Dictionary.com defines culture shock as “a state of bewilderment and distress experienced by an individual who is suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.” Culture shock has become the buzzword of numerous organizations that send volunteers and employees abroad. To prevent their volunteers from experiencing this “bewilderment and distress,” many of these organizations institute lengthy orientation programs or group briefings that are designed to facilitate the transition from one culture to another.
However, throughout my personal travel and immersion experiences and in my recent travels back to the United States, I have most commonly undergone a different phenomenon that I call “reverse culture shock,” in which the bewilderment occurs not during the initial arrival to a foreign culture, but instead upon the return home. The distress occurs not with the adjustment to the unfamiliar, but to the familiar. For example, although I required a few days to become accustomed to changes in diet, routines such as greeting friends with a kiss on the cheek, and even the more basic habits such as throwing the toilet paper in the trashcan instead of the toilet, my initial days in Guatemala were full of excitement, not anxiety. Conversely, six months later in December, I was riding home from the airport, and I struggled to find words to express my emotions. Though the scenery and people were very familiar, and I was overjoyed to see my family and friends, the general atmosphere was (for lack of a better word) different. I felt quietly overwhelmed and needed several days to acclimatize myself.
Numerous people experience this phenomenon as I do, yet somehow reverse culture shock seems counter-intuitive. The return to the familiar should be, well, familiar, and therefore the adjustment should be nearly seamless. So far, I have come up with two reasons that could explain reverse culture shock and I’ll give it a whirl at de scribing them. Whirling commence.
First, I wonder if I have been more mentally prepared for the trip abroad as opposed to the return home. For example, when I first arrived in Guatemala, I was so excited to be able to have a taste of foreign culture. I expected and looked forward to a different lifestyle, and so small adjustments did not seem so demanding. Maybe, expecting to experience culture shock actually shielded me from the phenomenon, whereas my reverse culture shock arose from my failure to anticipate lifestyle changes upon my return.
I also wonder if my experiences (or lack of) with culture shock and reverse culture shock stem from more profound emotions concerning my life’s momentum. Going abroad entails forward momentum. When I travel to new places, I feel as though I am progressing, as though I am moving forward into a new stage of my life. Alternatively, when I return home, I feel like I am doing just that, returning. Although I know consciously that this return also marks a new chapter in my life, a part of me feels like I am taking a step back, like I am regressing. Once again, I know that returning home is not regressing, yet at some level, I experience these emotions which can be exhausting.
This Christmas, my aunt Tracy was very thoughtful to give me a necklace with a quote from Confucius that reads: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” I am so grateful for this gift, as I believe that it perfectly highlights what the best prevention and cure for culture shock and reverse culture shock, which is an open and eager mind. Whether I am travelling abroad or returning home, I must remember to arrive with joy and enthusiasm. In order to enjoy fully my destination, I must remember to be fully present wherever I am.
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