Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Norton-Newbanks.
Hi Megan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up as the daughter of a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, so moving and adapting to new places became a normal part of my life from an early age. By the time I was 18, I had lived in six countries, attended seven international schools, and moved twelve times. As an adult, that global upbringing has continued to shape me. I have now lived in ten countries and six U.S. states. Moving so often taught me a lot about transition, identity, and belonging. Every move meant saying goodbye to people, places, routines, and parts of my identity, while also learning how to adapt and build new connections. I learned that transition and the grief that comes with it are normal, and that it is possible to acknowledge what you are leaving behind while still being open to what comes next.
Living across so many different cultures also taught me that culture is something we learn. I became comfortable navigating different cultural contexts, listening to perspectives different from my own, and recognizing that there are many ways of understanding the world. Those experiences shaped my interest in bringing people and communities together and creating spaces where different perspectives can be heard. Ultimately, my upbringing taught me that identity and belonging are not about choosing one place or one label. I can be both global and local, rooted and adaptable, and I think learning to hold those different parts of myself has continued to shape who I am and how I approach my work and relationships today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. Growing up in a highly mobile environment meant that every few years, and sometimes more often, I had to say goodbye to friends, communities, homes, and routines and start over somewhere new. There was a real sense of grief and instability that came with that. I often had to reintroduce myself and figure out where I fit in, which could be especially challenging when my identity and sense of belonging already felt complicated. Moving between countries also meant constantly learning new cultural norms and adjusting to different expectations, including figuring out what it meant to be American in different parts of the world and then returning to the U.S. and realizing that I did not always feel completely at home there either.
At the same time, those challenges taught me how to navigate change. I learned to be adaptable, to listen before assuming I understood a new environment, and to recognize that feeling unsettled during a transition is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Over time, I became more comfortable with the uncertainty and learned to see transitions as opportunities to learn and build new connections. I still wrestle with questions of identity and belonging, but I have come to appreciate that I do not have to choose just one place, culture, or way of being. Learning to hold those different parts of myself has been one of the most important parts of my journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My work centers on supporting Third Culture Kids, globally mobile families, expats, repats, and other cross-cultural individuals as they navigate transition, identity, communication, and belonging. As an Adult Third Culture Kid myself, I have lived in ten countries and six U.S. states, and that lived experience is at the heart of what I do. I am an intercultural communication specialist, trainer, TCK consultant, writer, speaker, and podcast host. Through Belonging Beyond Borders, I work with organizations and communities, including international schools, diplomatic communities, mission organizations, and globally mobile families, designing and delivering programming that helps people better understand their cross-cultural experiences and develop tools for navigating change. I also share these ideas through speaking engagements, workshops, writing, my podcast A Culture Story, and my book Belonging Beyond Borders: How Adult Third Culture Kids Can Cultivate a Sense of Belonging.
What sets my work apart is the combination of professional expertise and lived experience. I am not simply studying or talking about cross-cultural transitions. I have lived them, and I understand the complexity of feeling connected to multiple places while not always feeling completely at home in any one of them. I call my approach “glocal” because I believe we can hold both our global and local identities at the same time. I am especially proud of creating resources that give people language for experiences that can otherwise be difficult to explain, particularly around identity and belonging. Through Beyond Borders Publishing, I have also created opportunities for other globally mobile and multicultural voices to be shared through collaborative books. Ultimately, I want people to know that my work is about more than moving between countries. It is about helping people understand their stories, connect across differences, and cultivate a sense of belonging wherever they are and wherever they call home.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Different people can mentor you in different areas of your life and career. Pay attention to the people whose work, values, or way of navigating challenges resonates with you, and then be intentional about building a relationship with them. I have found that being willing to reach out, ask thoughtful questions, share what I am working on, and genuinely invest in relationships has opened more doors than trying to follow a formal networking strategy. Ultimately, I think good networking is really about community and reciprocity. It is about finding people you can learn from, people you can support, and people who are willing to walk alongside you as your own path evolves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adulthirdculturekid.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adult_third_culture_kid/
