culture shock: in reverse

It happens. People you respect tell you they went through it. And then you go through it, and it's maddening.

It was that way with culture shock when we got over there, too. They prepared us for it, told us all about the cycle, the signs, etc... and then I felt myself going through it and felt like such a moron. I couldn't stop it- couldn't do anything but just hang in there and let it happen. The problem with having it this time around, of course, is that going through reverse culture shock means I'm adjusting. And no offense-but I don't really want to adjust back to American culture. I want to get back to the simplicity, warmth (interpersonal-not weather), and beauty of the other side of the world. I just wasn't prepared for being back in mega-million-$-land so soon. And I can feel the criticism and judgments screaming from my lungs, held back only by my tightly-clamped mouth. My heart longs for there.

And yet, I take comfort in these things:
"
In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." -Psalm 139:16

"
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." -Psalm 121:8

2 comments:

CallaLilly said...

Being a new reader - where did you go?

Jess Connell said...

Hi calla lilly,
Welcome!

Well, we lived in China for the last year, popping out to Thailand for 2 months to have our daughter. And now we're back for unexplained medical stuff going on with my husband. He has an appointment next week with a specialist here in the states, which is why we came back to the US. That's my story, and I'm stickin to it!

Blessings-
Jess