I describe myself as a “cultural chameleon”—a term I came across in connection with Third Culture Kids. As a child, I lived in three different countries: Belgium, the U.S., and Spain. At home, we spoke German. Time and again, I was the new girl, the foreigner; I had to learn a new language and get used to local customs. It was important to me to make new friends and feel like I belonged. My strategy back then was to adapt—like a “cultural chameleon.” Even though we now know from biology that chameleons actually change their color for other reasons, this term has stuck in the literature.

Over the course of my adult life, as an Adult Third Culture Kid, I’ve learned to move away from over-adaptation and back toward my true identity. We all possess the treasure of inner plurality. For people who, like me, grew up in different cultures, it’s quite a colorful, multicultural mix!

As a coach, I guide people in getting to know their multicultural inner aspects using the Inner Team method developed by Schulz von Thun and Dagmar Kumbier. The Inner Team approach is versatile and particularly well-suited for intercultural and transcultural contexts.