Culture Shock in New England, USA

June 1991

The huge moving van drove up the hill to my new condo and parked on the roadside. The men carried my 100+ boxes and furniture over the grass, through the sliding glass doors, and piled the boxes floor to ceiling in the living room. “Lady, you sure have a lot of books. Will they all fit in here?” I smiled and replied, “God willing!” I treasure all my Bible commentaries and missionary biographies.

After filling up my waterbed with the hose, I put on the bedsheets, drove down the street to a fast food place for dinner, and came back home. I began unpacking the bathroom things but quickly discovered I was too exhausted, so I fell into bed. The next morning, three ladies from church came to help me unpack, so I made good progress. Thankfully, all my books fit.

The following day, I drove down the street to the grocery store, but couldn’t find it. Nearly in tears of frustration, I went back home and called the assistant Pastor to ask for directions. He gently told me I had turned the wrong way, so I got back in my car and tried again. I’m finding I need to leave 15-30 minutes early before I go anywhere new to allow myself time to find it. I have a county map that usually helps me when I become totally confused.

September 1991

It has been quite a summer for me. I love the new church I am attending. The Bible teaching and music are wonderful, causing me to dig deeper into the scriptures and grow in God’s grace. I have been blessed by the fellowship in the career group with about 20 single adults my age. I also attend a single ladies’ group of all ages who meet Monday nights in a retired lady’s home for dinner and Bible study. The church picnics, volleyball, and water skiing have also been great fun and times of sweet fellowship in the Lord.

I have been able to see quite a bit of New England including the mountains of Vermont, the elegant mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, and Acadia National Park. I survived my first hurricane on the way to Acadia. I have never seen rain blowing so hard totally horizontal. I was wondering why it was so difficult to keep the car on the road. When I pulled into a gas station, the owner said, “Ladies, they are shutting down the roads so you have to find a place to stay.” At the next highway exit, we checked into a room at a nice inn and watched the torrential rain and wind as we swam in the cozy heated indoor pool. I’m used to seeing tornadoes in the Midwest where I grew up, but not hurricanes.

The people at church are friendly, but in general, the public is cool and distant. The grocery store cashier seldom makes eye contact with me or says hello unless I greet him first. Then he usually just grunts in reply. People are also rude on the phone. The traffic congestion and rude drivers frustrate me. They zoom in and out across all the lanes, never use their turn signal, and never seem to get caught by the police.

I’m trying to learn their terminology. Pop is called soda, a submarine sandwich is called a grinder, and I never heard of a calzone before. I discovered that it is an Italian stuffed pizza sandwich that you dip into tomato sauce. Very filling and quite good. I miss the German food of the Midwest. With mostly Italian immigrants here, Italian restaurants abound.

One guy in the career group teases me about my Midwest accent. They say um-BRELL-a, but I say UM-brell-a. They say in-SUR-ance, but I say IN-sur-ance. I talked with a lady at church whose young grandson stood next to her listening. He turned to her and said, “Grandma, why does she talk so funny?” The Pastor grew up in Boston, so at times I have trouble understanding his accent. Some people leave out the “r” sound as in “quawtah” for “quarter“.

Since I moved here with no nursing job, I was relieved to have several dialysis job interviews and offers within the first two weeks after my arrival. I chose to work in a large inner-city hospital dialysis unit. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster. They used three different types of dialysis machines from different eras, and the patients were divided into several small rooms. I felt unsafe walking in the early morning darkness from the employee parking garage a block to the hospital. It was so chaotic, understaffed, unsafe, and mismanaged that I developed severe stomach and back pain from the stress. I gave two weeks’ notice after working there for just a month.

One of the staff nurses told me about a new dialysis unit in the suburbs that sounded similar to my unit in the Midwest. I called the nurse manager, and she interviewed me. I asked if I could shadow a nurse for a few hours during the busiest time when they took patients off dialysis and then put the next shift on, and she agreed. The staff seemed happy to work in the large sunny room. They use new Fresenius computerized dialysis machines that are similar to the Cobe 3000 which I know. I can also park right outside the building which is in a safe neighborhood. The downside is that they work 13.5-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. three days per week. There is no cafeteria on site, so each staff member has to carry all three meals with them to eat during the shift. The nurse manager offered me the position, so I accepted. I hope I have the stamina to work the long shifts.

Sadly, I have to find a home for my dog, Sandy. While he is home alone so much, my neighbors complain that he barks nonstop. I have asked about thirty people at church and gave his photo to the vet and groomer to post, but no takers yet. It’s hard to give him away since he is the only living thing I brought with me from the Midwest.

My expenses have doubled and I took a 30% pay cut from what I made in Ohio. But all in all, I am happy I made the move. The spiritual blessings and new friends have enriched my life. I’ve been told that a person needs to take at least a year to adjust to a new culture.

Thank You, dear Lord, for bringing me here and for providing for my every need. Thank You for encouraging me in my spiritual walk and helping me grow in Your grace. Please help me adjust to the new job and long hours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me…But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:13, 19 KJV)

I spent the next 25 years in New England. In the summer, I missed the miles of cornfields in the Midwest but overall enjoyed the more varied geography. The cost of living became even more challenging as the years rolled by, but God always provided for me. I purchased an 1880 colonial home one year after I moved there, quite a change from my new house in Ohio.