The Three R’s to Surviving Culture Shock

The smell of a new apartment filled my nose as I laid in bed. It was my first time being so far from home, and excitement was building in my chest. But as my class schedule rolled in and the weeks went by, I found myself growing homesick and irritable. Everything about my new environment seemed to annoy me.

I had hit culture shock, hard. Culture shock can feel like colliding with an immovable object if you’ve never experienced it. It’s the anxiety and disorientation that comes with moving to a new place. It’s inevitable, but more importantly, it’s manageable. I managed it by sticking to my three R’s: Research, Routine, and Reach. I cannot stress how important it is to research where you’ll be living. I thought I was ready to move to Canada since it wasn’t so different from the US, but how wrong I was. I paid the price by getting soaked in the winter, not taking seriously how much rain Vancouver actually got. Make sure to stay dry and do your research- YouTube vlogs, for example, are a great way to see what life is like. Being prepared will make your move much smoother.

I found that building a routine is what helped the most. Following my class schedule was a good start, but adding in fun habits is what made the difference. Initially, I would just rot in my room after class, upset because I was too stubborn to accept that life wouldn’t be exactly what it was like back home. However, creating a routine helped me make a home of where I was, a familiarity in the unfamiliar. I fell in love with going to the gym, but for you, it could be making yourself a cup of tea before bed or journaling in the morning. It doesn’t have to be complex, just something that you enjoy doing.

Reach comes in two parts: creating a goal and staying connected with people. The goal I set myself was to start cooking. It was something other than school that interested me and kept me engaged. Staying connected to my friends and family back home helped me feel grounded, but pushing myself to create friendships here is what made Vancouver feel more like a home. It’s scary and it’s hard, but it’s worth it. You never know who you’ll meet and what relationships can form if you never try.

Yes, culture shock is difficult, and yes, it can feel like the end of the world, but luckily for you, it’s not. There will be good days, and there will be bad days, but moving abroad is more than experiencing a new culture. It’s also about finding yourself, and maybe a new place that you can call home.