Photo Friday - Shoes shoes shoes
I have been in Ukraine now for over 7 months and I have encountered many different cultural differences between Ukrainians and Americans. There are things I have gotten use to, such as behavior toward strangers. Some differences I'm still struggling with, for example changing schedules at the last minute. And there are actually some differences I'll bring home with me when I go back to America.
So picture me going to my training host family's home for the first time. I had only been in country for three days. I had just gotten over jet lag. I didn't know more than three words: yes, no, and hello. I was pretty scared and nervous about moving in with these people for three months that I didn't even know. They picked me up in their car and we drove back to their house where we struggled to get all my bags into the house. They immediately took their shoes off when they walked in the house, and even though I had been warned about this difference, I was so overwhelmed I just stood there awkwardly unsure of what to do with myself. Of course they started speaking very quickly, confused why I was confused and not taking my shoes off.
Fast forward 6 months and I traveled to Germany with some friends. We walked into our Airbnb and without any thought at all I took my shoes off. It had come completely second nature to just take my shoes off immediately upon walking into someones home. The first few months I was in Ukraine I would get frustrated because sometimes I would put my shoes on to go outside, only to realize I left my hat in my room and then need to take off my snow boots just to walk to my room really quick. However at this point, it has become completely normal for me to take my shoes off as soon as entering a house that I can't even remember what it's like to walk around a house with shoes on. This will likely be something I incorporate into life when I get back to America.
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