckglobal on Instagram — this is a wifi home for third culture kids and adult third culture kids from all around the world! I’ve made so many friends on this account.
2. This is a blog full of third culture kid stories written by third culture kids which you can read (and most likely relate to). I’ve read these stories and relate to them all.
3. A global TCK slack community you can join, there are hundreds of us in there and we’d love for you to be a part of our TCK family! I’ve made TCK friends in here!
4. This book is basically known as THE third culture kid bible in our community! It has helped hundreds of TCKs understand who and what they are on a deeper level by explaining cultural and emotional pathways you cross and encounter during your TCK upbringing. It definitely helped me pinpoint and understand areas of my TCK life that made no sense prior to reading it. I highly recommend grabbing a copy and reading it all in one day. Trust me, it’s incredibly insightful.
5. Type in “TCK” or “third culture kids” on Instagram and you’ll find loads of third culture kids who are just like you. I’ve done this and it really works.
6. @jaythetck is my Instagram in case you want to get to know a fellow TCK :) I love meeting TCKs around the world!
7. My TEDx talk on who and what third culture kids are and about the third culture kid community that I built! I hope you find it useful!

I hope that you find the resources I have listed useful and I hope that you join our TCK family online. There are plenty of us around the world so remember, you aren’t alone. We are all in this together, apart.

All my cultured love,

Jay (a fellow TCK who also doesn’t know where home is)
❤