Sitting in the Qatar airport on my way home from Nepal last week, I was thinking about culture shock. After spending three and a half months in the poorest country in Southwest Asia, I knew that returning home to small town in Indiana would feel pretty weird. I was correct — people’s accents, gigantic trucks, the flat- ness of the land and the discounts given at restaurants to people with handgun permits — it felt seriously strange.

I thought those first few days would be the worst of it, I knew it would take some time but eventually I wouldn’t feel a deep sense of happiness whenever I brushed my teeth using sink water or didn’t have to step over a rat on the way to work. I was wrong. As I drove my brother’s car, “The Leopard,” across the border into good old Oberlin, I felt more culture shock than ever. I’d forgotten my own people — how to talk to them and ask them about their summers, how to nod as they responded that their regular job had taught them something profound about regular people. After speaking mostly Nepali for the summer, I’d forgotten how people use big words even when it doesn’t help demonstrate their point. I’d forgotten the style of dress and how some people wear clothes more disgusting than those I’d seen on starving people. I’d forgotten the glazy eyes of kids sitting in class — donut eyes, my teacher in high school called them.

I don’t want use my first words of the year to rag on Oberlin students. To the contrary, there are some crazy, brilliant and kind people around here. Co-op knock, anyone?!! I became friends this summer with this awesome little monk who told me to imagine that everyone I see is mero mamu, my mother, so I can truly respect and care for them. Yes, random person reading this article, I’ve probably imagined you as a 50-year-old religion professor from Detroit. And yes, I love you.

Getting back on track, I don’t believe that the experience of Oberlin culture shock is at all unique to me. I’ve heard many people talk about the strange feelings that accompany returning to classes, being around so many people of the same age, getting older, having close friends graduate and feeling the holes they leave behind. Wow, that quickly got super sad.

Have faith everyone, it’ll start to feel normal again before long. In fact, it’ll start to feel so normal you may not even be aware of time passing as you move from ’Scoing to reading to Agave. Enjoy it, do your best to stay sane, happy and healthy this year and don’t forget about the whole rest of the world out there.