Reverse Culture Shock

 These are just a few thoughts I have had on returning back home to Texas and the differences we found:

*You no longer stand out in your new environment.  Okay, well this is not a bad thing because it was nice to "blend in" for awhile. In Mexico, people stare at us constantly and it seems hard to even sit in a restaurant and eat without someone staring at you.  They are really just looking at Lottie and Emma so being in Texas in this regard caused the girls less anxiety. Now, we have only been in Mexico City for almost a month but already the people here in Mexico City are very different from in Puebla. Very few people stare at us here but just smile at the girls and tell them they are pretty.

*Being at home in Texas was not as challenging and exciting as it is in Mexico where you struggle to make a success of everything from eating, dressing and language.  Everything seems to be a challenge in a foreign country, things you took for granted in the states and you often celebrate small victories:) There is a sense of achievement in having to stretch yourself to meet challenges (i.e. driving to Walmart, finding the right direction on the highway, if the road is really 2 or 3 lanes because Mexicans can create a lane out of a small space even though it really isn't marked on the road, getting your work permits, getting your license plates and the right stickers for your car) Not that I missed those challenges, it was just a strange feeling.

*In Mexico City it is often very stressful to just be a passenger in the car. Cars are honking at everyone all.the.time! I think it is just a habit they learn at an early age. If you are at a light and it suddenly turns green, a car that may be ten cars back will begin honking and then everyone else copies them. That was really annoying and stressful in the beginning but now we don't notice the honking as much. But there are millions of people who live here and there is always, always traffic and hundreds of buses. So while we were in Texas, it was really peaceful to drive without feeling rushed.

*Hearing English everywhere you go and understanding everything that everyone says to you. One day I was at Kohl's with the girls and we were trying find Allie Boo a matching outfit like the girls had, we heard a family standing nearby speaking Spanish.  It was a strange feeling because it felt like "home" just hearing them talk. I began to talk with them and the Mom smiled at me and I enjoyed our conversation. I think she was surprised that we could speak in her language and that we loved Mexico. She was from Guadalajara and she said she doesn't find very many Texans who speak fondly of her home country. Shame on the Texans who treat them this way!

*I really don't know how to say this politely and trust me, I know how hot the weather is in Texas but I was completely shocked the first time the girls and I went to the grocery store with my mom.  There were so many people, women especially, in the store that had very little clothing on. Seriously, my jaw was on the floor! I'm not talking shorts and tank tops here people, I am talking about some serious amounts of flesh showing. And I realize this is nothing new for Texas but for two years I have lived in a place where people dress very modest. The only people that wear shorts here.....are tourists:) I'm not saying it is wrong the way they dress in Texas.....just a little shocking for us to see again.

*Eating in restaurants is also a different experience here in Mexico. The restaurants in Texas that we ate in, were very loud and children were running around and not sitting with their parents.  The waiters were non-attentive and pushy for you to take the check and leave. Here......the people do not speak loud in public places, children don't leave their tables and the waiter comes back often for refills and would never dream of just handing you the check....that would be rude.....you have to ask for the check. They don't care if you sit there for three or four hours, that is your choice, they are just happy to serve you.

*It took us several days to stop throwing our toilet paper in the trash can and that it was okay to flush it! This was awesome once we got the hang of it again! Oh AND I didn't have to carry any toilet paper in my purse for any public restrooms we may have needed while we were out, that was awesome too:) Oh AND we didn't have to pay to use the public restrooms...that was awesome too!

*It was nice to drink water right out of the faucet and not have to always worry about it being purified water. But it did take time when cooking because I am used to getting the water out of a large purified water bottle when I boil anything or just need water to cook with. It also took us awhile to actually put our toothbrush in the tap water before we brushed and rinse our mouths with the tap water. It was wonderful also for the girls to be able to take a bath without telling Emma over and over again to stop drinking the water. lol

*Also, when we were at restaurants or in stores, I would often answer people in Spanish. That was so weird! I asked for straws for the girls drinks and called them "popotes (the Spanish word for straws) and the girl at the counter looked at me like she didn't understand.  I said it several times before I realized what I was doing. Can you say embarrassing????

*At our Walmart here in Mexico City there are no over the counter medications, you have to get everything from the pharmacy. Now some things are laying out in front of the counter at the pharmacy but most everything is behind it or if it is on a shelf it is in a locked plastic box. Think they have trouble with theft here??? ha ha

*There is no scenery in Texas. In Costa Rica and Mexico you are surrounded by beautiful mountains and volcanoes!  Not that flat dry land is bad.....just different. We are used to looking out our window or while driving and view beautiful scenery:)

A lot of things changed from the addition of major highways to little things like new restaurants and stores added to our hometown in Rockwall. I can tell you that I felt like I was in a mental fog the entire time I was there and I can't even explain to you "why". It was just a strange feeling. Only a few places felt like "home" and were comfortable because they had not changed at all. Staying in our old home which is now owned by our son James was particularly odd for me and Emma. I just felt out of place and "in the way", neither James nor Elisabeth caused me to feel this way....in fact...they went out of their way to make us feel like it was home for us.  Emma had night terrors every single night we slept at James' house, she didn't have them at my Mom's house. I don't know if this has something to do with this was the home that she came to when she left South Korea or not? But something was "triggered" and she was not herself while we were in Rockwall.  She has not had one since we have arrived in Mexico.  Lottie seemed right at home and didn't miss a beat.  Of course, she was the one who was the most homesick out of all three of us.

We did get lots of rest there though and lots of time to regroup mentally so we could return to Mexico with hearts that were content.  It was just what we needed.  The time with my Mom was wonderful and she and Lottie became much closer this trip.  Lottie has always been so hard to get close to but she was very open with her Grammy and was constantly in her lap. Being there each night when James and Elisabeth came home from work was such a special time for us, what great memories the girls and I have of greeting them after work and school. The girls would hide behind the island in the kitchen and jump out to surprise them just like when they were 3 years old.  The time with my friends was precious and there were a few I didn't get to see but I will this Christmas!!! Save those hugs for me!!!!

During the flight on the way back, I asked the girls what they will miss from Texas, their list was only good friends and family and they named them one by one. I asked them what they miss about Mexico and they said "our home". So, I think it was good for all of us....emotionally.....to have our first trip back to the states and to begin thinking of our new country as home. Of course, we can't wait to be back for the wedding.....only a few more months!!!!  I love ya'll and appreciate you reading my ramblings:)