Culture Shock

 IF you are an American and have only traveled in the U.S. you might not have experienced Culture shock. However, the most recent thing that gave me sort of culture shock was visiting my Daughter in Texas. However, the most extreme forms of Culture shock would be likely visiting many Asian Countries or Africa or South America. It isn't usually as bad when you go to Europe because most of our ancestors came from there so we still share many of the same ideas and habits as Europe here in the U.S.

However, I suppose if you never left your home town for 25 years and then went somewhere else you might feel lost. Sort of like Going to New York City or Los Angeles from a really small town in the U.S. anywhere because you don't really understand fully what is going on because you didn't grow up there.

Let me give you an example of the most recent form of Culture Shock I experienced a few years ago in Texas. First I was having to take Furosemide then which didn't work for me in the heat so I was close to having to go to the hospital there my first time in Austin Texas with my wife visiting our youngest daughter.

So, then we rented a car and found we could basically stay for free because of points we had built up through Best Western I think it was hotels nationwide. So, not knowing the area we stayed at this place that looked okay from the outside but then since it was hot we opened our windows on the 8th or 10th floor at night only to hear people being raped and mugged below. This didn't make us feel very good. So, when we went back the next year to visit our daughter we found a much nicer hotel at a much nicer location.

So, often when you go somewhere for the first time you might not be safe because you don't know what exactly is going on 24 hours a day at that location which is what we had trouble with the first time there too.

Also, our first visit was scary for my wife driving our rental car because of the style of driving there where drivers often use their cars like weapons to threaten other drivers by just barely missing them to threaten them so they can take over the road more.

However, it didn't bother me much because I learned to drive in Los Angeles in the 1960s where drivers have always been sort of obnoxious because of all the traffic jams and stuff and so they will drive at 70 miles per hour 1 foot off your rear bumper which isn't safe. So, I was less bothered by Austin Texas Drivers than my wife. However, whether it is Austin Texas or other parts of Texas or Los Angeles driving can be pretty scary if you are not used to how people drive there. (Even though the scariest driving was for me in India and Nepal when I drove there where trucks regularly would drive you off the road into the bushes or dirt.

However, they do this strategically because then in the 1980s most paved roads were only one lane so it was a constant game of chicken to see who would run who off the road coming at each other and buses and Trucks always won but sometimes trucks or buses would collide because someone would miscalculate head on. Also, Motorcycles (mostly Yesdi motorcycles made in India would be driven off the road into trees and bushes often too. So, riding a motorcycle in places like India or Bangkok was more a good way to die or be maimed than anything else then in the 1980s.

So, there are many kinds of culture shock that people experience all over the world now and it has always been this way. So, if you are not prepared for what you will face in another city or county or state or Country it is pretty easy for bad things to happen to you.

So, you usually have to be prepared for almost anything if you are a world traveler.

So, it is always an adventure being a world traveler but can be very interesting and stimulating too.

So, from my point of view Travel is usually worth it.

But everyone has their own point of view about all of this too.