Reverse Culture Shock

When you go overseas you expect things to be different. Culture shock comes in various levels (and waves) to each person, according to the culture, to their expectations, and how they are handling being in a different context. I had almost no culture shock when I went to Portugal. I had major shock in the UAE because the stress in my life (caused by job) was not helping me to react so well to things like The Inshallah Mentality and Ramadan (and rats in my ceiling). In France, again, I didn't experience culture shock so much...little waves of it here and there but nothing major.

Reverse Culture Shock--or re-entry--is another story. I get it every time I come back to the states. I've been determined this time around to not let it hit me too hard. I spent the whole summer with Americans, and tried to used that time to prepare myself to be around them all the time. I decided to laugh instead of grumble at the things that would rub me the wrong way. To not gawk at the things that seem bizarre. To not judge--others or myself.

I don't know how well I've done. I do know that I've said, "That's RIDICULOUS!" a million times in the last two weeks as I've seen things that have amazed me (whether good or bad). I have learned from experiences in the past what to avoid so that I don't end up holed up in the bedroom in tears because being in the US makes my head spin.

So...most of the next few posts may be about things that seem common place to you, but they were big deals to me.