A lot has been said about the type of relationships my brand of people have. ‘Third Culture Kids’, as we’re known, are global nomads who often create our own ‘TCK culture’, an amalgamation of all the places we’ve lived in.
Apparently, TCKs seek out other TCKs for relationships: we’re happiest around people who share our unique world-view. It can be less exhausting than always having to explain yourself to a “mono-cultural” kid, who spent all of his/her formative years in one culture, and can perhaps never relate.
But TCKs are relatively rare, so this post explores the options available in absence of a TCK partner to date. Do we prefer a mono-cultural person who falls outside of our “culture collection”, the cultures we’ve come into contact with? Someone multicultural? A culturally eclectic relationship might be what it takes to stop a TCK from feeling stagnant and stifled. Like exploring new countries, a multicultural relationship has the potential to offer eclectic, exciting experience as well.
Quite a few people have told me that one of the biggest ‘pros’ of dating within one’s “home” culture is that you can rely on enjoying the same ‘home cuisine’ together, day after day: the thought of which – as a TCK – has me halfway to my running shoes already!
Mhm. You sound like the New Yorker writing I like. ^^
Well written and very true. To a certain extent, expats can be runner ups too, although they can end up being cocoons which is worse than being a mono-cultural kid.