Reverse Culture Shock

This week I had to travel back to the the capital of Niger in order to renew my expiring visa. This is where I experienced “reverse culture shock” for the first time ever. I was unaware of how fast I’ve adapted to my new lifestyle in the bush and how removed from the “American lifestyle” I have become. Arriving in Niamey gave me quite a shock. The two-story government buildings might as well have been skyscrapers. Everything seemed larger than life- like I was seeing it all threw a set of new eyes. I witnessed women without headwraps and others wearing pants. I felt overwhelmed and I started crying. I also cried the next day when I watched parts of the “The Today Show” on the first television I’ve seen in months and then once again when I walked into a room and heard the familiar sounds of a college football game blaring from a TV screen- it wasn’t OSU but I was excited anyways. I had many conflicting feelings from watching the news and comercials- homesickness mixed with disgust and discomfort at the media’s propaganda and sensationalism. I know that coming to Niger has changed how I view the world and everything in it as well as how I view myself. Coming home in a couple months will be challenging and I expect I will struggle to balance the things I learned here with the “American” culture I have been brought up in. It is all a part of me now. I just wonder how I’m going to react the first time I step into Walmart or Giant Eagle!!!

I also had a chance to see some giraffes this past week. They are an endangered species- only about 120 of them in West Africa. We a had a guide who only spoke French and Zarma so communicating was interesting. However, after off-roading for about 40 minutes we came upon and family of giraffes. They looked just like the one from the Toys R Us commercials. We watched them until they got uncomfortable with us and ran off. How cool it was to see them roaming free in their natural habitat!