The first thing that you will be warned about when going abroad is culture shock. The shock of being in a new place, with different customs and ways of doing things. How, once leaving North America, will you be introduced to backward ways of simple daily tasks such as driving or even greeting others. How instead of “you’re welcome”, you get silence or an intrusive “that’s alright”. That when entering a car, you enter the left side as a driver, but in some countries, you become the passenger. These are talked about, well-known features of the shock you are warned about.
A very simple, VERY staple part of everyday life that you aren’t aware of being different is your daily caffeine addiction.
I have visited a variety of different countries now, and I have never quite felt the confusion of ordering a plain black coffee the way I have in Australia. To start our ‘black’ coffee is known as a ‘long black’ here, and apparently nobody drinks it. An average ‘coffee’ is more commonly known as a ‘latte’ back home- which is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. Coffee in Australia is meant to be a sweetened drink, one that instantly requires cream and sugar. When you’re back home you can pick your roast and enjoy the flavours of the bean but here it’s about what you add to it rather than the coffee itself. Another fan favourite is iced coffee and it can be served one of two ways here: with heaps of cream added or with a scoop of ice cream. All of this put together meant that the first couple visits to the cafes were adventures all of their own.
Cafes are often an environment of comfort for me. They are the perfect place to study or to spend a Sunday afternoon, but when you feel confused about how exactly to order the soy latte you’re so familiar with, you start to feel a bit of division from what is comfortable.
I mean, caffeine is one very small part of the shocks you bear witness to when traveling and comes with more laughs than agony, but the more serious ends of culture shock are still important to be mindful of before leaving home.
The larger things that are talked about more are easier to adjust to, it’s the little things, the ones you feel you won’t have to stress that will throw you off guard the most.
Everyone’s cup of joe is not necessarily the same. The best thing you can do is to try new things and accept that the things most familiar to you won’t be that way forever.