Johanna Abrams is 21 years old and has a degree in economics from State University. At State, he has been on the orientation staff for 3 years, facilitates the freshman leadership learning community, and is an active member in both the business and accounting societies. He lives with three roommates in a house located in Hanover, Ohio. Johanna's mother and father currently live in San Francisco, California, and her brother attends law school in Oregon. Johanna has never lived in the same place for more than 10 years. His family has to move because of his father's job. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Johanna has lived in Germany, Ohio, California and Texas. He attended boarding school for three years during high school in Pennsylvania. Growing up in different places proved difficult for Johanna. He had to assimilate into many new cultures while trying to create and maintain an identity. As a self-proclaimed “sojourner,” it was interesting to talk to Johanna about how she negotiates her identity through an intercultural communication lens. Culture Shock “Culture shock is the psychological and emotional reaction people experience when they encounter a culture that is very different from their own (Furnham & Bochner, 1986)” (Oetzel, 2009, p. 126) Although we all experience culture shock differently, researchers have compiled six different stages, which describe what residents should expect when experiencing a culture for the first time (Oetzel, 2009, p. 128): 1) honeymoon, 2) crisis, 3) recovery, 4) adjustment, 5) re-entry culture shock, and 6) resocialization The honeymoon phase is when i travelers are excited to be in a new location (Oetzel, 2009, p. 128). The crisis then begins when the enthusiasm fades (Oetzel, 2009,...... half of the document ......g with). people from other cultures is that learning and adapting to culture should not be associated with stereotypes. You too You cannot generalize or stereotype a company based on a single interaction or observation. What may be acceptable and polite to one German may be considered unacceptable and rude to another. For example, not all German families allow their children to drink beer or wine with dinner, but others do. Johanna argues that observation is the key to communicating between different cultures. Johanna has learned that it is important to learn from every individual from every culture you interact with (Johanna Abrams, personal communication, February 1, 2011). Cited Oetzel, J. G. (2009). Intercultural communication: a layered approach. Vango Books. Abrams, J. (2011, February 1)..