The Foreign Service Journal, June 2005

S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT 86 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 5 F R O M T H E D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 4 S C H O O L S S U P P L E M E N T Still Haven’t Found What We Are Looking For: Does an International High School Experience Make You Who You Are? By Mikkela Thompson I f my international life as a Foreign Service child had a theme song, it would be a tossup between U2’s “Where the streets have no name” and “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” I attended Copenhagen International School, which I’ve likened to a brotherhood, a place where everyone became your “family.” Last summer, I was in Copenhagen once again, sitting at the vegetarian Mediterranean buffet, sitting with my high school friends, and I wondered: did high school make us who we are? So I decided to ask around. I visited my old high school and talked with my teachers and former classmates. And when I returned to the States, I continued the discussion with my new friends, including those in the Global Nomad community. I even sent out an e-mail questionnaire. After reading the streams of responses, and think- ing about it further, I concluded that Copenhagen International School did make a difference. As an FS child, I’m rather proud and happy that many of my closest friends are from my high school years. Yet while high school had a formative place in many international children’s lives, as it did in mine, it probably didn’t affect us as much as the sheer internationalism of our lives. There are so many lessons learnt when the world has been your playground. So although these children still may not know what they are looking for, they have an internal global positioning system that is distinct and offers its own rewards. In the words of one, “I appreciate my worldly upbringing, and I feel that the perspective that I got in experiencing completely different cultures and languages that allowed me to see more of what is underneath culture and language and is univer- sal in all people.” F R O M T H E J U N E 2 0 0 4 S C H O O L S S U P P L E M E N T A Village to Call Home — Global Nomads International By Mikkela Thompson L ong before Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “Global Village” in 1967, the world was an actual village for the Foreign Service. But as in all villages, you are not always part of the club. You can do drama, play sports, be a scout and play in the orchestra but no matter how well-adjusted you are — despite your country-hopping and language dexterity — sometimes it’ s nice to find others who are just like you. Last fall I was impressed to find my “tribe” — and their temporary village — at the Global Nomads International con- ference at George Mason University (Oct. 24–26, 2003). According to the organization’s founder, Norma McCaig, a Global Nomad is “anyone who has ever lived abroad before adulthood because of a parent’s occupational choice (with for, example, the diplomatic corps, religious or non-governmental missions, international business) or whose parents were/are abroad indepen- dently for career purposes.” This includes military brats, diplomatic brats, banking brats, missionary brats, teaching brats, expats, etc. etc. There are many other terms for those who have had an internationally mobile childhood. TCK or third culture kid has been used since the 1960s, and there were representatives from that field of research at the conference too. Attending a conference like the GNI conference is a great way to make friends, but also a way for you to real- ize that you are not alone in your “specialness” -- most of the people at the conference speak three or more languages, claim five or more countries as part of their identity, and many have several passports. It’s won- derful to be part of a club where every introduction is a laundry list of countries of residence. As a result of the conference, I joined the local chapter of Global Nomads International, Global Nomads Washington Area. They function primarily as a social group and meet about once a month for brunches, movie nights, etc., including the cherry blossom parade and an annual holiday party. To join the list, send a blank message to gnwa@yahoogroups.com.