I was born a white child in Apartheid South Africa.
I was always a staunch believer in the free market economy, and I read Ayn Rand at a young age.
Even though I was amongst the privileged white minority in power, and we had an excellent standard of living, I could sense that restrictive laws supposedly to protect me, could just as easily be used to oppress me. My liberty was open to another persons interpretation.
I considered myself a liberal there(vastly in the minority) and against many oppressive policies, but not a radical willing to die on the sword. I found my conservative friends to be too closed minded.I was conscripted against my will into the military for two years of compulsory service. Luckily it was possible for me to serve in a non combat position.
After-wards, I moved to the USA.I did not understand the local politics well and did not understand the actual consequences of electing this party or that party.I found myself to be more in agreement with the conservatives here, on some gut level.But still there were a lot of their issues that I could not sign off on.
I felt sympathy for the liberals in the USA too, but compared to where I came from, I seriously did not have the same passion for overturning restrictive laws here. There seemed to be less of an urgent need and the pendulum seemed to be swinging unnecessarily too far to the left.I did not believe there was as urgent a need for so drastically restricting private rights.But I could not explain why or what to do better.
I could not define my political party affiliation accurately. I did not understand how one could be conservative and liberal at the same time. I thought I was an anomaly.Until I started to read several economists interpretation of the actual measurable results of different kind of legislation. It became less emotional and more logical to form a political opinion and I slowly realized that what my beliefs were, fitted closely with libertarian thought.
I continue my education today.