Kirsten in an incredible combination of citizenships, cultures, languages and connections to the entire world. I used to be so fortunate after I met her in Lima, Peru, when she turned Kirstenexpat for the Expatclic group for some time. A number of international locations after that, I met her once more in Brussels first, after which on-line to speak about identification, belonging and international residents.
For those who ask Kirsten the place she is from, and she or he is prepared to provide the lengthy reply, you may as nicely sit down with a cup of tea and get able to journey the world. With a German mom and an American father, she grew up between Libya, Nigeria, Scotland, and Australia, earlier than shifting again to the States at eighteen. Just for a short time, although, as a result of when she obtained married (to a German) she did it given that they might hold travelling the world. “I stored the American accent and perspective, however I can’t outline myself as American. Out of 57 years of life, I’ve solely spent 11 within the States. I might outline myself as a World Citizen”, she says.
Kirsten (prime left) at an Expatclic get-together in Brussels in 2019
A number of international locations and 5 youngsters after tying the knot, Kirsten and her husband went again to Brussels. There, one after the other the youngsters left for college, Kirsten break up up along with her husband, and solely the youngest daughter remained. Collectively, the 2 of them determined to maneuver to Spain.
This may be astonishing for many: neither Kirsten nor her daughter had any tie with Spain. Her youngsters have American and German citizenship however have by no means lived in these international locations; they’ve Belgian citizenship however don’t converse French nor Flemish. So why Spain? “As a result of that’s what we do”, solutions Kirsten with out hesitation. “My daughter was sad in her faculty in Brussels. 3200 college students, over 11 languages spoken each day, overcrowded courses…it was an excessive amount of. Alicante has a European faculty, and we figured it may very well be a pleasant place to settle, with the ocean and all the things”.
Kirsten loves Alicante. After a couple of months she has made a great deal of pals. “That’s all because of my canine. It got here as an eye-opener and that is my piece of recommendation for expats: by no means transfer with out a canine”. Strolling her canine on the seaside has put her involved with so many assorted folks, amongst which she has not solely discovered enriching human beings, but in addition helpful contacts for her keep.
Kirsten is artistic in sustaining ties along with her previous. She is going to quickly return to Brussels to dog-sit good friend’s pets, and shortly earlier than leaving Belgium, she welcomed six Ukrainian refugees (two households) at her place. Among the many varied international locations the place she and her household lived is Ukraine. They went by the Maidan Revolution whereas there, and regardless of preliminary difficulties in adapting to the nation, they cherished it. It was with pleasure that Kirsten opened her Belgian dwelling to those refugees, with whom she created “a type of commune. I cherished having a number of ladies of my age round”, she tells me. “I at all times inform my women they’ll have a profitable life if they’ve actually good girlfriends”. Kirsten hosted the Ukrainians actually till the day earlier than she moved to Spain.
“I don’t take into account myself distinctive. Sure, I’ve lived in a number of international locations, however wherever I went I led a fairly banal life. I’ve by no means had something glamorous, unique. In folks’s eyes, my exceptionality was having so many youngsters. In Manila I used to be known as “the overseas girl with all the youngsters”, that’s the identification I used to be given due to my brood”.
So we get to the subject of identification, which is so stimulating to debate with somebody like Kirsten. Nationality is without doubt one of the first issues that come to thoughts when somebody asks the fatidic ? “The place are you from?”, “however I actually can’t outline myself that means. I used to be born within the States, however I didn’t dwell there from age two to eighteen. After which I stored on shifting round, for work first, after which for love. I’ve cherished each second of my wandering life, each nation the place we’ve been has been attention-grabbing”.
We chat about World Residents and the varied instructions one can take when rising up as such. It’s attention-grabbing how Kirsten and her siblings, who all grew up as nomads, selected totally different paths: Whereas she by no means stopped travelling, her sister married a farmer’s son and settled down perpetually in a single place (the sentence she pronounced at seventeen turned legendary within the household: “I’ve seen half the world, the opposite half doesn’t curiosity me”). Her brother went again to dwell within the States, however has visited Kirsten everywhere in the world, at all times completely happy to take the event to find new cultures.
So, the place does Kirsten really feel she belongs? “I might say ‘my folks’ are those that hesitate to reply when requested The place are you from? They’re the folks I I can speak to the place I don’t want to clarify myself. And girls married (or divorced 😊) to somebody not from their very own tradition”.
Breastfeeding Nathalie at Machu Picchu, Feb 05
World residents’ journeys are unending in all senses, and it’s attention-grabbing to watch what occurred to Kirsten’s youngsters. “We’ve at all times instructed our youngsters that till eighteen they needed to transfer round as a result of that is what we do, then they may do what they needed. The 2 eldest enrolled in universities in Holland however dropped out as a result of they discovered all the things too Dutch. For those who establish as a World Citizen, it’s essential to have World Residents round you. Once they moved to England, they instantly felt way more relaxed. I had by no means thought of how necessary language is in defining identification”.
By sheer coincidence Kirsten spent eight years of her childhood in anglophone international locations, however her youngsters didn’t. The hassle of by no means coinciding with a rustic the place their first language was not formally spoken turned evident after they give up Holland for the UK. They now don’t have the stress of being misunderstood or laughed at after they order a dish on the restaurant, for instance. Such a aid.
As for languages, Kirsten says she’s completely happy to return to Spanish, which she spoke when she lived in Peru. She loves the ocean, and the folks she has met to this point in Alicante. After solely 4 months she even purchased an residence. Her daughter is completely happy within the new faculty, which is smaller and extra acquainted. Nonetheless, “The worst factor you would do to me is to say I’ve to spend the remainder of my life right here. We’re World Residents, we transfer round. That’s what we do”.
Interview and article by Claudiaexpat
March 2023
Photographs: ©Kirsten and @Expatclic
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