Reverse Culture Shock is something you hear about (and almost prepare for) while living overseas. It's the basic idea that the difficulty you had adjusting to a new culture (in our case, Moscow) will be somewhat similar when returning and re-acclimating to your native culture.
Surprisingly, we didn't have as much difficulty as we were worried about. It took less than a day to get used to driving again (we didn't have or drive a car the entire duration of our time in Moscow). In fact, things didn't seem that foreign at all. Most of our reverse culture shock experiences could be summed into one-sentence shouts of exclamation:
"This washing machine is HUGE!"
"Wait, you can get another drink with the same cup -- FOR FREE??"
"There's a whole aisle for cereal at the grocery store?!"
"Wait, I can wash my clothes and wear them again in the same day??"
I could go on.
But there is definitely another side to reverse culture shock. It's this feeling of displacement. Not only have we left this incredible group of friends and colleagues back in Moscow, but we are entering back into life in America as if it were two years ago. People have moved on. It's that tightrope feeling that probably feels the strangest. Not belonging to either world.
I know that sounds pretty pathetic, but I don't mean it that way at all. It's life. It happens. The tension will go away eventually.
It's been a year and I still feel that way some times...I guess it'll always feel that way sometimes.
ReplyDeleteBut, I guess we're all that way anyway...we weren't meant for here, and we're all in this limbo as it is. It's being faithful in the waiting/figuring out things that matters.
Love you all...even the one of you I have yet to meet :)