Then, before I could even realize why I was experiencing emotional mood swings like a pregnant woman deprived of chocolate, I thought back about that little thing we learned about in orientation: culture shock.
It's not anything like I thought it would be, and it's not nearly as bad as they make it out to be. It's kind of hard to explain, but this article on Matador Network does a great job at detailing each stage.
Depending on the source, the stages may vary a bit, but generally they are: wonder, frustration, depression and acceptance.
I'd like to think there aren't really "concrete" stages that just abruptly end as the next one starts, rather a mixture of all four of these stages appearing and disappearing throughout the entire length of your stay.
I'm still experiencing wonder every single day. I don't know if I'd ever get bored with the incredible and new things I've seen here. There's just too much to do and see.
As for frustration, I've experienced that a few times, and sometimes without even knowing why. Sometimes I would wake up frustrated for no reason at all. Other times, I felt frustrated solely because I didn't understand the entirety of a situation. Language barriers don't help. Finally, living with a host mom can be great at times, and extremely frustrating at others. (Keep any eye out for my personal blog on why). Maybe it's just a culture thing.
Overall, I'd say I'm way more happy than I am depressed, but I've had a few bouts of distress due to the difficulty of making new friends. I'm a bit more shy when it comes to meeting new people if I have to speak in Spanish. Sure, I've met some awesome people here, but it's taken nearly two months to actually find regular people to hang out with. Not to mention, I miss my ladies back home. So, while I haven't shed a tear since I've been here--I'm not a big crier--I've had some moments where I just decided to stay in bed and pout.
Acceptance. The final stage. Not going to lie, the culture here isn't so much different from ours that I couldn't stand it, it's almost that the things that are different here are just so much better. I haven't really had a big problem accepting the culture. Boom, that stage is easy.
So in conclusion, I've experienced some of the emotional distress while studying abroad, but I'd never let this keep me from recommending it or even traveling more in the future. Depending on the person, culture shock can be like falling into a giant sinkhole of grief you can never climb out of, or it can just be tiny little bumps in the road. It all depends on your perspective!
