miles away and worlds apart

i grew up in a small town in south-eastern virginia. which makes transitioning back into suburban life relatively easy. in fact, most of my trips to smaller towns whether it be wynnewood, PA, or gainesville, FL offer welcome respite from the city. the convenience of target, trader joe's, and affordable, huge grocery stores is undeniable!

so i was a little taken aback when i couldn't answer my uncle's question about whether i felt culture shock visiting great falls after living in new york for the past few years. to be honest, life in northern virginia is far different from any place or kind of life i have lead.

whenever i visit NN, it feels like home and never seems to change dramatically. however, northern virginia is vastly different from the environment i grew up in. in NN, i was among a handful of asian kids (almost all the other vietnamese ppl in my middle/high school were relatives) and the dominant minority was african american. in a good way, i quickly acclimated to "american" life and was quite comfortable in non-ethnic settings. in fact, i got so accustomed to being the only (non-hispanic/black) ethnic minority that i often felt out of place when i was surrounded by a large number of vietnamese folk.

on the otherhand, in NOVA, the ethnic communities are quite strong. so strong in face, that my grandmother got without learning a lick of english in her entire 20 year tenure in the USA. in sum, the expectation to adhere to vietnamese customs, values, and traditions is significantly higher: e.g. pursuing a medical related field (doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc), going to vietnamese establishments (restaurants, churches, etc), dating/marrying someone vietnamese, and etc. . . while i try my best never to judge, i find this way of life so limiting. . . and am grateful to have parents that have supported a more liberal lifestyle.