It has now been three months since I stepped off the plane and into my third season as professional basketball player. This whole moving to the other side of the world thing has gotten quite a bit easier as I have gotten older and had more experienced with different parts of the world, cultures, and traveling alone. Now going in and out of culture shock is like riding a bike and something I have learned to accept and navigate quite gracefully.
I have mentioned culture shock and the various stages that one goes through when moving to a new place they do not consider home. Everything is wonderful for the first few weeks as your brain is hyperactive processing the new visual and auditory stimulus. A month in and you now start to settle into a routine. The signs on the road become less interesting and you become desensitized by the visual. Unfortunately, you are still very new to your surroundings and everyday tasks that should seem simple are actually quite difficult, such as shopping, finding something to eat and by far the most difficult -- finding someone to share a coffee with, also known as friends.
These things are a challenge moving to new places whether it is a new city or entirely new country. Honestly, it is the middle months between the honeymoon and becoming a local that are the most difficult part of the transition. This is especially true moving out of the U.S. because the lack of an "everything store" (Wal-Mart/Target). After getting lost, frustrated and questioning your own sanity, things start to get easier and your new surroundings begin to feel like home. You finally lose the feeling of just being a visitor and become a local.
This season I have assimilated to my surroundings very quickly. Norwegians speak fluent English, the standard of living is extremely high, my team is very well organized and my teammates have been a huge help in making me feel very welcomed. The feeling of being a part-time visitor dissipated quickly and there are several daily reminders that I have finally become a local. For me to consider myself a local I need to fulfill a few requirements.
Signs you have finally become a local
1. No longer do you have to use Google maps when walking around your neighborhood. You are able to navigate your daily routine and can locate the necessary places to survive. Neighborhoods, cities and regions actually make sense and are no longer just difficult words to say. The words now have an identity, an experience behind it and fit into your own personal map.
2. You have mastered the public transportation system. You know what time the trains and buses leave from your main stations and no longer go 20 minutes in the wrong direction. You can use the highway without fear of getting lost on your way home and know where the hidden and free parking spaces are around your area and in the city.
3. The grocery store is no longer a place to go and stare at all the strange-looking food. It becomes familiar and you no longer need to ask for help finding cinnamon, oatmeal or other breakfast essentials. You also discover new foods that you like and that you never would have tried because they are not available in the United States. You understand when to get the best deals on groceries, restaurants and gasoline. You also know where to get all these products from since the "discount everything store" does not exist.
4. Your technology is up to date. Now your phone has all the apps required to successfully navigate your city in a practical and social way. Walking into coffee shops, bars and restaurants no longer needing to ask for the Wi-Fi password because it automatically connects. You have the coupon, public transport and event application for the city you currently live in, and actually are using them to save money on food and social events.
5. You enjoy when people come to visit. You are able to show them the tourist parts of a city and point out interesting facts along the way. You can bring them to some hidden gems and places off the beaten path that don't show up on TripAdvisor. The whole time your friend is visiting, you sound like a genius because they asked several of the same questions you did just a few months prior and you have those answers.
6. You understand cultural norms. Rituals you once thought were strange are now just a normal part of everyday life. You begin to say please, thank you and can buy things without asking for assistance or having to switch to English. Social scripts become second nature. Knowing some of the most famous people to ever come from the area and what the culture is proud of. This pride comes from many different areas such as an invention, major public holidays, famous persons and food. Food and everything centered on eating is always bursting with pride whether it is traditional dishes, wine and drink or the script a certain meal is suppose to follow.
7. You are able to go out and enjoy a coffee, adult beverage or meal and not have to sit all by yourself. You are able to have a conversation about life, compare and contrast the differences and similarities of the culture you are in versus the cultures you were in with another person. You have made a friend and found someone to share experiences with. They may or may not be a local but for a couple of hours you are comfortable and feel right at home.
8. Life starts to make sense. Your head is no longer wrapped up in excitement and confusion. All the things that excited you upon first arriving are no longer as pronounced. You may mess up from time to time but your mistakes are now labeled as silly and no longer because you are the new guy. Your routine is now set and you are able to focus on your own personal growth and development and much less on basic survival.
9. Learning the language. I personally have not done a good job of this. I have been able to utter out a few phrases, count and operate in store settings. I can only assume that being able to fluently speak the native tongue wherever you are located would help fight the feeling of being an outsider. Fortunately, I have been to three countries where English is the second language and majority of the people can put together enough words for me to understand. Unfortunately, I am not spending years but only a few short months in each of these countries and mastering a language is not the easiest, especially when I am still able to get by with using minimal amounts of the native language and English is used at every practice. I am tired of being that typical monolingual American and will continue working on mastering a second and third language.
These 9 things are just a few of the ways I am able to find comfort every time I move to a new city, state or country. My personality and wanderlust helps me move this process of becoming a local faster then most. Practice makes perfect and the more I move around, the better and faster I will be at figuring everything out.
On next week's blog I will get into the holiday spirit and explain why I chose to stay in Norway for Christmas and the differences between a Norwegian and American holiday traditions.
