Slap on a life jacket. Grab a Water Bottle. Climb in. Say a Prayer.

When I was a senior in high school, my sociology teacher spent a week lecturing us on Culture Shock. I clearly remember the way his cheeks turned a faint shade of purple as he proclaimed "you are going to wake up one morning several months from now, after Mommy and Daddy drop you off at your chosen institution of higher education, and experience the phenomenon known as CULTURE SHOCK and what are you going to do? DEAL WITH IT."

I dealt with his proselytism by wiping his spit off my nose. Deal with it? Is this guy insane? Success doesn't come to those who deal with things, but to those who organize their lives well enough to avoid dealing with things. So I decided to outsmart the demon CULTURE SHOCK by enrolling at a university located less than 30 minutes from my parent's house.

Five years and a university education taught me that the only way to outsmart Culture Shock was to face it head on. So I packed up my storage bins, hugged my hometown goodbye, and journeyed to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Again, I thought I could outsmart culture shock by experiencing a mild form of it? Right? Wrong.

Before I become too distracted by my analysis I just wanted to say that I truly do love it here. I love that I am living on my own five hours away from my childhood home. I love that everything I need I can walk to from my apartment. I love that the people I've met here treasure learning and engaging with complicated ideas. I love that the city turns Mauze and Blue on Saturday football days...

But with the excitement of a new city comes the uncomfortable feeling of being a spy in enemy territory. I'm convinced that privacy is the child of routine. As the newly adopted family member, you lack the shared experiences that solidify random people into a cohesive whole.  While you experience the best acts of generosity, compassion, and love your new family has to offer, you live your life in a fishbowl.  As everyone tries you on for size, you don't know how to negotiate your newly allotted space.

In my short time in this beautiful city I am learning that culture shock goes deeper than differences in language, art, philosophy, or food. It is entirely possible for two people to speak the same language without understanding each other. I am also learning that my teacher was right. The best way to deal with culture shock is to deal with it.

The best way I've found to deal with it? I'll use learning how to canoe as a metaphor. Grab a friend who's never canoed either. Slap on a life jacket. Grab a water bottle. Climb in. Say a prayer. Hopefully you will both arrive at the loading dock at a reasonable hour. Albeit a little bruised and a little bit wet.