Last Day/Culture Shock

I'm feeling really anxious. I couldn't sleep at all, and then I just jumped out of bed this morning and attempted to find tasks to do. I went to a really nice tailor who not only said he could get my skirt done by the time I left, he said if I sat down and enjoyed a coffee with him, he'd do it right then! Rock on! Then I stopped by the BC to check on how I was supposed to get to the airport. Allegedly, someone is coming to my house tonight, but I don't know what time. I tried to call Rama, but got her voicemail. If all else fails, I know how to take a taxi ;)

I spent time on the beach with Djiby, as he's leaving in a few hours for his own mini voyage. I'm looking to grab some ice cream after lunch and mostly just hang around. I need to shower at some point.

And my lovely friend Elizabeth Jane sent me some info on culture shock that I want to share with you guys. Ignore the part about the ice cream because I've had it way more here than I do in the US. Chocolate milk would be nice, though.

• Reverse Culture Shock
  
  One of the biggest challenges for students who participate in study abroad can be the difficulty in re-adapting to the realities in the U.S (otherwise known as "re-entry"). Many students who studied abroad went through many changes, re-examining their priorities, their values, and what they think of themselves and the U.S. The "return culture shock" may be more difficult than the "culture shock" they felt when abroad. If return culture shock is severe, it is important that students are able to seek help/counseling to help them through this.
  
  So what is reverse culture shock? First, let’s examine the process of re-entry. There are usually two elements that characterize a study abroad student’s re-entry:
  
  1. an idealized view of home
  
  2. the expectation of total familiarity (that nothing at home has changed while you have been away)
  
  Often students expect to be able to pick up exactly where they left off. A problem arises when reality doesn’t meet these expectations. Home may fall short of what you envisioned, and things may have changed at home: your friends and family have their own lives, and things have happened since you’ve been gone. This is part of why home may feel so foreign.
  
  Feelings You (as a returning student) May Experience
  
  The inconsistency between expectations and reality, plus the lack of interest on the part of family and friends (nobody seems to really care about all of your "when I was abroad" stories) may result in: frustration, feelings of alienation, and mutual misunderstandings between study abroad students and their friends and family. Of course, the difficulty of readjustment will vary for different individuals, but, in general, the better integrated you have become to the culture abroad and overseas lifestyle, the harder it is to readjust during re-entry.
  
  Reverse culture shock is usually described in four stages:
  
  1. Disengagement 3. Irritability and hostility
  
  2. Initial euphoria 4. Readjustment and adaptation
  
  Stage 1 begins before you leave the host country. You begin thinking about re-entry and making your preparations for your return home. You also begin to realize that it’s time to say good-bye to your overseas friends and to the place you've come to call home. The hustle and bustle of finals, good-bye parties, and packing can intensify your feelings of sadness and frustration. You already miss the friends you’ve made, and you are reluctant to leave. Or, you may make your last few days fly by so fast that you don’t have time to reflect on your emotions and experiences.
  
  Stage 2 usually begins shortly before departure, and it is characterized by feelings of excitement and anticipation – even euphoria – about returning home. This is very similar to the initial feelings of fascination and excitement you may have when you first entered the country where you studied. You may be very happy to see your family and friends again, and they are also happy to see you. The length of this stage varies, and often ends with the realization that most people are not as interested in your experiences abroad as you had hoped. They will politely listen to your stories for a while, but you may find that soon they are ready to move on to the next topic of conversation.
  
  This is often one of the transitions to Stage 3 of Reverse Culture Shock, which parallels the Culture Shock you may have experienced when you first entered the country where you studied. In fact, your transition into Stage 3 might occur sooner than it did when you first went overseas. You may experience feelings of frustration, anger, alienation, loneliness, disorientation, and helplessness and not understand exactly why. You might quickly become irritated or critical of others and of American culture. Depression, feeling like a stranger at home, and the longing to go back overseas are also not uncommon reactions. You may also feel less independent than you were abroad.
  
  Most people are then able to move onto Stage 4, which is a gradual readjustment to life at home. Things will start to seem a little more normal again, and you will probably fall back into some old routines, but things won’t be exactly the same as how you left them. You have most likely developed new attitudes, beliefs, habits, as well as personal and professional goals, and you will see things differently now. The important thing is to try to incorporate the positive aspects of your international experience with the positive aspects of your life at home.
  
  
  
  What Family and Friends Can Do
  
  Show interest. Returnees very much need to share their experiences with you. They overdo it, of course, and show far too many slides (and never ask you about your life during the last four months), but try to be kind. They don't mean to be rude; they're just excited.Don't be offended when they criticize their home country (which is also yours) and constantly compare it unfavorably with their overseas experience. They don't include you in their sweeping generalizations, and they don't mean you're a fool to like it here, so don't get defensive. They're just on edge and a little lost. Just smile and offer them another helping of their favorite ice cream (a national item sorely missed).
  
  
  Don't make them feel defensive. Sometimes, by not understanding how hard re-entry can be, family and friends make returnees feel that there's something wrong with them, that they should be happy and content, that there's no reason they should be having a hard time. Even if you don't understand, act as if you do.Don't pressure them to visit all the time. Parents and grandparents take note: give your loved ones some breathing room. Yes, it's rude of them not to come more often and stay longer, but at least they're back in the country!Don't spring family problems and responsibilities on them too soon. No doubt it's high time they started shouldering their share of family duties again, but give them a few weeks to get their balance.
  
  
  Above all, be patient. They're not going to act like this forever. Whatever irritating, insensitive, disturbing, or alarming things they do or say, don't take it too seriously. If they're still acting or talking like this after a couple of months, then you can start to worry.