Blog Post 2

 Culture Shock


    Being in Spain for merely a week has already opened my eyes to a large variety of emotions and epiphanies. The majority of the time thus far in Murcia (more particularly than Madrid) I have definitely felt a bit lost or uncomfortable while adjusting to the cultural environment here. Prior to this experience, having never exited the United States, I was living in what some would call a bubble. Ahora puedo ver cómo actúan otras culturas y finalmente ser la persona de afuera. Es interesante ver nuevos estilos de vida y experimentar una nueva cultura. I have found it hard to adapt here and feel at home, however I feel very comfortable with the group we are here with.  I am still getting used to living with a family that does not speak english, as I find it hard to connect at times, but it challenges me to keep up my efforts to learn more Spanish. 

        I feel as though I may be entering the distress and crisis phase, beginning to comprehend the fact that I am living in this environment for many more weeks. I am worried that my Spanish skills may never be good enough to communicate properly with people during my time here, causing me to miss out on connections that could have been made. I am definitely feeling homesick culturally. As much as I enjoy experiencing this, It can sometimes cause discomfort knowing not many people around you can understand you on a daily basis. 

        Culture shock is neither a positive nor negative experience. I would refer it to much more as eye opening and helping to bring individuals back down to earth. By exposing myself to cultural norms that I may have had opinions on in the past, I have began to understand others better during this experience, as well as find an understanding of myself. Acknowledging that there is much more in the world outside of your own culture is very important in building empathy and character. Although I am exiting the honeymoon phase of culture shock, I am still enjoying most every minute of my experience and am eager to continue learning more!

Comments

  1. Nick AdamsJune 5, 2025 at 2:17 PM

    I thought you had an interesting description of what culture shock is. I also have at times felt a bit lost or uncomfortable in certain situations while being here due to difficulties in communicating with locals. But at the same time when i am able to successfully communicate with the locals I, similarly, feel I am able to better understand the local culture.

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  2. Andrew PelcinJune 6, 2025 at 12:48 PM

    I had never been out of the US before this trip either, so I really relate to your point that you felt like you lived in a bubble. I'm also very thankful to be a part of a group of students who support each other. I also really relate to your worries that you're missing out on connections and conversation because of the language barrier. I always feel super awkward when I have to ask someone to repeat themselves because I didn't understand what they said.

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