Reverse Culture Shock -- The United Statesian is in the US!
An artistic rendition of the United Statesian flag at the Smithsonian Museum in DC. Dear Citizens of the World! The United States has landed and it has been a bizarre few weeks. Reverse Culture shock, after seventeen years away from the homeland, has hit hard. Culture shock is normal when you are going to a foreign country and it is expected. Reverse culture shock affects people differently. Basically, an expat who has been away for a long period of time is shocked because they do not "fit in" with their home culture. My personal experience has been that I find myself staring at people and I feel awed by the most mundane aspects of being back. My fellow United Statesians hear my accent and ask me, "where are you from." I in turn look at them and wonder why MY country is so different from me on so many levels. The shock does lessen, and there are many aspects of the local culture that I do like, but I think that my experiences abroad would always make me feel like a