Living abroad can be an exhilarating experience. It encourages new world views, increases cultural curiosity, and supports willingness to explore unfamiliar terrains. However, it may also invite a sense of feeling a little lost in the world. This is especially true for educators who build a life far from home for several years at a time.
Ambassador Teachers leave their home countries to live in the U.S. for up to five years. This cultural exchange experience is so rewarding, but it often comes with culture shock.
Culture shock is a common phenomenon. Though it may take months to develop, it often affects travelers and people living far from home in unexpected ways. Culture shock is more than simply being unfamiliar with social norms or experiencing new foods. It tends to impact travelers even after they’ve become familiar with and comfortable in new cultures.
Culture shock generally moves through four different phases: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, and acceptance. Individuals experience these stages differently, and the impact and order of each stage vary widely. They can, however, offer a helpful guide for understanding how people adapt to new cultures.
Considering teaching abroad as a cultural exchange teacher in the U.S.? You can learn more about our Ambassador Teacher program here.
In this article:
The Four Stages of Culture Shock (with Examples)
A Detailed Look at the Four Stages of Culture Shock
The Honeymoon Stage
The Frustration Stage
The Adjustment Stage
The Acceptance Stage
Visual Timeline: The Emotional Journey of Culture Shock
Culture Shock vs. Reverse Culture Shock: Key Similarities and Differences
Moving Forward Through the Culture Shock Journey
The Four Stages of Culture Shock (with Examples)
Each culture shock stage describes the emotional journey many people experience as they adjust to a new environment, and they offer a useful framework for understanding how our reactions change over time. The examples below reflect the lived experiences of international teachers, but they can also apply to anyone adapting to life in a new culture.
- Honeymoon stage: This is the initial period of excitement and fascination. Everything feels new and interesting. For example, a teacher’s first week in a new country might be filled with wonder—trying local foods, exploring neighborhoods, and enthusiastically sharing photos with friends back home. There’s a sense of adventure and optimism.
- Frustration stage: As the novelty fades, everyday challenges become more noticeable. Communication barriers, unfamiliar routines, or missing loved ones can lead to feelings of irritation or homesickness. Imagine a teacher struggling to understand local slang or feeling overwhelmed by different classroom expectations. Frustration and self-doubt are common here.
- Adjustment stage: Gradually, routines develop and coping strategies emerge. The new environment starts to feel more manageable. For instance, a teacher might find comfort in weekly calls with family, discover a favorite local grocery store, or learn to navigate the school system with more confidence. Small wins build resilience and a sense of belonging.
- Acceptance stage: Over time, the new culture feels familiar. Differences are embraced, and there’s a deeper sense of comfort and connection. A teacher in this stage may celebrate local holidays with colleagues, mentor new arrivals, or reflect on how much they’ve grown. The challenges haven’t disappeared, but they are easier to navigate.
These stages aren’t always linear, but recognizing them, and seeing yourself in these examples, can help you approach cultural transitions with empathy and optimism.
A Detailed Look at the Four Stages of Culture Shock
1. The Honeymoon Stage
The first stage of culture shock is often overwhelmingly positive. Travelers become infatuated with the language, people, and food in their new surroundings. At this stage, the trip or move seems like the greatest decision ever made and an exciting adventure. Like the name implies, in this stage, a person is in love with the new culture and experiences they are having. New languages, foods, and people are exciting and exhilarating. During this period, travelers often feel confident and hopeful about their ability to adapt to new ways of life in this environment.
“In the beginning, the whole process will seem weird for you. Open your mind, observe, try not to compare everything with what you have seen in your country,” said Iryna, a former Ambassador Teacher from Ukraine.
On short trips, the honeymoon phase may last throughout the entire experience, as the later effects of culture shock don’t have time to set in. On longer trips, the honeymoon stage usually phases out eventually.
2. The Frustration Stage
In the frustration stage, life in a new country can feel difficult and confusing. Things like communicating in another language, navigating cultural differences, or getting lost can cause irritation and fatigue.
Often in the frustration phase, one’s perspective of the new culture is cast in a negative light as daily activities and interactions feel burdensome. Sometimes people contemplate returning home.
It’s normal to feel homesick or to miss familiar ways of doing things. Some people may feel depressed, anxious, or angry. These feelings come and go as cultural adaptation continues.
How to Cope with the Frustration Stage of Culture Shock
One of the most important ways to cope with culture shock is to acknowledge that frustration and sadness are completely normal feelings to experience when living in a different country. Dealing with these feelings in a healthy way will help ease the adjustment.
To move beyond the frustration phase, it’s important to accept that some parts of another culture may always be confusing to you. While you may not understand everything, you can appreciate your new surroundings and experiences.
“The most important thing to remember is that you need to have an open mind and heart and keep a positive attitude in the face of hardships,” said Kelli Finch, who taught abroad in Costa Rica for nine years.
Ensure you have a good support system of friends and family during this time. It’s easy to become isolated when feeling frustrated, but ultimately the support of others will help cultural adaptation happen faster.
Real Experiences with Culture Shock
Cecilia, a Participate Learning Ambassador Teacher from Argentina, shared how she and her family adjusted to U.S. culture with help from other Ambassador Teachers.
“It feels like we have been friends for so long because we share the same experiences,” said Cecilia. “Friends are now my family here.”
It can also be helpful to reflect on your personal and professional growth during your experience abroad. Often, people living in another country say the hardships they went through produced positive growth and change. They become stronger and more resilient. If you can step back and see the ways you have grown as a person, it can change your outlook to be more positive and give you a different perspective on your experience.
