Third Culture Kid Spotlight: Philip

I found some of my old research survey answers from 2004 when I began my TCK research journey that started as part of my Senior project dance production "Third Culture Kids" that was part presentation, half documentary film, half dance, and based on the books written about TCKs, expats, and these survey answers by TCKs around the world. I'm unearthing them because our complicated stories need to be heard. 

1. What is your name?
Philip 

2. Where were you born?
Brussels, Belgium

3. What is your heritage?
Mother is from the Netherlands (Amsterdam), with French grandparents
Father is 15th generation American, of Anglo Saxon (English/Scottish) descendants

4. Where have you lived & how long at each place?
Belgium 0-1 years old  (1 year)
London, England 1-8 years old (7 years)
Phoenix, Arizona, 8-15 years old (7 years)
Belgium again, 15-18 years old (3 years)
Chicago, 18 -  (4 years)

5. What is your definition of "home" and how is it different from those around you?
Home is wherever my family is "based' at a given time.  That means, wherever we have a house we can all get together at.... where my father is working.  It is not the town I've lived in my whole life, because I don't have one of those.  Sometimes I feel most "at home" in a town that's not necessarily where I'm living.

6. Where do you consider "home" and why?
I consider "home" to be Phoenix, Arizona.  I feel that it is where I spent my most formative years.  When I moved to Europe again in high-school, I had developed strong roots in Phoenix already and continue to go back to visit even today.  This is usually the answer I give on those short, "where are you from?" questions if I don't feel like telling the whole story.
My family is still "based" out of Belgium so the longer they stay there, the more I visit them there, the most that starts to feel like home too.

7. Do you have interests in the following: foreign languages, international relations, travelling, international politics, different cultures of the world, etc...  Yes/No If so, do you think your background has helped you develop these interests?
YES.  I love traveling, learning new languages and exploring different cultures.  Livnig in Europe made me really sensetive to international politics and the importance of learning languages to communicate.  So I think my surroundings definetly had an impact on my interests.

8. What are your thoughts on globalization? Current political situation?
I think globalization is very efficient, however, I find it kind of a sad thing.  The more the world becomes globalized, the more the beauty and individuality of different cultures will be lost.  As far as the current political situation goes, I think we've seen the worst.  I think the global climate has been pretty fearful and this is something that will turn around.

9. How are your thoughts on world affairs different from those around you?
I take much more of an international perspective, not always looking at everything on a domestic level.  I know how other countires feel and how other countries are affected.

10. Do you plan on incorporating a large amount of travel with your career?
I would like to, yes.