Features Editor Govhar Dadashova shares stories of her adventurous semester abroad as a proud ‘third culture kid’ and offers advice for anyone considering a similar journey.
I think there is something magical that occurs when you move abroad to a different city or country. You have the opportunity to experience a kaleidoscope of new memories, sensations, and interactions. It is the ultimate dopamine hit. The feeling that you can completely reinvent yourself and create a new life from scratch. Nothing is fixed or stuck–instead, the possibilities are wide open.
You can finally become the fitness influencer you knew you were always destined to be. The local running club is calling your name and, according to girl math, a new city will obviously incentivise you to properly use the gym membership. If not, then in your free time you can finally nail that TikTok recipe for gingersnap cookies.
Maybe, like in one of those Christmas movies, you will even meet the love of your life at a farmer’s market, as both of you reach for the last box of strawberries. All it takes is moving abroad and having a new change of pace. The rest will surely follow, right?
That is the image which a flurry of well-crafted and beautifully soundtracked movies has led us to believe. And part of it is true. Moving abroad can change our lives in a myriad of big and small ways. It has certainly changed mine.
I grew up in London but I have also lived in Scotland, Oman and two different cities in the US. Not to mention, I am originally from Azerbaijan. Growing up, I was used to the familiar rhythm of changing schools, cities and environments.
At the time, it felt like a constant adventure, but as I got older, I craved the stability that came from being in one place for a longer period of time. When my family and I returned to London for good, I was 13 years old and excited by the prospect of keeping the same group of friends for longer than two years.
But then came the opportunity to leave my family and the stability of London and spend a semester in Washington D.C. I simply couldn’t say no.
Living on my own for the first time was incredible and it introduced me to two of my best friends – my roommates, Mariana and Bella.
I will never forget living just ten minutes away from the White House or seeing the grandiose view of Capitol Hill for the first time. Those memories will last a lifetime – whether travelling to San Francisco for spring break with my high school best friend or going to New York City with my Dad.
Of course, studying at King’s has meant that embracing international connections has never been too hard. I have loved studying in diverse environments where my classmates come from across the world. In a discipline like international relations, having such a global cohort is invaluable for class discussions, where so much of what we discuss has real-life consequences.
As students, we are not simply reading about politics but living and experiencing it. That is why one of my favourite quotes has always been: the personal is political. For me, almost everything in my life has always had a political lens, whether my identity or how I view the world around me.
Many of my experiences can look perfect and I have loved living abroad but the truth is always more nuanced and complicated. Sometimes, the price I pay for such brilliant memories is the feeling that I don’t belong anywhere.
Even introducing myself to new people can feel exhausting at times, as I inevitably run into questions about where I am really from and which city truly feels like home. Often, these questions are well-meaning, but there are too many examples where condescension and even racism are swirled into the mix.
On some days, talking about my identity feels heavy, on others – it is a source of empowerment and pride. The latter is always true for me, but it can be hard to drown out the noise of people belittling or diminishing your experiences. I have come to accept that being a ‘third-culture kid’, or whatever term you wish to use, like anything in life, comes with its own challenges.
Still, if that is the price to pay for having friends all over the world, seeing politics from a multi-faceted perspective and constantly pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Life is too short to stay in what is comfortable and familiar simply because it feels safe. If you have the opportunity to travel, study or live abroad, I would encourage you to go for it. At the very least, you will have even more wonderful adventures to tell your grandchildren one day!
