Thoughts of a Slightly Culture-Shocked Traveling Girl.

To say the least, the south is a lot different than home up in the northeast. I have been here for almost a week, and I still cannot believe that it is late December. It certainly doesn't feel like it here. The houses look a lot different as well. The more I stay here, the more differences I notice and it makes me feel even more isolated than before.

I will admit, I might not be as culturally connected with my heritage than I should be. I know that my family is ashamed of me because of it, as well as other Vietnamese people who have encountered me. I don't like Fish Sauce, or Vietnamese music or the lifestyle. To other Viets this sound like blasphemy, but I cannot control the person that I become. I know I'm different, I've always been different. But as I mature I notice that I'm more a 'twinkie' than ever before. And coming down here, I realize to a great extent how different I am than other Vietnamese. The Vietnamese community here is IMMENSE, tenfold of how it is back home. And it's something that is hard for me to get used to. It makes me feel slightly insecure and not sure about who I am. The stores, the huge population, it's so much more 'Asian' than at home. And it's a huge difference to me.

I do miss home. I miss the pine trees, the ice, the houses that look all the same, the cold wind, the lack of sales tax on clothes, the comfort of having hot coffee with a good book. It's the little things that makes me enjoy home, even if it is the most boring place in the world. As much as the weather is nice here, I cannot see myself ever settling down in a warm climate. I love having four seasons, and the south can only be a mere vacation spot for me.

I'm an east coast girl at heart.