134 | EDUCATION ASIA | PEOPLE | Parents Corner
Third Culture Kids Just another June A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is an individual who spends a significant portion of their developmental years outside their parents' passport or home country, typically because of a parent's international career It was summer in Almaty. The last grey snow had disappeared and the city was blooming back to life. We lived on a hill next to Gorky Park, in a three-storey house with wild roses in the garden. I was fifteen, halfway through my IB, packing up my life for the fourth time in four years. My parents were stressed. Apparently, leaving a country involves an endless list: sell our mustard-coloured Lada, cancel
the television subscription, donate anything remotely heavy. For me, it was just another June. I packed my makeup and guitar and got ready to start again. A few hours before the airport, I decided I should probably say goodbye to the boy next door. Sometimes we slipped through the back gates and sat by the river. He helped when my phone broke and covered for me when I was late. I can’t remember his name or what he looked like. But I remember how angry he was that I hadn’t really told him I was leaving. He deserved a better goodbye, but I was tired of goodbyes. I’m still tired of goodbyes.
Sophie Maclang is Head of the Transitions Team at the British School Manila and a 2025 FOBISIA Fellowship recipient for her work on transitions in international schools. A former Third Culture Kid who attended six international schools across five countries, she has taught internationally for 14 years and is currently completing a Master’s in International School Counseling.
@sophiemaclang
Powered by FlippingBook