Reverse culture shock.
I reckoned that I would need to transition back to a ‘normal’ routine after the walk.
‘Normal’, however, is a moving target.
After spending nearly 25 years in the Navy, then Far East Asia, mostly Japan, I had to transition back to the US. The ‘issues’ that come up whe transitioning have a name. It’s called ‘reverse culture shock.’ Who knew? Right?
In no particular order I thought to share some of the shock I experience with anyone who is still here … as the shocks come to me.
I’ve begun to measure distances in how long it will take me to walk them. I am staying at a BnB far up a hill. The owner has graciously offered to drive me to town and bring me back whenever I like. He’s a full-time soccer coach in his other life. However, when I look at the map I see it’s only abt 3.5 miles to town. “I can walk that.” is the first thing that comes to mine.
I couldn’t find the bus stop to get me near his place when I arrived in town a couple of days ago. So, I walked up the hill to his place. He was completely taken aback, as was the woman who sold me a Powerade near the top. “You did what?! You walked here?!”
I think what I might be trying to say here is that I’ve fallen into a pit that lies within. It’s hard for me to ask for help, even it makes sense that I do. If I can do it myself, why shouldn’t I?
The answer is – because it’s okay to let other people show me kindness. I like to be kind to others. “Let them be kiind to me, too!” I tell myself. But, it’s hard. Really hard for me. Being completely honest here.
I booked a cruise! Desperate to have a place to sleep that I didn’t have to find and food prepared for me that, again, I didn’t have to find, my wife found a 7-day cruise to Greece and Turkey. Cool, eh? After I got to the port city I learned I had been booted from the ship because of a technical error and my room given to someone else! No cruise. Hello BnB. And no plans on what to do in the coming days … yet.
I think that I could probably walk to the coast and take a ferry to Greece if I wanted to. I really could.
What I may be trying to say is that when this (getting booted) kind of thing happens I become even more prone to want to be self-sufficient, to get back on the trail where I can control things … mostly. Or at least when things go wrong I blame only myself … or Jake.
On one hand, I want to experience the kindness of others, but on the other hand, I can’t depend on others.
Where’s the map?
What to do? I don’t know the answer … yet.
