When I was in high school I participated in a service trip to Central America. While there, we were told that we should avoid throwing toilet paper into the toilet as the plumbing could not handle it. Of course, it took a couple days to get in the habit of throwing our toilet paper away. But any mistake meant having to fish it out so as to not clog the plumbing, and that served as a powerful reminder.
After two weeks abroad, I flew back to the United States. I was in the JFK airport and I threw toilet paper in the toilet because there wasn’t a trash can in the stall. When I realized what I had done, I started crying because I thought I was going to have to fish it out. After I remembered I was back in the United States, I started crying harder because it felt so ridiculous to be crying over toilet paper and I felt overwhelmed because I couldn’t orient myself to what country I was in and what culture I should be conforming to. That’s the first time I experienced culture shock – alone in an airport bathroom.
My second experience with culture shock came four years later during a month long study abroad experience in India. One of the most profound moments was driving through the slums of Kolkata, where I witnessed firsthand the challenging living conditions that many people face in lower-income countries. It was a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are to have the lifestyle we do in the United States. With my first experiences with culture shock being triggered while living in less developed countries, I naively believed that I would not experience culture shock during my time in the United Kingdom. I assumed that the culture would be very similar to that of the United States. And while in many ways it is, Scotland has surprised me with the cultural differences I have had to adjust to.
All these adjustments have been minor, but so constant that they are noticeable in my day-to-day life. Scotland is the first place I have seen where drivers drive on the left. Just as they drive on the opposite side of the road as Americans, so too are their steering wheels on the opposite side of the car. Because of this, the first time I ordered an Uber, I very nearly confidently climbed into the driver’s seat. Since then, I have adjusted to the different traffic and pedestrian rules. Thankfully, I haven’t tried to get in the drivers seat on any more Uber trips.
The second instance of culture shock hit me the first time I used a sink in Scotland. The faucets are split, with hot water coming out of one and cold water coming out of a different one, so you have to decide if you want to wash your hands in ice cold or scalding water. I am still trying to wrap my mind around this design.
The final adjustment I have had to make is remembering that every individual outlet has an on/off switch, so I have to remember to turn them on before use. It only took me one time waiting 30 minutes for a burner to heat up before I realized that I forgot to turn on the outlet for the stove, to always double check my outlets. Despite these daily occurrences, I believe I will adapt quickly.
My experiences in Central America, India, and the United Kingdom have taught me that we can’t control what will trigger culture shock and when. We must remember to be open to new experiences and be gentle with ourselves when the seemingly little/insignificant things set us off.
~Isabella Dixon