It has been eighteen years since my parents moved our family to Uganda.
That’s a whole young adult’s life.
I still remember the day my father told us we’d be moving, I still hear that thought racing through my mind, ” I don’t want to live in the bush!”
I remember the months of preparation, vaccinations and goodbyes.
I still feel the shivers I had the night before we actually left because everything started to become so real.
I recall the smells, the faces, the places we saw when we first landed in our new home. The sound of “Mzungu, Mzungu” will forever be ringing in my ear and heart.
A whole young adult’s life of memories.
A lot has happened since then.
We have moved back to Germany and struggled with the pains of re-entry.
I have changed houses many more times, graduated from school and university, found a job, tried to settle down.
Eighteen years ago I became a TCK and no matter how much I have become accustomed to the German way of doing things, I am still a person who is caught between the worlds and often lost between cultures.
I yearn for a stable place to settle down and truly belong while googling flight prices and hearing that Fernweh call deep inside of me.
I wonder where all the time has gone and mourn the people, places and things I had to let go of.
I long to return to the places I still call home, to discover the parts of myself I have left behind there all these years ago.
What are your early TCK memories? How do you use your TCK experience today?
Writing for Five Minute Friday today.
thisiskatha.com 
I have no idea what a TCK is, but the struggle, between cultures and what you know…it’s real.
I still regard indoor plumbing as a kind of miracle, and central AC/heat seem like a kingly extravagance. And water you needn’t boil before drinking!
Wow. But part of my wants to go back to the bush.
Yes, these are indeed miracles!
Oh, I know these parts inside of myself as well…
It’s amazing how experiences like that can continue to shape us. Even though in many ways life has moved on, they still continue to be a part of us. Thanks for sharing your story!
Thank you, Lesley!