What does 'Pre-encounter Stage' mean?

Pre-encounter Stage

The first stage of TCK Identity Development when TCKs are simply living their usual but international, cross-cultural, highly mobile lives, not understanding how that lifestyle is shaping who they are. This is the stage before the most profound, identity-shaking Encounter stage. At some level they may already sense that they are a little different from friends and relatives who stay in one country all their lives. It becomes normal to be different. They really don’t know any other way to be.