"It's probably culture shock."

Okay, so this is a phrase that expats here say jokingly a lot, but culture shock is a very real thing. As we get closer and closer to the end of our summer here, it's something I've been thinking about a lot.
Have I had culture shock here? Will I have culture shock when I go home? Is it possible to have both?

Culture is a strange concept. It is the combination of a peoples' social norms, religion and morals, language, cuisine, and arts. And, most strangely, you might not necessarily know your own culture until you experience another one.

One piece of cultural difference between the States and El Salvador is easily noticeable right off the bat: the language. All the signs are in Spanish. The menus are in Spanish. They tell you your total in Spanish at the checkout. When you want to ask someone's name, or where the bathroom is, or how to do something, you ask in Spanish--and then you have to understand their Spanish response back. Honestly, it's something English-speakers in the States joke about regularly ("No habla ingles!" [which is not correct], "no problemo" [also not correct]) but that gets difficult to live in if you're not fluent. Sometimes you just want to order your meal at a restaurant and actually know what you're getting, you know?

The other major difference that may be subtle until you meet enough people is the social behaviors of Latin Americans/Salvadorans. Here are a couple simple examples:

You know how we say "bon appetit" to wish someone a good meal? We don't always say that--we almost say it as a joke, or before a meal we're going to REALLY enjoy. It's also not even our own language, and the French connotation makes it sound fancy. Here, the same phrase in Spanish is "buen provecho," and they say it all the time. Someone even told us that it's expected that as you walk past a table of people eating, even if they are total strangers, you are to wish them "buen provecho." That takes some getting used to!

Another example is gifts. Imagine this: I have a package of M&Ms. We are hanging out, and I say, "Hey, want some M&Ms?" (because I'm polite, not because I like having fewer M&Ms.) What do you say? Most often, and depending on our relationship, you'll say, "Oh, no thank you", "Are you sure?", or a hesitant, "Sure" (because you want M&Ms but don't want to be rude and take all of mine.) Then I give you like, what, 2-4 pieces? Not here. These are the most generous people...or we're just really greedy. The same situation here would go more like, "Do you want some M&Ms?" "Yeah, thanks!" And then you get a handful of M&Ms. Saying, "No thank you" could actually be considered rude in many contexts. The little things make the biggest difference when it comes to culture.

In the last few days, we've been simultaneously realizing a little bit of culture shock/homesickness while also recognizing that going home will be a huge adjustment and knowing we'll miss a lot of things about being here. It's strange to be feeling both.

Would you pray for us as we transition home and for our travels to be safe and obstacle-free? Thank you! We love you all so much.

Matt and Brittany