As the two groups of teens streamed into the WBFN office at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm on July 8th, they each had a beaming smile on their face and seemed really eager to find out what Mosaic had to offer them that day. We were sure that they did not want to sit through a presentation during the two hour time slot allotted to them, so Maaike and I decided to involve them in a hands-on activity. I designed a short PowerPoint presentation that took them through the history of the WBFN as well as Mosaic, and Maaike presented those slides, supplementing them with her own witty anecdotes. After the presentation, we told the teens that we wanted them to write articles in small groups for the upcoming issues of Mosaic. They brainstormed ideas in groups of three or four and each came up with a burning topic that they really wanted to share their views on. Although the teens were lethargic in forming the groups, they came up with great ideas for their articles once they started brainstorming. Amazingly, there was no repetition of ideas between the team that visited in the morning and the one that visited in the afternoon: suggested topics ranged from their nomadic childhoods to their taste in music. The teens shared a lot of exciting viewpoints with their Mosaic audience - I do not want to give the suspense away just yet, as we plan to publish some of the articles they have written in the coming weeks. We hope you have as much fun reading their stirring and enjoyable articles as we had working with the teens to produce them.

By Vidya Rangan

Teen Global Nomads—The Pros and Cons of Being Moving Teens

Being a teen is hard. Being a teen who moves is even harder. Adolescents who grow up as global nomads have to face the challenges of entering new cultures, having to reinvent themselves and find a place in new homes. They must also deal with leaving their family, friends, and lives behind. And yet, surprisingly, almost every time, this ordeal is worth it.

Four teens from varied backgrounds, Anna, Ann Katherine, Augustina and Carolina, tell us their experiences of living with the blessings and the curses of growing up as global nomads. Augustina says, “One of the things I like about moving is meeting different people from the world and getting to know their culture.” This is a vital aspect of moving, as one definitely encounters people with completely different lifestyles. The result is more open minded teens, who are able to respect the fact that everyone is unique. Moving also has its problems, as one has to leave behind their close friends and family. For many teens, such as Ann Katherine and Carolina, not growing up in their place of birth and living in numerous countries causes an identity crisis. “I’m from Spain by birth, but I grew up in Argentina, Chile and Peru. Still, in those countries I always felt like a foreigner. I am a bit from everywhere; a citizen of the world,” says Carolina.

When asked whether they enjoyed moving, the four girls responded affirmatively. “It helped me discover many things about myself.” says Anna, who grew up in the Philippines and then moved to the USA. For some, it has even become a way of life; “I can’t imagine staying in one place all the time, after having lived in 5 different countries” admits Ann Katherine. Moving is a tough, complex process, but the key is to strive to make the best out of the experience.

By Carolina Milan (Spain), Ann Katherine Chernenkoff (Canada),
Augustina Salon (Argentina) and Anna Delos Angeles (Philippines)