I would do so many things differently, just thinking about that trip. I hope we helped people despite our shortcomings.

Anyway. Here’s something that’s clicking right now:

Culture shock does weird things to people. It augments quirks, it increases frustrations, and it shortens fuses. If it’s bad enough, it strips a person of all previously functional coping mechanisms. And it can do all of this practically from the first moment we set foot on foreign soil.

I’ve seen it happen over and over again (and have experienced it myself, ugh). We’d have a great campaign team, everyone got along, people were motivated and excited, the group dynamic was so sweet and positive it would just make you sick…. And the moment the team got to where we were going, these same functional, interacting, fun-loving, excited people turned morose, irritable, nit-picky, and just plain grouchy.

Why? Because all of their reference points had suddenly disappeared. Every device they relied on for dealing with everyday life was suddenly altered almost beyond recognition. All input and all feedback was different.

Culture shock highlights and exacerbates every “issue” we’re already dealing with — but at home, or at least in familiar situations, we have established routines and support systems, checks and balances that keep us steady and keep us going. Entry into another culture removes all of that — and all the “issues” suddenly rise to the top, taking over and clouding our vision until the misery is all we can see.

And don’t even get me started on reverse culture shock — or reverse reverse reverse culture shock! ;o)

But for someone dealing with an unrecognized social anxiety disorder, the experience must be unimaginably harrowing. Good for you for not letting that ruin your life. Good for you for not letting that *control* your life.

Because there are people who experience culture shock or reverse culture shock and choose to “wallow” in it for the rest of their lives. They never allow themselves to get past it and so miss the chance to take the good, discard the bad, and rise above themselves. I’m glad you took that chance.