Oui Please, No More Culture Shock
There are pro’s and con’s to being busy. I’ve noticed the busier I am the quicker time goes by & I can’t stand when time goes too fast. When I’m not busy, aka Netflix and chilling, time goes pretty slow. How did I finish an entire series in one day?! But that’s the laziest form of survival, so it’s a toss!
If you’ve been watching my Snapchat or following my Instagram you’ll have noticed I was in Minnesota last week. I had to get my hair cut & my favorite stylist is in Minnesota so I made the trip.
(Not really. My cousin got married so I went up for the wedding… and conveniently got my hair done.)
I’ll recap the trip next week w/suggestions for your Minneapolis itinerary.
Being in Minnesota this time around was actually a relief. Last time I was home I had major culture shock. I had a hard time communicating my feelings & expressing what I was going through. I reacted to people’s comments defensively & craved some sort of debriefing conversation. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have spoken to other human beings.
This time, being around family, felt normal again! I could talk in complete sentences. Think realistically. Respond responsibly.
I felt like I got to redeem myself.
It’s not that Dubai was super tragic, or anything extraordinary that caused my culture shock issues, it was the change. There were different circumstances abroad that created a huge amount of change & development in such a short amount of time. Constantly living on level 10. When I came back, it was another huge wave of change on a Level 3. The adjustment took time.
I have a new appreciation & understanding for people coming to America from abroad. Or anyone going through dramatic life changes.
Now that I’ve recovered, I get excited remembering ALL the changes & happenings. OUI! And where I am now, how much I’ve learned, the people I’ve met, the weird feelings I had throughout. Even the emotional differences between moving away when I was 18, a semester in the Dominican Republic, and living in Dubai. Each so different & challenging in their own ways. But pretty happy to have them behind me, as to now only have to reflect 😉
Anyways, I wanted to fill you in a little! How’s everyone else doing? Excited for fall?
Have an extra excited day, don’t worry, and be thoughtful!