I’m an expert at being “in between”.

In between cultures.
In between religions.
In between worldviews.

You see, I was born at an intersection.

My mum is Chinese, my dad is Lebanese and I grew up in Australia.

Three cultures, one childhood.
One very confusing time.

To dive one level deeper and see the intricacies here,
let’s take religion as an example (gotta love a “safe” topic.)

My mum was raised in Shanghai in the Chairman Mao era,
where religion was literally condemned.

My dad was raised in Tripoli as a Muslim baby in the Civil war,
where religion literally meant life or death.

Clearly, two peas in a pod.

If you believe that people are products of their time,
you can imagine how confusing it would be to grow up
between these worlds on religion alone.

Throw in gender norms, communication styles and core values.

This identity iceberg could sink the Titanic.

For most of my life, I’ve been looking for others ‘in between’.

And I found them.

Not because they were also half Chinese half Lebanese.
Though I did meet one boy when I was 12 who was also ”Chebanese”.
(Let’s be real, “Linese” just sounds like a made-up country.)

When I started looking, I found them in a lot of places:

They were the kids of immigrants
They were the kids with eastern and western values
They were the kids raised religious in secular societies
They were the kids with curfews, two names and ESL lessons
They were the kids that felt like they never belonged

They were all in between.

In between cultures
In between religions
In between languages
In between worldviews

By definition, they were ‘TCKs” — ‘third culture kids’,
People who grew up in a culture different to their parents.

And they (and still are) wonderfully layered.

Growing up at an intersection is confusing for a child,
but for an adult it’s a beautiful space of synergy.

Growing up in between taught me to:

See the world through multiple lens
Intuitively understand cultural cues
Adapt to new environments quickly
Navigate differences diplomatically
Be comfortable in ambiguity
See the beauty of diversity

And I’m grateful for it.

Rather than belonging to ‘one’ culture.
I’m happy to belong to the intersection.
It’s a space of beautiful paradoxes.

I am the East and the West.
I am the village and the city.
I am the old and the new.

I am part of the collective, and an individual.
I am half Chinese, half Lebanese and Australian.

It’s a powerful place of belonging.

And I wouldn’t choose anywhere else to be.

With love,
Joumana