I love to be cozy. Snuggled under a blanket on a cold day, good book in hand (or a nice social media endless scroll), and nowhere to be. It’s one of my favorite things to do. But there comes a point when it is not comfortable any more. Lounging around too long makes my body [...]
Between Iraq and a Hard Place: Episode 61 Part 2 of our interview with Erik about life and culture in Iraq. Also, an amazing story of how he survived a 100mph crash on a highway! Learn more over on our Iraq page! And send us questions and comments to Hannah@servantgroup.org. Here's a Rough Transcript of [...]
Sustainable Living in Iraq This isn’t about what you think it’s about. Sorry? Too often we associate “sustainable living” with recycling, cutting emissions, gardening, and getting rid of single use plastics. But what about living in a way that we are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually able to sustain for the long term? One of the [...]
Hannah and Colleen have a conversation with Victoria, who spent 28 days in Kurdistan on our teacher training trip back in August of 2021. Hear her reactions, culture shock, what she learned, and whether or not she'd ever go back! Also find out about what to do when you break your ankle on a mountain [...]
I ran out and introduced myself to the new family who had moved in across the street, in Dari! (I’ve learned just a few words and greetings in the past month.) I had seen the man smoking while squatting on a chair on his front step. I had seen several children in their traditional clothes [...]
5oth Episode -- How Iraq Changed Us Hannah and Colleen share the ways that Iraq shaped small behaviors in their lives including hand gestures, expectations of people, restaurant protocol, and more. These are some of the ways that that Iraq changed us and made us different from our peers here in the US. Also, celebrating [...]
I remember the first time someone asked me “How’s the reentry going?” I thought I might burst with happiness. Here was someone who understood what I was only just beginning to understand - that sometimes “coming home” was difficult and confusing and not all pleasant. And when everyone at “home” expects it to be easy [...]
Part two on re-entry! Did you know it supposedly takes as long as you lived in the foreign culture to readjust back to your home culture? And even then, you are permanently changed. There is no simple "There and Back Again". Hannah and Colleen continue their conversation on how to adjust well and also give [...]
Re-entry is the evil cousin of culture shock and because it isn't talked about as much, often catches people by surprise. In this episode, Hannah and Colleen share about their own experiences in "coming home" to the United States and the struggles of re-entry. Submit questions or comments to Hannah@servantgroup.org or on FB, Instagram, or [...]
So now that you know all about what culture shock is (see part 1!), it's time to learn how we responded to it and what are ways to cope and come through with your perspective altered but intact. If you have questions or comments please send them to us at hannah@servantgroup.org.
