When I moved from Southland to Seattle and again when I moved from Southland to Chicago. In the move to Seattle, there was just something wrong the entire time I was there the first time I went for an extended stay. It was like something flickering at the edge of my sight, but I just couldn’t figure it out. Then I got back to Richmond, hopped off the plane and knew what it was. Black people. There are not nearly enough of them in Seattle. In the move to Chicago, it might have been a bit of country (or at least southern) girl – city girl shock. I went from relatively small towns and cities with family nearby to being all alone in Chicago. And no one smiles here! Seriously, like you can walk down the street and no one smiles. At all. And there is no color. And the rainstorms are wrong. Not enough lightning. And it snows. ****, how it snows. And people are so rude! It’s ridiculous. And… and… and… yes. There was a good deal of shock in moving here. Edited to add: I say “Southland” because I moved around the south a bit, but found the cultures similar enough not to produce any shock. Also edited to add: In Chicago, there is this place that people go for hot dogs really late at night and they are so rude to the staff! And the staff is rude back! That’s just how it is. It’s their thing. What a bizarre concept.