Missing Home

I'm homesick, and I'm experiencing culture shock right now. This is so different than being a tourist in a different country. I live here. I shop in grocery stores. I reside in a residential area. With my shopping bags and bicycle, I suppose I look Dutch. Strangers speak to me expecting that I can reply in their own language.

I'm looking forward to Dutch classes. I'm not sure how much I can learn going once per week, but I hope it will give me a clue to some of the common phrases I hear on the Metro or in the stores. The Dutch speak very good English, but they certainly prefer their own language. I feel as if I am unjustly requiring them to speak my language when I am a guest in their country. I need to learn some of their language. It seems right.

I'm not certain if the language will cure my culture shock, but I do hope it goes away shortly! I knew it would hit, and I know it will hit again. However, it is not a pleasant feeling to have. It is a feeling of missing the familiar and missing the comforts of home. I want this life to be familar and comfortable.