July 2018

Coming to DSM and the Netherlands has been very positive. I remember my Culture Shock training way back from my Peace Corps days when I traveled to work in Poland, just out of college. As the theory goes, you will find yourself going through four essential phases as you experience a completely new culture. These phases being Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment and Adaption.

As a 22-year-old Arizona native, coming to the Arctic North that was Poland, I did not navigate these phases successfully. I think I had a very short Honeymoon and then went right into Negotiation, where I remained for the entirety of my stay.  To say the least, it was not a wholly pleasant experience, especially for the students I taught or the host family that took such good care of me.

I learned a great deal about myself through that experience and a lot of what I learned wasn’t very pretty. I had many of the American abroad traits that make me cringe when I see my other compatriot travelers exhibit them today. I complained about the weather and I complained about the availability of consumer goods that I must have believed was an entitlement to all.  I was careful though not to complain about the food. My father’s parting words to me before I left the US was, “Whatever they feed you, don’t be rude, eat it!” Recalling that advice still makes me smile, but he was right. As a vegetarian for the two years prior to landing in Poland, my first challenge was the pork loin dinner served to me by my host family. Did I eat it? Oh, you bet! And, it tasted really good.

But as my time in Poland, teaching English as a Second Language went on, I did not see my role in the bigger picture or understand the influence I could have on the students put in my charge. After all, I was an extremely immature young adult myself who was looking for my own influencers and mentors. I saw myself as the receiver of the experience, not someone in a position to give to others. So, yeah, I have a lot of regrets of that time that I wish I could do over. But, of course, I am now viewing it through a much older lens and at some point I should probably forgive my younger self for those transgressions. Still, my biggest take-away was that I would do it better next time. I would be a better ambassador for my family, my convictions, my culture (the good bits) and the global community.

So, here we are, twenty-eight years post Poland. They say that the Honeymoon phase of a new culture, where everything seems very new and exciting and fun, lasts a couple of months. At four months, it still goes strong for me.

I attribute a great deal of that to the Dutch culture itself. If English is the only language you speak fluently, there cannot be an easier place to land in Europe, outside the British

Isles, than The Netherlands.  With few exceptions, everyone speaks English, or at least, way more than my Dutch! And, the Dutch are very open to immigrants. I remember a call I had early on with a government official. She asked me if I was a citizen. I answered no, I am an American. She paused for a second and then said, “But you have moved here now? You are now living here?”. I answered yes and her reply was very matter-of-fact, “Then you are a citizen.” Amazing the different context that can be placed upon one word, depending on location and perspective. To her, it was not a question of politics or legal rights, it was simply the definition as found in any primary dictionary; an inhabitant of a town or city.

Does anything here drive me crazy? Not really. The infamous Dutch habit of being very straightforward and candid I have found is not something everyone possesses and when I do encounter it, I don’t find it rude. Frankly, I find it rather refreshing.

And for that infamous Holland weather (think Portland but colder), the opposite has been true this summer. Mostly sunny and very dry, the weather has been phenomenal from a human activity perspective, not so much if you are a farmer or others relying on rainfall that hasn’t come. The Dutch may also complain of the public transportation reliability, but coming from a region that is only now beginning to dip their toes into light rail, I find the trains here a great way to commute into work or for a day of fun in Amsterdam. I was very proud when my personalized OV-Chipkaart, public transit pass, came in the mail!

As for my work, I realized at our last IT leadership meeting that with the 17 individuals in attendance we represented at least 9 different nationalities. So that indeed has contributed to my Honeymoon phase. Many of my colleagues have gone through this already and have found their way to Adaption and are extremely supportive and great resources for having questions answered and pitfalls avoided.

I remain every vigilant for the signs that I have entered the Negotiation phase, but for now, Reid and I are looking forward to the arrival of the rest of the family (with Milo and Mia) on July 16th.