Life abroad comes with new perspectives: opportunities, challenges, excitement, disheartenment, you name it. In this episode, Anne and Yifan reflected on how it feels during holiday season while away from home and whether cultural shock has ever stricken. We shared how our identities have been impacted and how our research lives are shaped by new perspectives. We appreciate you starting your 2026 with us and we wish you a curious and balanced New Year! 

Have a listen and we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. 

Bibliography: 

Frank, K. and Hou, F., 2019. Source-country individualism, cultural shock, and depression among immigrants. International Journal of Public Health, 64(4), pp.479-486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-019-01218-z 

Winkelman, M., 1994. Cultural shock and adaptation. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73(2), pp.121-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1994.tb01723.x  

Jurásek, M. and Wawrosz, P., 2023. What makes people abroad satisfied? The role of cultural intelligence, cultural identity, and culture shock. Social Sciences, 12(3), p.126. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12030126  

Presbitero, A., 2016. Culture shock and reverse culture shock: The moderating role of cultural intelligence in international students’ adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 53, pp.28-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.05.004  

Music:  

"Cipher"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“True Appeal”  

Mubert (mubert.com)