A Belated Culture Shock July 2
Naively, before we moved to the US, I thought I was well prepared for a major change of atmosphere. After all, I have done it before and survived. Mind you, I was much younger back then, and there was less to risk. Still, it wasn’t easy.
The first year in the UK was tough. I was 22, ending a couple of years of traveling, and thinking that I can take on the world! During the first few months I was floating in Euphoria – exciting new people, new sounds and new flavours! Everything was going great! Then came the disillusionment, a stab in the back by someone I thought to be a friend that led to a grave disappointment and depression. It took a whole year for acceptance to sink in, and only then I finally started to enjoy my new life.
That was the reason I thought I was ready to go through it again. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and I thought I knew what to expect. Now I realize, that I was not entirely wrong, just very late. Last time the downfall was the result of realization that not everything and everyone around me was wonderful. It was a culture shock that came when the novelty expired and reality unraveled. A process that has two steps so far in my current relocation.
The first step lasted nine months, in which I was studying hard, surrounded by other (mostly) international students who were going through a similar experience. I think that during that time I learned more about the culture of India than that of the USA. The second step started a couple of weeks ago, when I began my internship. Now I am finally learning about the real local culture, and I must admit that I am not liking it at all. Culture shock is hitting hard once again.





