Getting Back Into the Groove

I've been back from my Middle East travels for a week and I'm shocked by how long its taken me to get back into the groove. I would almost say I'm having reverse culture shock by living in NYC again. Let me back up and explain what I mean by that.

When you travel, every day is a new experience. You go and explore the town/city that you're in; engaging your mind in visual things you haven't seen or ever dreamt about seeing before. In my case, it was seeing century old pyramids (Dashur/Giza/Memphis, Egypt), structures built from rocks in the mountains (Abu Simbel, Egypt; Petra, Jordan), and the Holy Land -- where many if not all religions started and where many religious battles erupted (Jerusalem, Israel; Bethany-Beyond-Jordan, Jordan). Though, one may feel intimidated or lost in such an adventure of visiting the aforementioned ageless monuments or eating street food or talking with the locals ... for me, it felt familiar; almost as I've lived there for a while. I didn't have much difficulty finding my bearings or finding a way to where I wanted to go, nor was it difficult communicating with the people living there (um, that is if you're willing to act silly and illustrate what you mean through a game of charades (ha ha; yes, I was that monkey on the street)) - so traveling for me, though thousands of miles away from home -- was quite familiar. And now being back in New York, it oddly feels unfamiliar and as if I'm lost in this gigantic city. Strange, isn't?

I've lived in New York for almost 10 years and for it to feel unfamiliar and or having a little piece of me feeling disorientated is odd for me... So, is this what you would call reverse culture shock (shocked to be back in my native country/home hearing everyone speak English, or feeling shocked by doing the most simplest thing -- such as walking into a grocery store? or grabbing a taxi?? and finding all of that is so cumbersome to do especially with the crowds? ugh...) or, I could quite possibly be labeling it incorrectly -- so, instead of culture shock, perhaps, after 40 days in the Middle East I grew accustomed to the way of living there and now find myself at odds on how to function in NYC ... can that be possible?

Hmm... Perhaps, I'm just in denial that my 40 day trip is over and getting back into the pulse of NYC life is tougher than I imagined it to be... Afterall, life here in NYC should be easier than the Middle East because I know what to expect in NYC -- the people in NYC are who they are; I no longer have to bargain for that bottle of water or play that game of charades to get my point across -- so, why am I having such difficulty adjusting back to normal NYC life? Who knows -- perhaps after 40 days of traveling, I just need the time to relax, rejuvenate, and recalibrate my surroundings so I can accept my surroundings for what they are. I do admit, I love not having to lug my luggage from place to place or running for that next train/bus -- and wow, I just realized how much I love my home surroundings -- the couch, the tv and my comfortable bed -- perhaps, I'll just hibernate in my apartment for the rest of the winter (btw, dang its cold here!) until I get acclimated back to NYC life. and of course, I can't wait to see all my friends again!!

So, welcome back to NYC, Susan (yes, I'm talking to myself) ... and cue that song -- Empire State of Mind...

... baby, I'm from new york ...

concrete jungle where dreams are made of
there's nothing you can't do
now you're in New York...

these streets will make you feel brand new
big lights will inspire you
hear it for New York, New York, New York...