relationships — Stories

The Roots We Carry

Though I may have felt alone at times, I never really was…

Friendships, Moving, Where Are You From?, ChangeBy Anita Krishnan (From Singapore, Australia & the United States. Currently quarantined in India, due to COVID-19)20 March 2021TCK, TCA, TCK TOWN, moving, university, friendship, friends, relationship, relationships, family, traditional, past, LDRComment

A Take on TCKs and Attachment

We need to repeat these 5 truths purposefully, intentionally, and repetitively to ensure healthy relationships—both romantic and platonic...

Not Of Blood

We have come together not because of blood, but because we share bonds of a common outlook on life…

My Psychological Tattoo

You were always worthy, Until you made me unworthy, Emotional handcuffs clatter to the floor, Freedom…

ChangeBy Paul Kennedy (From The Western Pacific, South East Asia, Europe & Alaska. Living in Tokyo)29 July 2020relationships, third culture adult, third culture kid, tradition, culture, self worth, self love, love, loss, separationComment

Caught That Yellow Fever. Not!

“They’re not even like real men, Ava! They’re all hairless under their shirts. Come on! It’s gross!” I remember zipping my lips shut right after my mate yipped that particularly distasteful ‘observation’ at me,..

Racism, RelationshipsBy Ava Senaratne (From Sri Lanka, Dubai & Melbourne. Living in Sydney)25 July 2020TCK TOWN, third culture kid, TCK, racism, bi-racial, Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Asian, relationships, love, attraction, travel Comments

The Consistency of Change

Do you ever feel like you have an alter ego for each city you go back to? I know Nashville changed me, I learned lessons here I’ve never learned anywhere else and I hope that those stay with me when I move…

ChangeBy Molly Kaitlin (From Peru, Costa Rica, Minnesota & Florida. Living in Tennessee)22 July 2020friendship, millennials, TCK TOWN, third culture adult, third culture kid, Gen Z, diversity, culture, communication, moving, Nashville, USA, relationships, city, cities, homeComment

How to Meet TCKs in Your New Home

It is so helpful to get out there with an open mind and some level of trust in the people you are going to meet…

GuidesBy Ava Senaratne (From Sri Lanka, Dubai & Melbourne. Living in Sydney)13 June 2020TCK, TCK TOWN, birthday edition, COVID-19, isolation, belonging, confidence, relationships, atck, travel, friendship, friendsComment

Self-love Wisdom for the COVID-19 Season

Grief is good because it creates the space for TCKs to acknowledge those losses and to process them…

COVID-19By Megan Norton (From the United States, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Japan, Israel, Austria, Greece, Hungary, and Poland. Living in Michigan)10 June 2020TCK, TCK TOWN, birthday edition, COVID-19, masks, isolation, wfh, distance, social distancing, belonging, confidence, relationships, grief, atck, travelComment

A Community of Outsiders and Misfits

Some swore allegiance to Pakistan, others to Australia and others were in an existential crisis. There was a strange sense of community, which was dynamic and syncretic

In My Shinjuku Gardens

Hearts intertwined, cultures blended, held apart and concealed. Muted thoughts are voiced in random tongues.

In LoveBy Paul Kennedy (From The Western Pacific, South East Asia, Europe & Alaska. Living in Tokyo)14 September 2019TCK, TCK TOWN, Third Culture Adult, third culture kid, japan, love, in love, relationship, relationships, past, age, cultures, attractionComment

Metamorphosis of the Heart

When he and I are close, it feels like our two flames enliven us. But fire is also a destructive force. From destruction comes creation, I think to myself…

In Love, RelationshipsBy Claire Rementilla (From New Jersey. Living in California)7 September 2019TCK, TCK TOWN, Third Culture Adult, third culture kid, sex, love, relationship, relationships, travel, partner, loverComment

The Scary Idea of Love

He kissed me goodnight. I went home and woke up the next morning thinking, ‘How could I have been such an idiot!?’ I really liked him but I guessed I just liked to self sabotage…

In LoveBy Molly Kaitlin (From Peru, Costa Rica, Minnesota & Florida. Living in Tennessee)4 September 2019TCK, TCK TOWN, Third Culture Adult, third culture kid, love, in love, relationship, relationships, date, dating, fearComment

Swallowing the Shame-Anger Pill

Having edited TCK TOWN for two and a half years now, having dated a very, very troubled TCK who was battling with his cultural identity, and through living TCK experiences myself, I could imagine that his past had made him this odd, awkward and uncomfortable rageaholic…

AngerBy Ava Senaratne (From Sri Lanka, Dubai & Melbourne. Living in Sydney)27 March 2019TCK, TCK TOWN, third culture kid, anger, relationships, relatives, mother, father, sister, Melbourne, Australia, race, culture, conflict, familyComment

Awash With Anger

You pour your heart out. List your every reason, incident and rebuke. And still my little boat has not swamped and floundered. But now my shoes are wet and my socks are falling down in water weight…

By Paul Kennedy (From The Western Pacific, South East Asia, Europe & Alaska. Living in Tokyo)20 March 2019TCK, TCK TOWN, third culture kid, anger, relationships, Japanese, American, Alaska, emotions, fight, growth, cultural, lessonsComment

FARAH

I am local. I am multi-local. My childhood is a collection of short stories that flit between Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Australia...

Channeling Anger into Better Relationships

I confronted him straight away about his lack of communication and professionalism. In an Australian environment this would have been dealt with even more directly and bluntly…

The Guts of Being Cross-Cultural

With the whole of my heart (and my guts), I believe that your accent is fine just the way it is. There isn't really a right way to say 'tomato'. While you can't expect others to agree with your cultural identity, you can expect people to respect it...

The Standard Relationship Model and Me—I'd Rather Be Alone

So, in the end, I’m alone. Although I have no intimate relationships with anybody at the moment, I find that I don’t particularly miss that. I’d rather be alone than settle for less than what I feel that I deserve...

No Formalities

Sara promptly opened the fridge, retrieved sustenance in the form of canned tuna and continued. After the session was over and everyone had left, I returned to my fridge and to my horror (distaste, displeasure, disdain, etc.) saw $1.10 lying on the counter…

FriendshipsBy Danish Khan (From Melbourne, Perth, Karachi & Islamabad. Living in Karachi)21 July 2018TCK TOWN, tck, third culture kid, Friendship, friend, relationships, university, Australian, Australia, Melbourne, degree, education, friendship, friends, studyComment

The TCK Disconnect

We are in constant contact with everyone, so we forego personal contact with loved ones…

FriendshipsBy Danish Khan (From Melbourne, Perth, Karachi & Islamabad. Living in Karachi)20 June 2018TCK TOWN, tck, TCK, third culture kid, friendship, friend, relationships, relationship, college Comment