Moving from one culture to another is not only exciting, but can also lead to “my culture shock experience,” a very stressful and eye-opening journey. When you move from the realm of your own culture – where everything is familiar – to a whole new set of customs, the impact is often profound. My experience of culture shock was marked by the range of emotions experts describe: anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation, and anger at an unfamiliar culture. Many customs of a new culture may seem strange or uncomfortably different from those of your home country. Being in a new and unfamiliar place can be challenging, even for the experienced traveler, and it's normal to feel frustrated and isolated. Different people experience culture shock differently; some hardly notice it, while others may have great difficulty adapting to their new environment. If you come from a very different cultural background than the United States, American behavior may seem very strange, annoying, or even upsetting at first. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay But to better understand what I mean, I'm going to have to give you a little background about myself. I grew up in Kazakhstan, where most of the information I had about the United States came from Hollywood films. Hollywood's goal has always been to entertain viewers, even if the details of American life may not be portrayed accurately. I've dreamed of coming here for so long, but I didn't expect the culture shock in America. The first thing that perplexed me about American culture was the tendency of Americans to be very friendly. They'll strike up a conversation with bus passengers, smile and say hello, pay a random compliment to strangers on the street, invite a new acquaintance to a birthday party or lunch. Americans find it easy to make casual friends. They become friends first and build trust later, if at all. Americans befriend and befriend people suddenly and occasionally. They make friends and become relatively close in no time, but it's easy for them to disappear in an instant from each other's lives. This aspect of American culture was rather confusing and frustrating to me. In my culture, we believe in the importance of forming friendships and staying connected once trust is established. It is crucial in Kazakh culture to be able to trust each other and maintain that trust. Kazakhs must believe that someone is good and honest before having a harmonious relationship. That's why at first we can seem cold and reserved because we have to know someone to open up to them, but once we do, we are very warm and hospitable people. It was only after I arrived in America that I realized that my identification as a shy and reserved person was part of my cultural identity with Kazakh culture. Another aspect of American culture that I found different from my culture was the feeling of privacy and personal space. Americans don't like having their personal space invaded. They find it uncomfortable when others stand too close and unconsciously move away. In America, when friends or family members greet each other, they shake hands or kiss briefly and immediately move aside to gain some distance to chat. Additionally, Americans have a strong sense of privacy and believe that