You know that moment when someone asks "where are you from?" and instead of a one-word answer, you watch someone take a breath and figure out where to even begin?
Those people have a name: Third Culture Kids. And their stories are some of the most fascinating ones in the world of living abroad.
In this episode of Packing Up & Peacing Out, Taylor and Lili sit down with Veronika Kozel, a true TCK who grew up across multiple countries, fled communist Czechoslovakia, and has lived in 12 countries total, only to find herself back in Prague as a teacher.
Whether you're a TCK yourself, were raised by one, or have literally never heard the term before, this conversation will stick with your PUPO heart!
In this episode, we cover:
What Third Culture Kids actually are and why their experience of the world is so different
What it was like growing up across multiple countries with no single "home"
Veronika's story of fleeing communist Czechoslovakia and what came next
Living in 12 countries and what that does to your sense of identity and belonging
The complicated answer to "where are you from?" and why it's so much more than a location
What TCKs can teach the rest of us about adaptability, culture, and building community abroad
How Veronika ended up back in Prague and what it means to return to a place that's changed and so have you
If you've ever felt like you belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time, this one is for you.
🌍 Join our community: Dream Life Abroad by PUPO — connect with expats and future expats, ask questions about moving abroad, and chat directly with hosts Lili and Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GJM3RsfRH/?mibextid=wwXIfr
💜 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps other Americans dreaming of moving abroad find us.
📸 Follow the hosts:
Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/packuppeaceout/
Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/taylortakesprague
Lili: https://www.instagram.com/arichwomansworld
