23 - Is Culture Shock Actually the Best Part of Living Abroad?

Most people dread culture shock. Sarah Riches goes looking for it. Sarah is a travel journalist who started her career teaching English in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She later worked in Abu Dhabi, and has travelled to around 50 countries. In this episode, she talks about why the unfamiliar is what keeps her going. Why would a stunning trip to Tuscany leave a seasoned traveller feeling empty? Which move turned out far easier than she ever expected? Of all the countries she has visited, where did she feel the safest? And how did a few words of the “wrong” language get her out of trouble in Taiwan? If this episode makes you think about your own culture shock moments, there’s more where it came from.  Tell me what was your biggest culture shock. If you are an expat, a global professional, or simply someone fascinated by international living, you are in the right place. This podcast explores the real-life stories of people who live and work outside of their country. But it’s also about locals who are willing to share their cultural stories. Who am I? I'm a French expat and international educator. I've lived and worked in Asia since 2004, and I'm based in Bangalore. Listen to the other episodes of Navigate Across Borders for more stories of people living and working across cultures.  Follow the podcast behind the scenes and much more on Instagram @navigate_across_borders Join the YouTube community at youtube.com/@NavigateAcrossBorders.  Chapters 0:00 Meet Sarah Riches, travel journalist 4:03 The one thing she always packs 5:46 The foods Britain didn’t have yet 9:34 A strange confession about culture shock 11:11 First day in Japan 14:41 Inside a Japanese workplace 18:29 Moving to Hong Kong 22:52 Taiwan, and a language surprise in Taipei 27:17 Who queues, and who doesn’t? 30:14 Moving to Abu Dhabi 33:42 Who actually lives in the UAE? 37:09 One country at a time 39:00 Argentina: it’s not what you think! 43:10 What keeps bringing her back to India 44:57 A side of Vienna most visitors miss Support the show