Natalie

I wandered downstairs one recent Saturday morning. The house smelled deliciously of coffee, which was normal for a weekend. My husband (almost) always brews coffee for both of us. He feels it’s in his best interest, but I’m not usually a cranky-ass mess before coffee anymore. I’m more of a zombie.

The day before, he’d told me, “There were some tiny cockroaches in the coffeemaker.” My face want from normal to full on eww in 0.001 seconds.

“There are cockroaches in the coffeepot???” I said incredulously. I’ve been drinking coffee! Everyday. Like always! Had I been unknowingly consuming cockroach poop or corpses?

Right away, it starts. Only you don’t realize you’re in the midst of culture shock because it starts with a honeymoon phase. It truly feels like being a newlywed. Everything is fascinating, new, and exciting! You’ve taken the plunge. You’ve moved to a different country from your home country and it is pretty wonderful. Even the annoying things can be overlooked because you are wearing the blinders of true love. Your love is real and you will not be experiencing culture shock, because you’re different, right? You are open-minded or well-traveled or both. You’re the sickening brand new couple in the corner who can’t stop making out, sitting on the other’s lap, and making smoochy eyes at each other.