People have often asked me how life has been since I got back to the states from Albania. Has there been a lot of culture shock? Was it hard to re-adjust? What was the most difficult part of re-acclimating to life in the USA? Now that I have a bit of time back here, I find that I can answer this question a little bit better.
Has there been a lot of culture shock?
Hmmm... well, not as much as I thought there would have been. Actually, I have found it more shocking that not much has changed since I have returned. Surprise, surprise! Life still went on without me. Lol. That shouldn't be a surprise, yet it is. Ha! Aside from my ego-check, I suppose there have been a few interesting things to note.
1. Everything seems to move at a very fast pace.
2. People you meet are not as easy going and welcoming. The "stranger danger" is alive and well.
3. There are way too many food options in the supermarket! lol Really, who needs 67 different cereal options?!
Was it hard to re-adjust?
Yes, and here's why. I got used to the community culture I enjoyed in Albania. People there do not let you sit alone. They ask you out to coffee, invite you to parties, and welcome you into their homes on a regular basis. New Jersey seems to be quite different and it has been a challenge to find friends and such to hang out with. That wasn't something I expected, yet after living here a while, I am seeing that this seems to be one of the hardest things to adjust to since I have returned. People don't seem to have time to just sit and chat.
What was the most difficult part of re-acclimating to life in the USA?
Again, it wasn't necessarily an issue of re-adjusting to "American Culture" so much as missing the friends I had made in Albania, both Albanians and Peace Corps volunteers alike. I must admit, I didn't know how attached I had grown being out there. Now I feel it. I miss it. I miss my friends. I miss my life in Librazhd. I miss my buddies in Tirana. I miss my good friends who are now making a home in Thailand.
