The Culture Shock video was very intriguing to me. I can absolutely relate to the aspects of being immersed in an entirely new environment and the amount of adjustment it requires out of a person.
I studied abroad in Madrid for a semester in the Fall of 2014. Being from a small Massachusetts town and coming to Richmond, I have not been exposed to a whole lot of unfamiliarity in my life. When I landed in Spain, I immediately came to the realization that it would be a place to call 'home' for the next four months. During the first couple of weeks in Madrid, I missed my family and the United States a lot. I would have trouble falling asleep some nights because I would contemplate whether I made the right choice to study abroad. Eventually, I became comfortable in Madrid and loved every moment of my time there. However, I definitely experienced a good deal of culture shock studying abroad in Spain.
My advice for people who are traveling or going to live in a new culture is to slow down and realize that you will be able to get through the initial feeling of uneasiness. I would tell these people to immerse themselves in the culture and learn the customs and tendencies of the native people (personal space, eating and sleeping habits, etc).
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