3 Countries, 7 Schools and no where to call home

As you can tell from the title, I've moved around a lot. I've lived in England, Namibia and Syria over the past 18 years of my life.

My first memory of being different was in year 1, I just moved to Syria that summer and had started in this new international school called "The Choueifat"

Looking around the room I realised my brother and I were the only 2 blondes and the rest had dark hair and skin with names I couldn't pronounce. I was different, foreign in their eyes and was obviously made fun of, but that didn't matter because I was British, I was born in England and had the passport, I always told myself that when I got "home" I'd belong.

8 years passed and we moved back to England, I was sad to leave all the friends I had made behind but I was excited to not be seen as different any more, I was so wrong.

On my first day of school everyone refused to show me around, which resulted in getting lost, showing up late to lessons and obviously being made fun of for that, I was confused I was supposed to belong here, they were British like me, why didn't they like me? and why was I so different?

I remember wondering what I was because I was rejected from both countries I had lived in.

Looking back at it now I realise that no one fits into a category of race, your race doesn't define you or your personality, if anything the close friends you make along the way define you, they make you unique and culturally diverse.

You pick up so much from all these different people and different countries which results in you becoming so different and special. You end up choosing who you want to be rather than follow what your countries stereotypes are.

You define yourself, your accent, looks, languages and open-minded attitude often puzzles people, because they can't fit you into a, you are so unique...

So congratulations, you are your own race.

*A few picture of the beautiful people I've meet along the way*

Thank you!

Lana xx