21. Missing Friends as a Third Culture Kid
About this episode:
About today’s guest, Susanna Turner (she/her). Susanna was was born in Bogota, Colombia. Along with her adoptive mother, an international school principal from Newton, MA, Susanna has lived in six different countries: Colombia, Argentina, India, Pakistan, USA & Venezuela. She is passionate about telling stories about being an adoptee, growing up internationally, and being a Third Culture Kid. She is a visual artist, storyteller, and actor represented by BMG Talent (Chicago).
To learn more about Susanna, go here: https://www.susannaturner.com/
Susanna and I discuss:
Her friendships growing up as a Third Culture Kid
How hard it is to make friends as an adult
How friendships are portrayed in the media
Listen on Apple Podcast | Listen on Spotify
Listen to “Missing Friends as a Third Culture Kid” Deleted Scenes
Quotes:
"I don't think I've had friendships that have lasted long enough in the past, that have been able to withstand friction or arguments or conflicts or disagreements... it’s interesting because when I'm around folks who are like, my best friend Betty from kindergarten... I'm like, How do you know someone for that long?" — Susy
"Friendships, for me have always been very short and very impactful and have left a lot of open wounds. Because in the international world, you are meeting someone who has essentially lived the same lifestyle as you so there’s this language that you understand." — Susy
"I got very good at just saying, 'See you later.' I don’t really like to say goodbye. And that to me is my kind of safety net honestly, because it allows me to still grieve some a friend that was still obviously friends who are alive, but also have the possibility that maybe I’ll see them in the future." — Susy
"I think we do carry those wounds and we do grieve those middle school losses or elementary or whatever it is like, that’s part of being human. And it’s also like, that’s what we still do now as adults." — Susy
“I think we live in this world now where it's like, we don't talk about this stuff... I can tell you that 100% that there are people more than we think who are lonely as shit. And are have nobody you know, and are so confused and are like why and isolating, and isolating, and it's just like, that breaks my heart." — Susy
"It only takes one person to take you from being completely alone to belonging. One person even if you're in a cafeteria full of people, one person says sit next to me all of a sudden, you belong." — Hannah
"I think part of it might be like, we learn so much, probably too much from movies and TV shows. And we think that that is a reflection of life, but it's not necessarily... If you don't have [a romantic partner], that doesn't mean you're broken or like something's missing." — Hannah