Post-trip blog 1: Reverse Culture Shock

Post-trip blog 1: Reverse Culture Shock

Coming back to the U.S., was definitely a culture shock. Adela told us that we would be going through some major reverse-culture shock after the trip, but I didn't really believe her. I thought,"How could I be in culture shock, if I'm just returning home? If anything I would be glad to live in familiarity again." Was I wrong. As I write this, I miss Oaxaca SO much. The U.S. seems extremely foreign to me, and I'm noticing things here, that I've never noticed before. The first thing I noticed was the attitude of most people. American culture tends to be less service oriented than other countries. For example, when I was at Burger King, the only thing employees really do is take your order and warm up you food. They don't serve you, give you napkins, or ask If you need anything else. It seems like they really don't care about what they do, if anything they hate being there (which I can understand because they're most likely underpaid and underinsured..however I'm sure people in Mexico are too). The entire experience was impersonal and I didn't like it. In contrast, cafe's and restaurants in Oaxaca (even fast food restaurants) are very personalized. The waiters love to have conversations and get to know you; they see if you're comfortable and check up on you from time to time. If you want something else, they're really happy to assist. This level of service isn't confined to restaurants, it's in every part of Oaxacan culture. It doesn't matter if your in a bus station, an airport, or a market, people are genuinely interested in helping, being friendly, and building relationships.

Being back in the U.S., I feel like culture of America is centered around being independent and impersonal. Everyone is in their own world, doing their own thing. For example, when I was walking through the airport, the majority of people were irritated or stressed. They wouldn't look and smile or say hi. Even when I smiled at people, they seemed to look confused or ignored it. This level of independence has formed a culture in which human being are socially unaware of each other. It seems (I might be being harsh here) that American culture is selfish. However, don't get me wrong. I know not all Americans are like this. Many Americans are great people, who like to meet new people, build relationships, and expand their horizons. Actually, most Americans that I've met, who are interested in new people and relationships, are those that I meet in foreign countries, or on foreign flights. They love to find out about other cultures, beliefs, and customs. I feel like they have more of an understanding of the world and can better tolerate difference and diversity, which is why I think it's so essential to travel and live in other countries. I've lived in America my whole life, and after being in Oaxaca I think that I used to be extremely closed minded. Now, I want to start a conversation with everyone; especially people from different countries or states. I want to learn their perspectives, views, and experiences. I feel as though, everyone can teach me something useful; something that can inspire me and improve my life. I no longer feel that I know everything in my closed little world. I want to travel more and do more programs through CFHI because there's a WHOLE WORLD out there, and the amount of lessons and experiences to be gained are ENDLESS.

My biggest fear is reverting back to the way I was. I don't want to be satisfied with my microenvironment; shielded from the rest of the world. I don't want to lose my diverse life experiences, and the relationships I've gained in Mexico. I want to travel the world. To meet great surgeons and physicians from different cities and countries, who can each teach me something different. I want to keep using the skills I've learned and develop them further so I can mature as a person, and ultimately be a socially aware physician capable of contributing to his community in extraordinary ways.