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Reflections of a Third Culture Kid: What I Learned at My Kitchen Table

Updated: Nov 14


Tortilla de patatas


This "love" letter was recently read aloud on the radio program 1A, which is produced and distributed by National Public Radio in the United States.


"Growing up, as a Third Culture Kid, my family had many kitchen tables, spread all across the globe.


It was at these tables that, as a child, I excitedly feasted on palolo, the edible portion of a rare polychaete worm, rising out of the sea for only a matter of hours a year in Western Samoa, or sucked on the salty sweetness of a sour plum in Hong Kong or fought my sister for the last piece of tortilla de patatas in Gibraltar.


My time at these kitchen tables taught me open-mindedness and respect, fueled my excitement and curiosity about other cultures, and gave me a passion for food that I still carry with me today.


When my then four-year-old son once exclaimed loudly in an Indian restaurant that 'this is the best goat I have ever tasted!' I knew that I had succeeded in passing on these important life lessons to the next generation."


Emma Hoffman is an experienced Bennett consultant who currently lives outside of Philadelphia. She is a true TCK (Third Culture Kid) and has lived all over the world. Her experiences as a student in many different countries, an educator, and a parent bring a great deal of empathy and knowledge to each family she works with.

Emma also has a fantastic sense of humor, which is always helpful when working with families and students!


To read more about our top-flight team of consultants, please see here.


Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges & universities, including schools with particular programs, such as special needs support.

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