Home Again
September 5, 2014
Amongst my travels, people seem to be the most impressed by my stint in Cameroon with the Peace Corps. People often asked, “What was it like adjusting to the culture?” Surely, something so different would have been massively difficult. Yet what most people don’t realize is that moving to a village in Cameroon where I didn’t speak the language was…
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California Dreaming : Culture Shock in America
September 1, 2013
Recently, I got a big girl job. Last summer, I thought I was on my way to a big girl job, only to realize the banking sector was still in hot waters and I wasn’t lucky enough to get a headcount. Alas, it took a move across the world and a few months of networking, hustling, and some miracle-working later,…
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Avocado Lady in Shanghai
December 19, 2012
Recently, I moved into my own flat in Shanghai and had to go grocery shopping. No big deal. Except, I walked into Carrefour, and started to panic somewhat. I was faced with the harsh realization just how western I am. This was the first time I ever had to grocery shop in Asia. I went through my usual staples in my…
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Letter from Village
August 19, 2012
It’s rare these days to receive a hand written letter. Once in a blue moon, I will receive a postcard from a friend traveling. But a legitimate hand-written letter? I haven’t received one of those in a long long while. But today, I received one. It was written in French, from my Cameroonian friend, Victor, who lives in my village.…
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America! New York City! New Beginnings!
September 6, 2011
The last few weeks have been a crazy blur. I had my leaving drinks the night before I left London. I went back to the Midwest for 10 days to catch up with family and friends. Even though I have been living in the developed world for the past year, coming back to America is still a culture shock. 10…
Read MoreReverse Culture Shock: One Year Later.
August 10, 2011
I left Cameroon just a little over a year ago. This year went by in a blur. Swoosh! and it was gone. As I reflect upon this past year, I begin to realize the impact that reverse culture shock had on me. People always say that it’s easier going into a new experience than coming back. I never really had…
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The “Real” World
February 13, 2011
We are entering week 16 at the LSE, and that means the final quarter of the year. Where did time go? I am finally putting on my game face and am finally feeling the pressure of life in this “real” world. There seems to always be something going on – places I need to be, things I need to do,…
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Back in Tweets
January 23, 2011
Today marks 6 months since I left Cameroon. So strange. That life feels so so far away now. I was going though my old tweets and laughed out loud at some of the ones I had produced. They also humble me and remind me of that state of mind – much simpler, less stressed, just happy to have the very…
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Cruising on the Atlantic with Carinal Glory
August 17, 2010
Cruise is a popular way to travel, especial in the USA. Prior to last week, I had never been on a cruise ship nor did I have much desire. However, due to lack of time to plan a proper family vacation, we decided to give this way of travel a shot. The family and I boarded the Carnival Glory departed…
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au village no more
August 16, 2010
I’m currently on the road of my East Coast whirlwind tour and found a little time to update the progress of my reverse culture shock. I find that it didn’t take me long to ease right back into the modern life, though there are still moments that take me back to Cameroon. I returned straight to Saint Louis where my…
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