Socially Awkward

I don't generally consider myself a socially awkward person (if you know me and think I am, please keep it to yourself). However the act of returning to one's own culture after years away, renders some disconnect and gaps in conversation.

When first entering a new culture, I expect awkwardness. I don't know people; I don't know the culture; I don't know the language and conversation flows about as easily as a uncoordinated teenager learning to drive stick-shift up hill. That's expected. Meeting other foreigners is also disjointed but there's the easy questions--where are you from? what organization brings you here? how long have you been here/overseas? where do you live? etc.

But now, coming back to the States, I know the language in terms of vocabulary,though sometimes I feel like I've lost the rhythm and nuances underneath the words. In other words, I no longer have the cultural understanding that brings meaning. Sometimes it feels like there is no place to begin a conversation, as if my other world experiences prevent me from knowing how to converse here. It's not just my experiences that create a gap in understanding but also how much culture has changed too--media, technology, where someone my age "should" be financially/career-wise.

One of the biggest cultural changes I am noticing is how limited conversations are. People are in a hurry. Conversations are three sentences long. So even if I had questions or thoughts to contribute to the conversation, it's over before it began.

When people find out that I've spent the past five years overseas, it's interesting for a few seconds, enough to ask something benign like, "How'd you like it?" or "That was quite the experience". I know to expect that. I just didn't expect that my taking an interest in someone else would be as short.