Tuesday, July 6, 2010

AFSers BEWARE:

Yes, beware reverse culture shock.

I am in LA right now getting ready to board my plane back to Tampa Florida and I already feel culture shock. My NZ family is so far away from me now and so is my real family. LA is so crazy with buildings everywhere and SO many people. No fields, no sheep, no rolling green hills, and no more Kiwis. I walk around this airport hearing my native accent and seeing the American people. Americans seem so much more distinctive to me now as a group. Even though there are so many differences throughout the whole country, it feels like I have been gone long enough to see the American people as a whole now. The people in the states are way easier to start up a conversation with and are openly very friendly upon first meeting. This is good and bad for me. Its GREAT now. I feel like anyone would come over and talk to me and try and make me feel better if I acted upset. Its bad for me in a way because I also do not feel like I have to really try  hard to talk to someone or get them to be my friend. Ill try to explain this the best way I can. I think Kiwis are much harder to develop close relationships with and just all around not as easy to talk to as Americans. But in this way when I was able to feel completely comfortable talking to anyone in NZ is gave me heaps of confidence and made me feel like I could actually relate to the person. And furthermore, when I started to have closer relationships to these people it became even more meaningful to me and was my favorite achievement of my whole experience.

My culture shock is pretty bad right now but I think once I back to Tampa and my family itll subside. I also better start getting mentally prepared for university. I know that through this whole experience University will not be as hard for me, but it will be a brand new chapter in my life and I am very excited.


I love New Zealand and I love the United States. I definitely have to homes on this planet now and its an awesome feeling. Studying abroad is probably the best decision of my life and I regret nothing about it. Thank you for reading my blog and following me on this insane journey. I have left the states not knowing what I was going to find in the middle of the pacific, became a part of a family, made friends, immersed myself in a culture, fell in love with a country, came home, and now I am saying goodbye. And once more, thanks again for reading. Cheers

3 comments:

  1. Hi Trenor!

    If you plan to go abroad for a further year, contact me (if either planning to write a blog or if you plan to go to Switzerland or NZ (and if I get to be there)) :)

    It was a great pleasure reading your blogs!

    Thank you!

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  2. like my hose mom once said, americans can talk all day about the weather

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  3. You have two homes and I think the best ones.
    jobs in new zealand

    ReplyDelete