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| Oskar and I ca. 2000 at Legoland |
Firstly, I want to explain what a TCK is, and why my brother and I consider ourselves TCK's, also referred to as Third Culture Kids. A TCK is basically a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. A TCK frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any.
Oskar and I have grown up in both Italy and Switzerland, experiencing the enriching Italian culture and the Swiss-German culture. Our parents are Swedish, as are we - on paper, that is.
I often get asked why I moved to the UK, and moreover, how I had the balls to do it all by myself. The things is, when you set your mind on something, you have to be fully commited. You have to prepare yourself mentally the months before you move, as this makes it a lot easier when you actually get to the place.
Before I moved to Scotland, I had visited the university and the city a year in advance. So I had a picture in my brain of what it looked like. And smelled like… (Is it weird that I said that? Maybe. But frankly, it does smell different in every country). Also, when preparing myself for the "big move," as some people may refer to it, I never gave myself the opportunity to have any expectations of what it was going to be like. Whenever I do have expectations of something, it usually turns to shit, and it's not at all what I wanted it to be. So when I was thinking of the university or the campus or the people or the accommodation or anything concerning Aberdeen, I never allowed myself to expect anything. I honestly cannot stress enough how important this was for me, and how much it helped me to just go with the flow during the first few months.
As for the culture change, it is all part of the process of acclimating yourself to a new environment. Don't expect to be fully settled in on the third day, this is just not possible, give it time. I have lived in 4 different countries, 8 different houses, and attended 6 different schools; I learned over time and it does get easier. The actual "moving part" for me, wasn't as bad as it could have been, the same goes for the adaptation to the new culture and lifestyle. It went pretty smoothly with no big surprises as I was quite aware of the UK's culture beforehand. I like exploring and learning about different culture because I learn so much about my own culture(s).
Furthermore, it is so much fun to sit at a café and look at people walking by, trying to guess where they are from. I swear, shoes are such a give-away.
Regarding the question of "how did you have the balls to do it all by yourself?" Frankly, you just have to do it! If you want something, go and get it. "Well what if something goes wrong?" Well, then it goes wrong and you get up and fix it. I'm not saying it is going to be easy, but who said life was easy? There will be bumps in the road for everyone, no matter where you are. I believe it's important not to worry too much about what could go wrong; be organized and be prepared.
Moreover, since I have been moving every 4-5 years since I was little, I get an itching feeling to move when every 4th or 5th year rolls around. This has just been the way I have lived my life, and I feel trapped if I stay in one place for too long. This was also one of the motivators for me to move. This is also why it is so convenient that my course is 4 years, it will be time for me to pack my things and head off to new adventures!
Someone once asked me "Isn't it hard to move so often?" No. This is when I would like to answer "Isn't it hard to stay in one place for all of your life?" Think about it for a second. We get comfortable with the way it has always been, whether it is moving around a lot like me, or nesting in the same place for eternity. But of course it's tough at first, but you get used to it.
As a little side note, I would like to inform whoever is reading this that moving to a different country makes it so much easier when you know the language, I cannot stress this enough. When I moved to Sweden (or "back to Sweden" as some acquaintances of mine refer to it as, even though it was never "back" for me) it was completely in my favour because I knew the language. I cannot tell you how much easier it was to settle into a country where you know the language and can actually communicate with the public.
Lastly, I would like to say that when one moves around a lot, you get to know so many different people from around the globe that in the end are mutual friends with your friend from wherever (did that even make sense?); two people who you never thought would know each other - it's brilliant! The world is so small.
I don't even know if anyone found this at all interesting, maybe you haven't even read past the second paragraph, but if you did, kudos to you!
Peace!
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