Redheaded Jill

I was talking to someone about culture shock the other day. This person said they moved to an area that they HATE. She was describing it and said, “I can’t even try to like it here because it’s very important to me that people don’t think I like this place. I feel like I’m better than them because they chose to live here on purpose and it’s horrible. They haven’t ever tried to be anywhere else and they don’t know what they’re missing.”

This hit so hard. #1. Because I felt this way living in Montgomery, Alabama. #2. Because I had the same feeling when visiting this person, and from her stories.

I had never heard culture shock explained this way before. I have just used the phrase flippantly. I never considered it’s actual deeper meaning or symptoms.

I will maybe be more understanding going forward when people say negative things about Kansas… (But probably not.)