The Foreign Service Journal, December 2005

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 73 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT helped lessen the culture shock that many Third Culture Kids feel when they return to their ‘native’ country,” remarks Janey Symington. 5. Ask for help. If you find that you are seriously overwhelmed with adjusting to both life in America and the stress of the college workload, do ask for help, whether it be from uni- versity counseling services, friends, family or religious community. Look for support groups. And don’t feel that your issues always necessarily have to do with being a Foreign Service kid. Every college student, no matter what his or her background, goes through a rough patch. Sarah Pettit volunteers as a crisis counselor on campus: “If you are having trouble adjusting, don’t suffer in silence! Adjustment issues are very common, so take advantage of the resources available to help you.” 6. Home is not as far away as it seems — or, home needn’t seem as far away as it is! Third Culture families tend to be more close-knit than average; they “pull together” during every international move. “Through all the moves, my family was the main thing that remained constant — and this time I was mov- ing all by myself,” reflects Emily Frost. “You are going to miss your family, so make use of the great tech- nology available: instant messaging, e- mailing and video conferencing with a webcam.” “It’s important to realize that you’re not all that far away from home,” says Ian Haight. “When I’m sitting at my desk with three papers to write and only four hours of sleep, and I’m sick, and my friends won’t stop making noise, I reassure myself that soon I will be sitting with my family on the balcony back in Rome.” 7. Expect surprises. “People will say, ‘Wow, your English is really good!’ even though I am an American,” laughs Sarah Pettit. Leah Speckhard claims she went to school with an open mind, and “didn’t expect to run into the stereo- typical American … but I did.” Ian Haight’s “Carpe Diem” (Seize the Day) tattoo was similar to those of Continued on page 74 Accept that you may feel like one person at home with your family, another person at school. In fact, you may have even more than two homes.