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How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?
The first few weeks I was fine. I was happy to be back with my fiance and enjoyed seeing all the new places and visiting the beach. My fiance had family here so I spent allot of time getting to know them. I also arrange volunteer work at a language school which was great as it made me enter into a more normal way of life straight away. If didn’t have this job to get me out of our apartment during the day I would have been more nervous doing things alone in my new city. Culture shock set in in my second month. I really started to see the differences in people and culture and really missed my own family and friends. My old Home London became the best place ever in my mind and I just wanted to go home. Now I feel I am over the worst and I am slowly starting to accept the change. It helps me allot to know that I will be visiting home for christmas. I have been here nearly three months to date. Im sure I will feel more culture shock over the next few months.
Expats often talk about going through the “stages of culture shock.” Examples include the honeymoon phase, the irritation-to-anger stage, the rejection of the culture stage, and the cultural adjustment phase. Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?
Yes I do feel there are phases to go through before you adjust to the new culture. I also believe that it depends on the individual. Some people are more prepared than others. I really wasn’t prepared because moving was a quick decision for us so I had less time to prepare myself mentally. I also haven’t travelled much in general so it was a big shock how different things where here in Rio especially compared to such a cosmopolitan city like London where we lived before. My fiance is half Brazilian which helped. Without his support I would have been very lost here.
