Hello and thanks for stopping by my blog!
I am a lifelong Third Culture Kid (TCK) of Lebanese origin and I’m happily married to a fellow TCK (which makes life as an adult TCK a lot more fun!). I have never lived in Lebanon, but my heritage has always been a big part of my life. I usually present myself as Lebanese-American, but that covers only a small part of my story. I grew up in France, Australia, Philippines, Mexico, USA and Cyprus, and I’ve studied/lived in the UK, France and USA as an adult.
I have always loved writing and when my husband and I moved to the U.S. a few years ago, I started this blog. It is an ever-growing collection of non-fiction prose, poetry, occasional book reviews and photography, chronicling my experiences growing up as a TCK and adapting as an adult TCK.
I hope my blog can make you think, learn, or simply smile. One of my favorite parts about blogging is being able to share and communicate with others, so please feel free to leave any thoughts, comments or suggestions – I look forward to hearing from you!
If you’d like to connect with me on twitter, you can find me at: @DouniaB_TCK.
(p.s. Click here to read some of my favorite posts The Unseen Path: The Introspection of an Adult Third Culture Kid / I’m From / Six Letters of Identity / Moveable Roots or about my thoughts on repatriation: entry vs. reentry. If you want to learn a little more about TCKs, click here)
Next Stop 
Wow! I’m impressed by the number of languages you speak/understand! Two of my sisters are like that (very talented with languages). After 7 years back in the States, my Mandarin is pretty rusty so I’m nearly down to just English at this point, haha! Anyway, I love that you married an Italian too! I’m looking forward to reading more about you. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by! I know what you mean about rusty languages – I haven’t had to use my Spanish for a while, then I started learning Italian and my brain got really confused! But those languages are there somewhere inside the brain, if we really need them, I’m sure we can pull them out! 🙂 And I must say I’m impressed by you knowing Mandarin, I know that I’d have a really really hard time learning a language like that!
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I’m A from the Philippines. Just wondering where in the Philippines you have stayed.
Nice blog you got going. 😀
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Hi A – nice to meet you! Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your kind comment 🙂 I lived in Manila for 2 years, quite some years ago! Whereabouts in the Philippines are you from?
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Quezon City. Hope your stay in Manila was loads of fun. 😀
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Hello, I’ve stumbled upon your blog through your comment on mine, and I love your blog! Have clicked the “follow” button, so I’ll be following your posts from now on 😀 Best wishes, Sarah.
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Thanks very much for your comment and for subscribing, Sarah! It means a lot to me and I hope to keep you interested. Really enjoyed your blog, so I’ll definitely be popping over again 🙂 Looking forward to hearing from you again! Best wishes to you too, and have a fantastic weekend!
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Well that was really cool to read! really impressed by the languages you can speak & understand! I speak three up to now, english, norwegian and arabic but I can understand a couple more languages and use some of their words when i talk. Haha the confused looks I get from other people when i speak all the languages in one conversation! Im working on my spanish my guy is kind of teaching me i suppose:’) & I think its really cute that you married the guy you was with at highschool! Well I really like your blog so ill be checking it out again sometime!:)
Thanks for stopping by on my blog before, appreciate it!:)
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Wow, I’m impressed by the languages you speak – they’re all so different, and I know that arabic is a really tough one! I’m sure Norwegian would be super tough for me, since it’s such a different lanuage from the ones I know! I know what you mean about being able to understand other languages or use some of their words, and I definitely know those confused looks when people hear us speak so many different languages in our conversation! But sometimes that’s part of the fun 😉 Good luck with your spanish, your guy and your blog – looking forward to reading more!
Thanks for your very cool and lovely comment and for following my blog, I really appreciate that a lot! 🙂
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Wow, you’re very lucky to have lived such an interesting life in such diverse places! What are the other languages you speak/know besides Italian and Arabic? I always admire people who are so fluent in languages; I am in French and English and can read/listen to Spanish really well, but they are all so similar. I am trying to slowly learn Arabic as it is my husband’s native language, but it is difficult! Anyways, I will be following your blog 🙂
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It’s a very enriching life, even if it’s not always easy. Apart from Italian and Arabic (which I’m still working on very much), I am fully bilingual in English and French (they are my mother tongues), and I am more or less fluent in Spanish (it’s gotten quite rusty over the years!). So it seems we pretty much cover the same languages – what a great coincidence! 🙂 And Arabic is very difficult – I can’t read or write it at all, but I do my best at speaking and understanding it as much as possible! Thanks for your great comments and for following my blog, I really appreciate that! Good luck with your Arabic and I look forward to reading more of your blog 🙂
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Thank you for visiting my blog and I am quite impressed with yours … you write very well and I love your photos! It sounds as if you’ve led a very interesting life and you’re only a couple states away from me! I’ll be back to read more! 🙂
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Thank you very much for your lovely comment, I really appreciate it! I love what I’ve seen of your blog so far, so I’ll definitely be back to read more and see more of your beautiful pictures! 🙂 New England really is a beautiful place…I hadn’t really been here much before moving to Connecticut, but I really do love it. You make New Hampshire look spectacular in your pictures – it’s definitely on our list of places to see! 🙂
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Thanks for dropping by my blog, Dounia. I love yours too and I’m glad to know that you’ve lived in the Philippines before.
