Category: Relationships
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The Clock is Ticking: Struggles in Making Friends as an ATCK
It’s true. With every new friend I make, it’s like a countdown begins. I feel a quiet dread — a cold, weary sense in my bones — that I have only a year, maybe two, to make this relationship matter. Like an invisible clock ticking down to my departure…
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Don’t Lose Your Compassion
It was a late-night scrolling session. I lazily swiped through people’s stories on social media as the algorithm brought up posts from people living overseas. “I’ve been in Korea for a month now, and I feel so at home. It’s amazing here!” someone wrote. Hmm, I thought. Classic honeymoon stage. Just wait a bit longer…
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Let Yourself Be a Burden
I cried silently as I lay on the picnic mat next to my two best friends. The Southeast Asian heat prickled our skin as we lounged surrounded by bright green fields. The day felt idyllic, and yet I was so sad…
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My TCK Romance: How I Chose the Right One for Me
I met my future husband on a blind date, and it was not love at first sight. Smiling at him politely over a cup of tea, I thought to myself, “He seems nice, but he’s not my type.” I didn’t feel any spark…
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TCK Dating: 4 Challenges We May Bring into Our Relationships
You think you may have found the right person to marry. They check all the boxes: A Christian. Loves God. Is single. Shares your focus in life. You’re attracted to her. You wonder if he likes you…
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How to Foster Family Relationships Through Transitions
We passed bowls of chili around the table, and then Dad prayed over the meal. Little did we know this was about to be a heated dinner…
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How the Monoculture Experience Helped Me See My TCK Arrogance
It follows. That familiar question many TCKs dread, but I rather relish. Instantaneous, curious face, slight eyebrow raise. “Where are you from?”…
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3 Gifts Loneliness Can Bring You This Season
Oh, the wonderful season of the holidays! The annoying tune of “Jingle Bells” floated across the air, insisting on reminding me of the approaching joy…
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3 Essentials for Long-Distance Dating
I sit down to write this article and glance at my calendar: Twelve more days till we see each other again. Twenty-two more days till we say “I do.” This past year of being 4,500 kilometers away from the man I love has been anything but easy. I never realized the power of physical contact…
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Misunderstood: Use Your Differentness to Love Others Better
“South Africa is really a country?” I resisted the urge to sigh in frustration as I explained once again that yes, South Africa is a country, not a region of Africa. “Wow, I had no idea,” the lady said after I finished. This was just one of many interactions I’ve had with people in my…
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3 Things to Remember When People Make Hurtful Comments
And then there are the little things, such as a thoughtless comment about the pronunciation of the “r” that hits us where we are most vulnerable. It hurts us, despite not being a big deal…

