It feels like you’re a fish and you swam to one side of the fish bowl, came back, and suddenly everything had moved. Your plastic algae was replaced by a mini palm tree and your other fish friends were like, “You didn’t know about that mini palm tree? Where have you been?”
My little Italian world has been turned on itself and I still need some time to adjust. The cereal aisle is daunting, crossing the street is too easy, people are on their phones a lot and “news” stories are really funny. (“Man tries to leave restaurant without paying, hurts himself on fence.”)
I’m still in the stage where I’m forgetting about things, like that I don’t have to shift, but I’m sure I’ll be on my phone and choosing cereal quickly in no time.
Until then, I’ll be making up for the last ten months by eating my weight in peanut butter. I like you, Nutella, but peanut butter is GLORIOUS.
Have you ever felt reverse culture shock?
Have you ever felt reverse culture shock?
i had reverse culture shock when i got back from almost a month in chile in 2007. same with guatemala in 2009. it is INTENSE to experience a culture, and then come back to america. everything seems so bright and loud and LARGE, doesn't it? but i've never lived abroad for as long as you have...can't imagine what that must be like! i'm glad you're having fun in MA and i hope the transition gets a little easier (yum PB)!
ReplyDeleteYes - so intense every time we left Gabon. When you live without regular electricity, sporadic water, non existent internet let alone 'proper' stores, fast food restaurants, movie theatres, etc it was always so difficult rejoining the first world. In fact, I panicked a little in Barcelona (and that isn't even my home!) My stomach feels it too - fresh veggies & fruit, real milk, rich foods always take it's toll on my stomach for the first week but oh how I love indulging!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time at home - and all of that PB!
i feel you there jay, southern italy is not a third world country, but sometimes can feel that way (compared to america.) thank you!
ReplyDeleteyes about the largeness! shampoo is enormous! thank you carrie! (p.s. that's so cool about chile and guatemala! i want to go somewhere in south america for our honeymoon!)
ReplyDeleteYES. I remember when I came back from spending a semester in Florence how WIDE the streets in parents' suburban neighborhood suddenly seemed. Big stretches of smooth road with huge, pristine, flat sidewalks (though nobody walks on those sidewalks in the suburbs) and huge cars. Ha, I don't know why that struck me so much at the time, but that's what I remember. Also how weird it was that you could just go up and talk to anyone - ANYONE - and they would understand you. Life felt so easy! Ha!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness yes! i would say, considering i wasn't going back, i was even a little depressed. people didn't understand the weird french noises i would make and why i couldn't figure out a word in english. it was bad. haha.
ReplyDeletehttp://lachapstickfanatique.blogspot.com
Peanut butterrrrrrr!! I hope you take some back with you too. I'd bathe in it if that weren't. I haven't spent enough time out of the country to be shocked when I get back, but I can only imagine. I find the cereal aisle daunting already. Just walking past the pop tarts makes me feel anxious…have you SEEN all of those flavors?! Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your trip home!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I go home, for six years now. The streets are so wide, the plumbing and electricity so efficient, and the Canadian accents on the news make me cringe and laugh alternately (though I still sound exactly like them, of course).
ReplyDeleteI used to get my parents to bring me PB from home because I just couldn't get used to the English stuff! I've adapted, somewhat reluctantly, by now.
I love this! Different perspectives are so fun to read about :) And I'm a huge pb fan also ;) Hope you're enjoying your time here! xo, eliza
ReplyDeletethank you eliza! yes, everyone has some awesome stories today!
ReplyDeletei agree! i find myself laughing at the bostonians all the time, and the streets are incredible. i get peanut butter from sporadic visitors but it's never enough. :) i'm so glad you know what i'm feeling!
ReplyDeletejeez, i would probably die if i saw the pop tarts! haha! cereal is enough for now..baby steps. :) thank you for the kind words, and yes i'll be bringing back pb!
ReplyDeletevery true, it was so depressing when i came back from studying abroad. i was like, no one understands me!
ReplyDeleteoh my god compared to the streets where only a vespa can fit, these three-lane roads are crazy! and the sidewalks! yes! manu always comments that no one is walking on them, haha!
ReplyDeleteI understand completely! I went to the UK all summer last year, and I fell madly in love with the way of life. When I came back to America, it was ridiculous how I forgot all things American. I drove on the wrong side of the road here, missed the food and even the coffee in the UK, I missed the rain and the people. I will be going back to the UK, but I totally understand what you're going though.
ReplyDeleteSteph xx
oh yes, I have been there for sure! I've only lived overseas for two years but its shocking how quickly you forget things! I had a particularly embaressing moment when I completely forgot how to use american change and I was at the head of a very long line! How does one forget something they used everyday for over 20 years?!? no clue but I managed it haha!
ReplyDeletehaha, it's incredible, i know! just holding dollar bills felt so weird when i came back! it's amazing how much the brain can adjust to something and then be thrown by what it knew your entire life! where were you overseas?
ReplyDeleteyes, it's hard when you love a place and you know you won't be going back, at least for the moment. i had that reaction the first time i returned from italy. it was a complete aversion to all things american! now it's an appreciation. :) where were you in the UK?
ReplyDeleteafter studying abroad in italy i had such terrible reverse culture shock.. slightly depressed and i ran out of the grocery store crying because the aisles were just oo overwhelming
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm back in the States I definitely freak out on somethings, but in a good way. The size of things mostly, and friendly customer service. But it's always the same, each time I get used to it, I'm back on a plane out of there!
ReplyDeleteOooo, this post has gotten me excited to visit home for the first time since I moved to France!! Peanut butter, yayayayay! I love it!
ReplyDeletei had the WORST reverse culture shock when i came back to the states from india... as you can probably imagine. "wait... the grocery store is organized?!" "im NOT sweating myself to sleep?!" its crazyyy!
ReplyDeleteaw! i had a moment like that too. so much stuff!
ReplyDeleteexactly! the friendly customer service is hilarious. our waiter was describing all of the wines to us the other night and my face was priceless, brittany said. like, "whaaaaat? you're talking to us?"
ReplyDeletewhen are you going back laura?
ReplyDeletehahaha! sounds like my life too!
ReplyDelete