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Thanks so much for your kind comment! I look forward to seeing more of your blog and to hearing from you again in the future!
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Hi I’m 13 and have just moved back from the Phillipines were I lived for 7yrs. Any tips for fitting/settling in?
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Hi Rebekah! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I just wanted to check if your comment was meant for me or for Malou? If it’s for me, I would love to help out, although if it’s for Malou it might be best if you comment directly on her blog! Let me know and I hope you’re settling in alright! 🙂
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You’ve had a very interesting life, Dounia! I, on the other hand, speak English, fluently occasionally! 🙂
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Thanks for your comment! And being able to speak one language fluently, even occasionally is a good thing. 😉 Judging by your blog, however, you are very talented at expressing yourself in written form (and I am certain that translates itself in spoken too). 🙂
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All about Language here 🙂 Arabic and English is all i got 🙂 Nice Name by the way
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Thanks for your comment, and I’m happy you liked the name! 🙂
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Thank you, Dounia, for visiting my blog and leaving your kind comments. Your “about me” – wow! I met my hubbs in CT, I was living in Greenwich, he in Stamford.
You have lived many places and have an interesting, fun blog – I will definitely be back to check out more 🙂 Cheers! MJ
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Thanks for stopping by, MJ! I look forward to hearing from you again 🙂
From the moment we found out that we were moving to CT, we were suddenly hearing all these connections to CT, even people we’d known for a long time, and had no idea they had some story about CT! It was really fun finding out all those things, as they were a little extra for us to take with us, so I really liked reading that you and your husband met here 🙂
Your comment on my blog means a lot to me; I’m very happy you’ve enjoyed it so far! Hope to hear from you again soon!
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Hey lady! I’ve so enjoyed reading your blog, so I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Award! 🙂 All the info is here: http://6monthstolive.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/honored-humbled-part-2/ Keep up the great writing!
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Wow, thanks Jacqueline! 😀 That means so much to me and I’m very excited to prepare my post about it 🙂
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Yay! 🙂
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I’m really happy to have found your blog (through ‘6 Months to Live’), because it seems like we have a lot in common 🙂 I am living in my third country and practicing my third language. Hoping to make that four sometime soon 😉 Looking forward to reading more of your posts!
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Thanks for stopping by! It does seem like we have quite a bit in common, and I always love finding people who’ve had similar experiences to me 🙂 What are the 3 languages you speak and the 3 countries you’ve lived in (I saw in your other comment London and South of France…where are you now?)? Hope to hear from you again!
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Hi, I just discovered your blog. I envy your exposure to different places and cultures. All the best!
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Hi and welcome! 🙂 Thanks for commenting and for stopping by – it’s a wonderful experience, but it’s definitely a challenge too! Hope to hear from you again and have a wonderful weekend!
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Did you go to school in Mexico? I went to Greengates.
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I did go to school in Mexico, but I went to ASF (American School Foundation)!
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can I make a suggestion as to where ur next stop could be……MALDIVES! u may even find a portal waiting for your musings to fly even higher.
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The Maldives sounds like a great idea for a next stop, thanks for the suggestion! 🙂 And thanks for stopping by, commenting and following my blog – I hope to hear from you again!
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I gave you an award… Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award
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Thank you!! I’ve just replied on your post 🙂 Looking forward to fulfilling the rules and passing it on!
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Hi sorry to do this to you again… gave you another ward… o bother! 🙂
http://expatalien.com/2012/08/20/inspiring-blogs/
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Thank you so much! That means a lot to me, so I’ll definitely be following that up! 🙂
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Hey Dounie, I’ve nominated you for the super sweet blogger award. Check it out here: http://allthingsboys.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/the-super-sweet-blogging-award/
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate that, and I’ll definitely make sure to follow up and pass it on asap! Thanks again! 😀
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Sorry, I had a typo, Dounia!
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No problem, it happens to us all! 😉
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Your site looks beautiful and you sound like you have such interesting life experiences to draw from. Thanks for coming by my site so that I could find yours!
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Thanks so much for your kind comment and for stopping by! Your blog looks great too, so I’m happy I stumbled across it 🙂 I hope to hear from you again!
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One could literally get lost in translation at your house 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my blog! Love the fall pics you posted!
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Sometimes we get lost in translation ourselves 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment! I’m very happy you enjoyed the photos, and I hope to hear from you again 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!
