Growing up overseas I spent some of my most formative years immersed in places and cultures vastly different than my own.
When you aren't fluent in the language surrounding you and are unfamiliar with the cultural norms you learn to adapt to situations at the drop of a hat. I learned from a young age the power that a smile or a friendly gesture can hold to forge bonds that surpass language, racial, or cultural borders. It enabled me to open my mind up to possibilities and to never shy away from new things.
Four years were spent in Beijing followed by two in Moscow. I cherish the memories that I built in these places but more than that I am eternally grateful for the lessons and experiences I gained while living as a third culture kid. TCKs are children who spend a good amount of their formative years living in a culture that doesn't match their passports.
Life wasn't always easy and learning to adapt and go with the flow of any sort of situation was incredibly challenging at times. However, It's taught me the importance of looking at others and at situations and accepting them with open arms. It not only taught me to accept but also gave me skills necessary to create positive change and growth while in different environments.
You learn very quickly just how different some norms are but also see the similarities every human shares. In China it was of custom to pay for things like public restrooms, therefore a lot of people simply peed on the street or on the floors in public markets.
In Moscow babushkas (grandmother/old woman) would harshly reprimand you and try and fix you if you did anything they deemed unfit. After swim practice on one occasion, my hair was forcefully blow dried while an angry babushka muttering about me being a stupid American girl who would catch a cold if I went outside with wet hair. Granted, it was around -20 degrees outside. That was an experience I'll never forget.
Throughout many different experiences with locals, I learned that the essence of care is spoken differently throughout the world.
In China, it was much more understated and softspoken, small gestures to show that someone was watching out for you. In Moscow, you would be forcefully pulled over to a hairdryer to keep you from a cold. People communicate in different ways, not only as in different languages but also in the way they show and receive love.
My outlook on the world will forever be different because I was given the opportunity to grow up overseas. Not everyone will have the chance to experience life in a different country. But if you do, go for it! It's terrifying and difficult in ways that I don't think I even fully understand because I was still a young child while living overseas. But from all that I gained while living internationally, it's worth the change.
There's nothing like traveling and meeting people who stem from different backgrounds than your own. You enhance your life when you open yourself up to new people and new experiences.
