Surfing the Waves of the Culture Shock Cycle

This week marks six months that I have been living in Uruguay. The beginning of March also marks the end of the summer holiday and the return to school, work, and routine. Coincidentally, my Mommy will also be arriving in one week, for a one month visit. Thus, making March a big month. As I reflect on the six months gone by, what I consider to be a summer of a lifetime, look forward to the routine of work, and get excited to see my Mom....I can't help but wonder what part of the culture shock cycle I'm living in!?  The longest I've ever been away from home is six months total, so I'm officially entering uncharted waters!

Can you hear the call of the drums? #candombe

The idea of culture shock and the cycle or waves you go through while abroad was first introduced to me while in University. Later on, working with students and in international settings I became more familiar with these ideas. Although the number of stages and their titles can vary depending on what you read, the most common ones are the following. The first one is the honeymoon phase when you first arrive and you are starry eyed and everything is bright and new. My very first blog post about 'First Impressions' was filled with honeymoon like observations. For the most part this phase is over for me. I get brief honeymoon type moments now, from time to time, when I take in something new, like scenery or a cultural event. Most recently the desfile de llamadas, the big drumming parade for carnival here in February, wowed me, as it was all completely new!

It was all glitter, dancing, and the beat of the drum at Carnival.

The second phase is culture shock, where you are constantly comparing things to home and you find even simple tasks difficult or frustrating. This phase is also associated with hostility, depression, and homesickness. I distinctively remember the very first time I went abroad, to study for three months in Havana, that at about the half way mark I was thinking 'why did I come  here?' and 'I just want to go home'. Needless to say, I stuck it out and it is one of my most treasured experiences. Now having travelled more and being a little older my thoughts aren't quite so dramatic, but of course I have lows. Sometimes I have what I call 'bad days' here.  They are usually triggered by something small, like feeling misunderstood, your debit card not working in 10 different ATM's or just wanting to be around the people back home that you love and that know you so well. The bad days are few and far between and they are usually trumped by really incredible moments where you feel so lucky and so blessed to be as happy as you are. I had a mixture of frustration and really euphoric moments this summer while balancing not working with loads of beach time and sight seeing.

One of those bliss-ed out moments from this summer. Exploring the interior of the country near Minas.

The next phase has to do with acceptance and integration, this is the recovery and adjustment phase. Here, you get into a routine and you feel like you are successfully living 'normally' in your new country. I suspect that this phase will happen more fully as I get into the routine of work this month and in the coming months. By the end of March I will be teaching English at two schools, plus maintaining activities like zumba, bachata lessons, hanging out at the Coffee Shop, and finishing an online course. Life will be busy and I think the integration will feel more complete with this new and fuller schedule.

I am really excited to start working regularly here and to get back into a routine that feels less traveller like and more citizen like. I am even more excited to see my Mom! I am sure that her being here will in a way 'hold me over' for a few more months without getting horribly homesick. It will be really fun and special to be able to share parts of my new life here with her. I already have my colleagues at work, 'my work moms', and my friends at the coffee shop excited to meet her!

In short, the adventure keeps evolving and the gratitude continues. As for the cycle, or the waves, you truly do ride them. I think that with so much ongoing change you can't help but continuously be shifting and adjusting, moving back and forth within the cycle. With all of this in mind, I'm especially excited for the next six months, because I'm potentially building up to feeling really at home here and that would be an all new experience/achievement! The final phase is mastery after-all!