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Hi there, congratulations on your new award: http://expatalien.com/2012/11/20/blog-of-the-year-thanksgiving/
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Thanks so much! 🙂 That really means a lot to me, and I’ll make sure to be more prompt about this one (I just realized how slow I am at passing these on…). Thanks again for passing this on to me, I really appreciate it! I hope you have a lovely weekend and a very happy thanksgiving! 😀
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Thanks for dropping by! I’m loving your blog — and also that you were born in Cyprus, one of my homes! hehe.
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Thanks for stopping by and leaving such an awesome comment! 🙂 It’s always great finding little connections like that – how long were you in Cyprus (I don’t remember anything since I was still a baby when we left!)?
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Greetings from far away,
Looks like you’ve had a very interesting life. I was born in Europe but have lived virtually all my life in Australia. I love travelling to Europe as I can find a part of myself in all these countries, coming from two European cultures. All the best on your journey in life and God bless
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Thank you for your lovely comment, and you are indeed writing from far away! Where in Australia have you been living? I lived in Sydney for 2 years, and it truly is a beautiful country, although Europe does indeed hold my heart for many reasons. You have beautiful photos on your blog and are lucky to have seen so many amazing places. I do hope to hear from you again, and all the best to you as well.
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The pleasure is mine Dounia. I actually live in Melbourne at present which is quite relaxed place with much to do. Thank you for your lovely comments regarding my blog which was most encouraging, for which I’m grateful. I absolutely adore travelling and experiencing Europe it has so much diversity regarding history, culture and traditions not to mention natural beauty……absolutely amazing. 🙂 Having said that Australia has some amazing natural beauty which is simply breathtaking
Take great care Dounia.
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Hey Dounia, I’ve tagged you in a blogging game! Play along or not, whichever you prefer – either way, I’ll keep following you & looking forward to your posts! http://misswidgetspeople.com/2013/02/20/a-change-of-pace/
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Thanks, Cortney! The game looks like fun and I really enjoyed your post on it – I’ll definitely play along, but I’ll need some time to think of good questions and good answers too!… 🙂
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Hello Dounia, I am a TCK as well! I couldn’t help but notice you were in Manila, I am curious where. Makati was one of my homes for a couple years, and wondered what brought you to the Philippines? 🙂
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Hello – thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I always love hearing from other TCKS! 🙂 I was in Manila many years ago when I was in middle school; we had moved there for my dad’s job and we lived in one of the enclosed compounds. What about you – when were you there and was it for work, or family? Hope to hear from you again!
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Hi Dounia! I love that you are photographer. I also too recently started using a DSLR camera. It’s actually my husband’s because he uses it for film, but I decided to take a photography class and begin to take pictures for my blog. So far, I am loving it, but it’s so hard. I look forward to seeing your pictures and reading your poetry. Hope you have a pretty day!
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I’m so happy you stopped by and left a comment; it gave me the chance to find your wonderful blog! I’ve been loving photography and I have so much to learn as it’s still very new to me! I haven’t taken a photography class (although that would be quite useful) so I’m learning little by little as I experiment with my new camera (which I love!). It’s definitely not easy, but it is so much fun 🙂 Thanks so much for your lovely comment and for following, it means a lot to me! I’ve already stopped by your blog and I’m now a happy follower, very much looking forward to reading more and seeing your beautiful photos!
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You are very welcome! Thank you, too, for leaving a sweet comment. I’m so happy to discover a newbie photographer! It’s challenging, but also fun to learn a camera. It gives you a lot of freedom to truly create the picture you want. I have my next photography class tomorrow. Wish me luck! I look forward to seeing more of your photos. I am happy to be following you and learn more about your blog!
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Good luck and have fun! Looking forward to seeing your photos and what you’ve learned! 🙂
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Greetings and thanks much for stopping by my blog. TCK via the Philippines [Manila, QC, Baguio, among other places there] though I’ve traveled to China, Hong Kong, England and Canada. For a new photog, you’re off to a very strong start. Just remember the best visual instruments you have are not between your hands, but between your ears and in your heart. All the best!
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Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I really appreciate your comment – I love photography and I look forward to learning more! I’ve never been to China or Hong Kong, despite living in the Philippines… But I always look forward to traveling to new places 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by and I hope to hear from you again!
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Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love the ideas behind your blog and look forward to exploring more!
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Thanks for heading over here in return 🙂 I hope you enjoy what you read and that I’ll hear from you again! Thanks again for stopping by!
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Ha loving all the Philippines connections! We were there in the 1970’s in Manila and attended the IS. I don’t know what it is about the Philippines but it seems about 50% of expats seem to have passed through the country at some point!
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I also attended ISM – we were in the Philippines for two years, when I was in middle school… 🙂
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What a small world! I was only there until I was eight so I think that’s still the elementary school. Lots of great memories. Do you remember the paper drives?
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