I have never lived in a place for more than two years, and I consider being in a place for two years a long time.

Whenever I have people ask, “Where are you from?" I always pause and think about the question. I don't exactly have a place that I consider myself "from." I usually just answer with saying, "Well, I just moved to America and before that I lived in Dubai." All my friends that I have met in college this year call me “Dubai" It's like my nickname. My family still lives in Dubai so for now I do call that my home. I did graduate from there, and still visit time to time. I never thought such a simple question could be so hard to answer.

I remember during my senior year, I came across LIM. I just remember writing my paper and explaining how I am a third culture kid. At the time I did not exactly understand the meaning, but after coming to New York City and living in America I can understand 100 percent what a third culture kid is. I always lived outside of America, and I would always stare at my American passport and think to myself “I do not feel American at all.” I always would search “New York City” on my laptop and look at how beautiful the city looked, it was unreal and that was when I decided I wanted to move there once I graduated. Now that I am in New York City, I look at my passport and I feel more American than I have ever felt before - because I have learnt so much about where I am “from” and it’s been a journey.

The reason I never felt like I was a “third culture kid” living overseas was because I was constantly surrounded with people who are just like me. I was flying around the world before I could even walk. I remember when my little brother was born in Austria, and then living in Bratislava where I had a nanny who spoke Russian to me. Because of that I learned the language so well, that when my parents came home I would start speaking Russian to them. My parents both grew up in New York their entire lives, so they wanted us to have a different lifestyle - a lifestyle that they never had. I thank them every day for what they gave my brothers and I a chance to see and the places we got to live. I always get asked in America, “Do your parents work in the military or something?” My answer is always no. My parents are like any normal parents. They are teachers; they just enjoy teaching overseas.

I always get asked, “Do you ever feel sad leaving your friends behind?” My answer is yes, but life goes on, and it is never a goodbye. I never really felt sad until fifth grade when I lived in Ukraine. It was the first place I loved so much. It was the place where I had my first crush and the first place where I joined sports teams and got to travel for them. The experiences I have are insane. I got to travel to Poland for soccer, and stay at people’s houses from different cultures. I got to travel to Riga for basketball, and I was so young. It took me a while to get used to moving, and leaving people behind. I always stayed in touch with people, but as years passed it got harder to communicate and talk because it is as if there was nothing to talk about. I got so used to meeting people, it became so easy. I remember being so shy, and then after moving around so much I dealt with being outgoing and meeting people easily. I have lived in Kuwait, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Ukraine, Israel, Austria, Bratislava, North Carolina, Germany and the list goes on - this doesn’t even count the places I have visited.

I guess you could say being a third culture kid really hit me when I moved to the United States for college. I felt like the “outsider.” I had never once in my life felt like that. I didn’t know American money, I didn’t even know some of the American holidays. Most of my friends now are all Americans and it is so strange to consider myself an “American,” because I do not feel like one at all. I think the hardest part is when people talk to me and they tell me about how they grew up with the same friends since they were in kindergarten or when they can all relate to things. I just listen and find it so interesting. I remember when my dad dropped me off at LIM and I just started crying because I didn’t know when I was going to see him again, and to me that was the saddest moment I have ever dealt with because then he started crying. Overall I am adjusting my well-being in America. I have amazing friends that I now consider my best friends, and I have learnt so much. I am proud to call “New York” my new home. I know my parents aren’t a drive away, instead they are a 23 hour plane ride away, but I know they are always there for me no matter how far away they are. As for me I am always going to be a third culture kid, and I am okay with that because that is who I am. I will never forget all the places I have seen or lived.