Snow and Culture Shock
Something to be prepared for when accepting any new far away job is the culture shock. While I’m sure it’s more of a thing for people who leave their country, it can still happen when changing states.
One thing that got me about Redmond was the snow. I grew up in Colorado and went to school in New York so I’m a big fan of snow. Sledding, being snowed in, attacking snow goons, the works! But Redmond, sadly, gets about one dusting of snow a year.
Unfortunately, my "shock" didn’t stop there. As it turns out, whenever there’s a hinting of snow, Redmond drivers will throw caution into the wind…
…and replace it with extreme, relentless paranoia. Not only will people drive like their grandmother’s, they will go so far as to pull over and put their blinkers on to wait out what in their eyes must be the storm of the century.
I patiently* drove home today behind a car at 10 MPH, counting the pairs of blinking hazard lights on the running, unhazarded cars that dotted the side of the road. After two and a half years, it’s safe to say I was still culture shocked.
So just be prepared. Culture shock can come out of nowhere, make a slow turn into your lane and never let up on the brakes.
*Read, “patiently”
