Reverse Culture Shock

• Reverse Culture Shock. What is "reverse culture shock"? After returning from Spain, have you experienced any “reverse culture shock”? Explain. What do you miss most about living in Spain? What are you grateful for in your life at home? What events or experiences over the past month have had the biggest impact on you and why?

Reverse culture shock is when you return home after being over seas and you rediscover your culture and acknowledge the other culture you were in. I definitely have experienced this. It all started when I got picked up from the airport. Greeting my family came naturally and so did our conversation. I didn’t have to worry about forgetting to kiss my family members twice (although I think this aspect of the Spanish culture is awesome). The first thing my family and I did was go to a supermarket for some groceries and dinner. It was pretty shocking when I realized I knew what every worker and cashier were talking about. I ordered a smoothie in the back of the market with no anxieties this time. 

At the same time I miss the fact that a simple task like getting groceries and ordering a smoothie was a challenge. I missed pretending that each conversation I heard walking by someone in the store was like a listening comprehension exam. I miss saying “hola” or “perdóname” walking by people. I also feel like where I’m from in New Jersey, it’s normal to stay distant from community members and avoid small talk. For example, I tried to talk to a soccer mom and her daughter in line at the smoothie bar as we all tried samples of one of the smoothies and they just flat out ignored me. Yes, maybe that has happened a few times in Spain but I found in Spain that most people found small talk enjoyable. Overall, I miss the language the most because of how lovely it is to the ear. I also miss the challenge and the satisfaction of having a successful conversation in Spanish. 

Im grateful that I get to be with my family and enjoy the outdoors. My backyard reminds me of the country vibes of my town and how there’s nothing but the sound of nature and frogs at night. The first thing I did was listen to country music as I picked berries on a local farm. Falling asleep at night is something I missed too. I do kind of miss the chatter of la gente in the streets but it’s nice to not have to worry about ruckus waking me when I go to bed. 

It is nice to be home and reflect on the past month. I would say the all cathedrals and the Alhambra left the biggest impact but also the lifestyle in Spain. Every ancient monument we saw I immediately appreciated immensely. It’s one thing to learn about the history but another thing to see it. All of the hard work and dedication has built some of the most spectacular monuments in the world that millions come to visit. Spain and Europe are so old and whitenessing these monuments opened me up to a new level of admiration for Spain. The US is really so young compared to most other nations.  The lifestyle consisted of quality almuerzos, siestas y fiestas, a lot of walking, great styles of clothing, cobblestones streets and more. It was a nice pace of self care and routine. I found I really connected to the lifestyle in Spain and I know I will have to go back to study again.