I really enjoyed reading everyone’s concept of ‘home’ this week! Many were touching as well as interesting and I appreciate how honest and open everyone has been!

A recurring theme which is present in most of my peers’ blogs as well as my own post on the looseness of the word, is the concept that ‘Home’ is where one establishes it to be based on a variance of reason, justifications- whatever one may call it. Coming from outside the country (more like way across the globe), it was very interesting to read the perspectives of locals as well as Canadians on the shift to UBC being ‘away’ from home. Although they don’t have to endure connecting flights and losing more than three hours going through time-zones, ‘home’ is not a daunting concept of life.

For Charmaine Li, who has been fortunate to grow up within the beautiful campus of UBC itself, looks brightly towards making her own home, a dream all of us share. What’s great is that she mentions how she wants her parents to be happy wherever it is they move to after moving out of UBC, which is probably the goal of everyone- to be content with the life they lead!

I believe that myself, Charmaine, as well as Tai Amy Grauman and Melissa Kuipers, and probably most students in general, are part of a generation called Third Culture Kids. Although often referred to through negative connotations, I believe this concept is one which showcases the flexibility of personalities, the ability to find ‘home’ wherever one finds happiness and contentment, which after all should be a realistic expectation. Four walls and a ceiling need not be what defines a home, it can be found within our own hearts, with other individuals or even every day places which we need not ‘own’ in a formal sense.

This aspect of ‘third culture’ thus opens for us a realm of possibilities and although nostalgia can be a positive sentiment and being aware of one’s roots is important as well, it provides a sense of strength and positivity for the future!

Works Cited

“The Difficulty of Life as a Third-Culture Kid.” InterNations Online. n.d. Web. 7th June 2015.