From the feelings of a casual vacationer to the powerful reactions of a new expat, the term “culture shock” explains away our experiences of cultural rejection and eventual assimilation, turning them into theory and process. But can an academic explanation of a very human experience really describe our feelings? As an anthropologist, I’m trained to […]

After living in rural Virginia for 18 months, San José can feel like a sprawling metropolis - within just minutes of my front gate, there are several universities, restaurants of all varieties, museums, malls, and a whole lot more. Almost anything I want is at my fingertips, and as much as I enjoy this, living […]