Although most respondents come from
one-language families, 90% started
studying a foreign language before the
age of 15. Close to half of the GGIs
who participated in the survey took
their first trip abroad before the tender
age of 10 and almost 90% had done
so by the age of 20.
Indeed, upbringing is a significant factor in whether someone ‘goes international.’ A few of our survey respondents said they became interested in
travelling and
learning about
other cultures
because their
parents encouraged them,
either directly
or indirectly.
For example,
one Girl Gone
International
said her interest
was piqued by
the ‘world map
on my wall,
and my Dad’s
stories of being a Merchant
Seaman,’ while
another states that getting gifts from
other countries and hearing stories
about other places fostered her desire
to learn about the world.
Other Girl Gone Internationals were
emphatic that they have always known
they wanted their lives to be different,
usually as a reaction to what they
saw in their lives as children. For some
people there’s an adrenaline rush in
dealing with tough travel situations and
achieving success.’
This is not to say that genetics is the
only, or even, determining factor in the
equation. In discussing the research on
the wanderlust gene with the Columbia
News Service, Brein expanded, ‘If a
genetic predisposition to travel exists,
it’s going to be complemented by sociocultural complexity.’ Brein’s thoughts
on the wanderlust
gene appear to
hold especially
true for the diverse
Girl Gone Internaitonal community.
In our survey of
Girl Gone Internationals, born in
34 countries and
raised in 46 different countries,
a full 83% have
parents from the
same country as
each other, and
most say that their
parents are not a
Person Gone International.
Most, however, come from environments that nurtured curiosity. 75% of
those surveyed said learning about
other cultures and countries as a child
or young adult was ‘very important.’ >
(*name has been changed to protect privacy)