Hello world, my name is Sean

Posted on by thejavaneseamerican

And I am a Third Culture Kid. It is not a well-known term, but chances are you already know a TCK. After all, President Barack Obama is one.

Right now I am 24-years-old and I currently reside in colorful Colorado. But I spent the first 18 years of my life living in six different cities across the world:

  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Taipei, Taiwan
  • Beijing, China
  • Falls Church, Virginia
  • Windhoek, Namibia
  • Jakarta, Indonesia

And for those first 18 years of my life, there was one question I hated being asked more than anything else: “Where are you from?”

I am half-Indonesian and half-American. I love both sides. I am proud of both. But I never feel like an Indonesian when I’m in Indonesia. And I never feel like an American here in the States. When you move so much growing up, it’s hard to pinpoint a single hometown.

My home is where I go. I take a piece of each new culture I come across and try my best to learn from it – that is what shapes me. That is what makes me who I am.

So for me home is not a place. It’s the people in it. I identify myself by the people around me and adapt to their customs, because that is all I know.

That is what makes this world fascinating. Whether you are black or white. Christian or Muslim. Happy or sad. You are human. We are human. And we can only live and thrive together.

And that is what this blog will often times (but not always) be about. We live in a shrinking world. Globalization brings us closer and closer each and every single day. I want to use this blog as an opportunity to promote cross-cultural understanding, taking advantage of the most important values instilled upon me as a Third Culture Kid: open-mindedness, tolerance, and love.

A very special thanks to my sister, Annisa, and to my life coach, Parvati Shallow, for encouraging me and inspiring me to start sharing my thoughts with the world publicly. I look forward to spending this journey with you all!