Silvia, a former Ambassador Teacher from Costa Rica, said that although going through culture shock was hard, she ultimately became stronger as a result.
“I grew a lot, not only professionally but personally as well. I was not the same person after living abroad—I felt stronger, and somehow, my overall quality of life had improved along the way,” said Silvia.
Remember, going through the frustration phase of culture shock is a normal, though tough, experience. Be patient with yourself and others, knowing this phase will eventually pass as you acclimate to a new culture.
3. The Adjustment Stage
The third stage of culture shock, the adjustment period, usually comes after someone has adapted to their new life in another country. As they become familiar with new experiences, like the local language and transportation, confidence grows and frustration lessens. People in the adjustment period have often built a community of support and friendships in their new country.
During the adjustment period, they may still experience frustration from time to time, and there may be elements of the new culture that they still do not understand. But as their cultural competence grows in the new environment, day-to-day life feels more manageable.
How to Adjust to a New Culture
Participate Learning’s Ambassador Teachers come from thirty-two different countries and experience firsthand the adjustment that happens when living far from home. They live and work in the U.S. for up to five years, serving as ambassadors of their culture and heritage in American schools.
Silvia, a former Ambassador Teacher from Costa Rica, has taught in both the U.S. and China, experiencing culture shock multiple times. Silvia said it was easier to adapt once she learned more about her environment:
“Once I adjusted, I felt more relaxed and understanding of the differences. I had a more positive outlook on where I was living and didn’t try to compare everything with my life back in my home country.
“I learned that I did not have to agree with or make sense of this cultural context, but just be willing to accept the cultural differences in the world around me.”
4. The Acceptance Stage
People who have moved through the other three stages of culture shock will eventually come to the acceptance phase. Acceptance happens on different timelines for everyone, but generally, people in this stage are well adjusted and thriving in their new environment. They are able to access the resources they need and feel stable in their day-to-day life.
When a person reaches the acceptance stage, it does not mean they have completely understood the culture. Rather, the person accepts that they don’t have to understand everything to thrive in their new surroundings.
Adjusting to a New Culture and Coming to Acceptance
Gustavo, an Ambassador Teacher from Colombia, has devoted nine years to teaching abroad with Participate Learning on three separate tours. While it was difficult at first, he said the experience of living abroad has been absolutely worth it, as it has helped him grow both personally and professionally.
“The adaptation process was hard at first, since I had to deal with challenging students and a new classroom environment. However, the drive to be successful and the willingness to get the best of this experience were the fuel that kept me going, and things began to improve as I became accustomed to living in the U.S.”
Kelli, who taught abroad in Costa Rica for nine years, reached the acceptance phase of culture shock by recognizing that while she may always feel a little like an outsider, teaching abroad has changed her life for the better.
“Having been in Costa Rica for nine years now, I definitely think of it as one of my homes, but people will always see me as ‘not from here.’ It’s something you adjust to and come to accept. Teaching abroad changed my life for the better, and I’m a better person for having done it. Despite all the challenges along the way, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
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Visual Timeline: The Emotional Journey of Culture Shock
To help illustrate how emotions can shift throughout the culture shock journey, the visual below highlights the general highs and lows of each stage. It offers a quick snapshot of what many international teachers and travelers experience as they adapt to a new environment.
At the start, the honeymoon stage, the emotional curve rises, reflecting excitement and curiosity. Everything feels fresh, and optimism is high. As time passes, the line dips into the frustration stage, where confusion, homesickness, or even isolation can set in. This is often the lowest point emotionally, when challenges feel most intense.
Gradually, the curve begins to rise again during the adjustment stage. Here, small successes and growing familiarity help rebuild confidence. The emotional landscape becomes steadier, marked by moments of comfort and accomplishment. Finally, the curve levels out in the acceptance, or adaption, stage, where a sense of belonging and resilience takes root. Emotions stabilize, and the new culture feels like a part of daily life.
When you look at this timeline, remember: The journey isn’t always a straight line. People may revisit earlier stages or experience ups and downs along the way. But seeing the overall pattern can reassure you—and those you support—that these feelings are normal and part of a transformative process.
Culture Shock vs. Reverse Culture Shock: Key Similarities and Differences
To deepen your understanding of the adaptation journey, it’s helpful to look at both culture shock and its often-overlooked counterpart: reverse culture shock. While the four stages of culture shock describe what it’s like to enter a new culture, reverse culture shock captures the emotional and psychological responses when returning home after an extended period abroad. Let’s compare these experiences side by side.
Culture shock includes feelings like excitement, confusion, and frustration as you adjust to unfamiliar customs, language, and social norms. On the other hand, reverse culture shock brings its own set of challenges, such as feeling out of place in your home environment, frustration with old routines, or a sense of loss for the community you left behind. Both experiences share symptoms like homesickness, anxiety, irritability, and a sense of isolation. Both can impact your mood, relationships, and even your professional performance.
What’s unique about culture shock is the process of learning and adapting to a new environment, often accompanied by a sense of adventure and discovery. Reverse culture shock, in contrast, can feel more disorienting because it’s unexpected. Many people assume returning home will be easy, only to find that their perspectives have shifted and reintegration is harder than anticipated.
Moving Forward Through the Culture Shock Journey
Experiencing culture shock is a completely normal reaction to all of the adjustments someone goes through when living abroad. With a positive mindset and the right support, anyone can move through the different phases of culture shock, arriving at acceptance of their new surroundings.
For more information about cultural exchange and teaching in the U.S., visit our application page.
