When I went to Spain, I wouldn’t say that I experienced any real culture shock.  I was expecting it to be different.  I was expecting the people to speak differently than I do, look different, eat different foods, follow a different schedule, the buildings and roads and cars and shops would look different.  I was expecting it, so when I finally got there, I wasn’t shocked to find that things were….normal.  Very much like the U.S.  Maybe I was prepared for it mentally, maybe it’s just that Spain (and Europe in general) are very similar to what I am already used to here.  Like I expected, the food was different (but I could find the foods I know and am accustomed to, as well as try new things), the people looked no different than I do or you do, the buildings looked different, which is to be expected in a new city, but life was pretty much the same.  The only real difference was the language.  While I have been around Spanish my entire life, I haven’t been around Spanish all day, every day.  It took some getting used to the fact that if I needed something, had a question, or wanted to say anything at all, it had to be in another language.  Also the schedule was a little different than what I’m used to, from meal times, to the closing of business in the middle of the day, but this is something I heard about going into this and knew it would be different from what I know. But other than that, it was a pretty easy “transition” into another culture.

So imagine my surprise when, after coming back to the United States for the first time in 10.5 months, I experienced more of a culture shock in my own country, own city, and own home, than I did in another country.  Maybe since the United States has always been home, I didn’t do the same “mental preparation” on how things may be different like I did before going to Spain.  I knew that meal times would be something to get used to, as I have become very accustomed to eating lunch around 3 and dinner at 9 or later.  (The night I came home, my mom had dinner ready and on the table by 7:00….pure madness).  I thought I would find it strange that bars and clubs close at 2 am, restaurant kitchens wouldn’t serve me dinner past 10 (at the absolute latest) or that my friends would want to make dinner reservations for 7:00 (or on a late night, maybe at 8:00).  I expected those things, but I didn’t expect to rubber neck every time a couple of people walk by and I hear them speaking English.  A week into being back, when I hear English, I still think “maybe they’re Americans?” like I always do in Spain.  I didn’t realize it would take time to realize that I can go into a store and ask an employee for help- easily and quickly.  I can make small talk with people!  I didn’t know it would take me time to stop converting things from Euros to dollars…because everything is in dollars.  My second day back, I went to a supermarket and the cashier handed me quarters as my change.  I just stared at them in my hand like what is this foreign currency? 

There are other things that completely shock me- the outrageous prices in supermarkets, especially for fresh products.  A small bag of salad greens is almost $5.00?  I got a bag 2x this size for under 1.50 Euro!  A tub of Greek yogurt is over $7.00?  And a small container is over $1.50??  I just paid 1 Euro or .20 Euro, respectively.  The income is considerably lower in Spain than it is here, but those prices seem much more manageable, if you will, than $7.00 for a measly tub of yogurt.

Right now I am typing this from Ventnor beach and my dad and I took a little stroll into Atlantic City last night and my gosh!- The lights! and the sounds! and crazy foods! and rides! and people! and shops!  It’s like when you leave the United States and then you come back, you can see where our stereotypes come from, from an outsider view.  Those lights and craziness never phased me before, but last night I just looked at everything and thought “wow….we really do DO everything big”.  Don’t get me wrong, I think the United States is the greatest place in the world, but you can’t really wonder why people say we are a loud, fat, greedy bunch.  We are…and that’s okay.  Not everywhere, but certainly in AC.

The cars look big to me, the houses are beautiful, but over the top in many cases.  Why can’t I get my produce in a fruteria?!  Everything is big business.  Very little is personal.  Not all of this is bad, but it’s all taking some getting used to.  One week in, and it’s feeling more comfortable than it did, but it definitely is strange that a place that was always “home” can feel very foreign after some time.

but this is still home, sweet, home.