"So, Mim, where are you from...?" "

(Spiel alert!!)

I like getting surprise post. Whether it be a simple little note or a present, it's the unexpectedness that brings a smile to my face.

This was the most recent unexpected post to arrive at my door.

Home Keeps Moving by Heidi Sand-Hart

Mum sent me this book after a conversation I'd had with her over Christmas. You see, I'm English born, with Ulster-Scot blood and a Welsh high school education. I don't really know where to say I'm from, or what to say I am (I usually just opt for British!). Mum didn't really know either. Hence the book.

It's an autobiographical book about a "TCK" or "Third Culture Kid". I wouldn't identify myself as that, at least not in the context of the book (she's lived in different continents, nevermind countries, while English born her parents are from Norway and Finland, she hasn't lived in the same house for more than 4 years and she's spent a fair bulk of that time in India...). Phew. However, I can really associate with some of the things she talks about.

Here's a bit of an extract from the book :

"...even the simplest of questions can be met by the deepest sense of dread. "Where are you from?" is a very common question passed around socially but for me there is no simple way to answer it. My reply can range anywhere from a one-word answer to a mini-version of my life story...
It may sound ridiculous, but I often struggle with betraying myself if I tell people I am only from one country. The reason is that none of the countries of my upbringing fully represent who I am. I am definitely a blend of all the countries I am tied to... I hate to discredit the others and label myself as being from just one of those places. Others may never understand how huge a part this plays on my life, but I always hesitate before answering that question."

Huzzah!!

While I might struggle it coming up with an answer to this question and may not have a singular country which I find my identity in, I guess my identity is in the fact that my upbringing is spread across Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. That I have a special place in my heart for each of those countries and that there's more than one place that has that warm familiarity of "home".

Yesterday's backBlip