In my previous post, I told you about my amazing childhood homeland. Now I will tell you about my parents' decision to move our family back to the United States.
Initially, we moved to a small town in North Florida. Instead of admitting me to the local junior college, my parents decided it would be better if I repeated a senior year of high school here in the United States.
Sadly, what made this decision even worse, than my previous relocation experience which was based on the fact that I was behind academically and had to catch up to my peers, this time my parents felt I was “too naive” from having grown up overseas.
In hindsight I know many immature 17-18 year olds that go to junior college today. However, back then there was zero support for TCKs far less parents of TCKs. I know when my parents made this decision they only had my best interest at heart.
Unfortunately, that one decision contributed greatly to the overall shock, confusion, stress, and trauma of my moving experience to this foreign land.
I really struggled that first year for many many reasons. The biggest one being the whole American school system was so very different from the British school system, which was all I knew growing up.
First, there were the whole American high school cultural differences. It didn’t help that I had already graduated high school and now I was being required to repeat my senior year of school. By twelfth grade in American high schools most of the students have already known each other for years and have preexisting friendship groups. So these circumstances combined made my transition incredibly difficult.
Secondly, the school subjects, fashion styles, current fads, and music preferences completely differed from anything I was accustomed to.
Thirdly, I was no longer a minority, either in ethnicity or nationality and because I now had the same colored skin as the majority of kids in this school, there were certain standards I was expected to follow that I absolutely could not understand nor did I want to be any part of.
Lastly, I stood out like a sore thumb between my strong Trinidadian accent and my radically different likes and dislikes, views, beliefs, opinions, and values. I didn't know where I belonged and that led me into a whole lot of trouble!
The only thing that gave my life any kind of grounding and stability during those first two traumatizing years was running on the cross-country teams, both at high school and in college during my freshman year. I will be forever grateful to the coaches who encouraged me and stood by my side. At the end of the cross-country season during my senior year of high school, I ended up breaking the high school record for the women's team. This allowed me the opportunity to run at the local university the following year.
During my second year of transition, by the grace of God, my parents moved permanently to Texas, and I was transferred to Florida State University. One semester later I met my wonderful husband.
After graduating and getting married we ended up living in the state of Georgia.
When I look back on those difficult years, I can now see how it was truly my mother-in-law (and father-in-law) who helped to "Americanize" me. I wish they were still alive today so I could thank them face to face. Love and miss you very much Me-maw and Pap!!
I know I was not an easy person to be around during those difficult transitional years, especially when I flipped out into bouts of blind hatred and rage. However, little by little, through God’s great mercy and my in-law's patience and endurance, a good dose of Southern charm, and a whole lot of Christian charity, they slowly won me over.
I can honestly say I was never one of those people who had 'terrible' inlaws. What an incredible grace-filled gift from God that was in my broken life!!
Today my husband and I have been married 33 years as of this posting and we are still living happily in the state of Georgia. Praise God!!
Dear sojourner, would you please join me and say a quick prayer of gratitude to God for all those wonderful coaches, and in particular for my deceased in-laws Hugh Dorsey and Jackie Adamson 🙏❤️
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I pray you found what you needed today. Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear how this post might have been helpful to you.
Remember you are not alone! No matter what you’ve done or failed to do you are still loved unconditionally by a very merciful and just Lord and Savior!
May God Bless You,
Leslie
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