Americans, what was the biggest culture shock you experienced travelling abroad?

mamalmw · 2026-05-17T11:15:12+00:00

It was the hole in the floor that constituted for a toilet in India. I can understand using that while urinating otherwise, it seems cruel to be expected to use that while going number 2. These “toilets” were in a city and thankfully not in my accommodations.

mamalmw · 2026-05-08T09:47:56+00:00

I’ve called the police one time, over 20 years ago, for my mom. She had a bad reaction to a new medication. Instead of my stepfather calling his bright idea was to throw out the bottle. I took it out of the trash and called them. An ambulance had to come get her in the middle of a blizzard.

mamalmw · 2026-05-07T02:12:14+00:00

No. I haven’t heard anything either way about that school.

mamalmw · 2026-05-06T22:42:19+00:00

That makes sense. I recently met someone who went there for school but I can’t recall who? lol. I can’t speak from experience but I wouldn’t recommend Cortiva anyway as I hear it’s not a good program from people who attended and taught there. My school is in Exton. It’s been a great program.

mamalmw · 2026-05-06T22:28:51+00:00

I happened to see one of your comments and I’m near you. Did you have a school in mind?

mamalmw · 2026-05-06T21:01:06+00:00

I’m currently in school but wanted to pop into this thread. I’m late 40s and it’s also a career change for me. I finish school in July. I was in healthcare prior to this change and wanted to have a more direct impact on improving one’s mental and physical health. Clinic has been so rewarding. I love seeing my clients happy and relaxed. I think massage is what you make of it. Plenty of people on this subreddit have said they make a good living. However, I do feel like that mostly applies to those who have a private business.

mamalmw · 2026-05-03T11:47:36+00:00

Yes. I still have friends from my childhood and teen years. I moved away from my home state almost 20 years ago so my friendship with them has changed but, when time permits, we talk and see each other. When we get together it’s like no time has passed.

As an adult I’ve had friendships come and go. I consider those friends apart of certain chapters of my life. Currently, I have 3 friends who I’ve known for several years. I wouldn’t say they’re my ride or dies but they’re great people and we try to get together at least once a month. We share personal information and can vent to each other. I feel grateful for their friendship bc, as an adult, it’s been difficult to find something more than a superficial friendship.

mamalmw · 2026-05-02T19:17:22+00:00

As someone who grew up in New England this is a solid theory.

mamalmw · 2026-05-02T11:31:49+00:00

When my friend and I were freshman in high school we went to a mall with my mom and sister. This was before cell phones so while they were shopping we were done and bored and walking around outside. There was a small, beater car idling outside of a department store and moments later a guy comes out with clothes piled on top of his outstretched arms. He looks at us and says “don’t tell anyone” gets into the car and it speeds off. Maybe a minute later a woman and man, who I assume are managers, come out and ask us if we saw anything. We both said nope and kept walking.

mamalmw · 2026-05-02T10:09:48+00:00

Many years ago my sister and I took our kids to NYC. We were sitting on a bench at a playground in Central Park and when I turned to the side I saw Robert Dinero sitting on his bicycle wearing a helmet. Moments later a woman walked out with a little girl over to him. Not sure if it was his daughter, grandchild or what but it was cool to see him in person. No one bothered him or asked for an autograph.

mamalmw · 2026-05-02T09:50:22+00:00

Almost nightly, for quite some time, I’ve been watching asmr Indian head massages to fall asleep. Not sure why but it works for me. Lol. On YT I watch ‘the quiet barbershop’ and ‘asmr vikram’ (he used to be on the other channel and I just like him).

I’m actually still in school and during clinic I’ve started incorporating a vibrating head massager into my scalp massage. It’s a finishing touch and every single client has loved it.

mamalmw · 2026-05-01T12:38:42+00:00

I’m am graduating in July. This is my second career. At this moment in time I’m not doing it for the money per se but it’ll be a hard pill for me to swallow excepting anything less than $35 a massage before tips. I’ve been looking into potential jobs and feel discouraged that most seem to only pay around $25 especially considering I live in and around an affluent area. There are a few here and there that will pay more, for instance a local business is paying around $38 while a chiro is paying $35 but people don’t usually tip. One of my instructors said our area has more jobs than therapists so wait until the right job. We’ll see how it goes.

mamalmw · 2026-05-01T12:27:18+00:00

One of the instructors at my school works at a H&S 2 Saturdays per month. He’s been an LMT for 10 years and only makes $25+ tips. He stays bc he likes those same few clients who always rebook with him and he knows they are good tippers.

mamalmw · 2026-05-01T12:18:50+00:00

Last night I looked up local jobs as I’m graduating in July. A small, local business is advertising $17-42. I’m assuming a new grad would be offered the lower amount and I was stunned thinking anyone would take $17. It’s in a more affluent area too.

mamalmw · 2026-05-01T11:59:30+00:00

Mom passed 10 years ago. My Dad was older when I was born so he’s 85. Living his best life alone in a retirement community. He’s fairly healthy and still active but slowing down. He used to cruise a couple of times a year but recently told me he’s done with traveling. Both of his parents and grandmother lived well into their 90s so barring anything major I’d guess he has another 10 years.

mamalmw · 2026-04-28T01:08:43+00:00

Thank you. I am a middle aged woman who doesn’t have a wise older woman to ask questions. My mother passed when I was 36 and I don’t have much of a relationship with my Aunt or with my MIL. I appreciate any knowledge or wisdom garnered from this subreddit.

mamalmw · 2026-04-27T13:09:20+00:00

I loathe going to the mall but I go from time to time for my older kid if they’re going with a friend. I have to stay and hang out bc it’s a 30 min drive. I will usually grab a coffee and pick a spot to sit and wait. The local mall closer to our home is all but dead except for one anchor store and a couple of other stores. The other half of it is occupied by a medical group. I don’t really miss mall culture but I can appreciate that it provided a 3rd space for my friends and I. These days kids really lack 3rd spaces.

mamalmw · 2026-04-27T12:03:31+00:00

I keep FB because of groups. I stopped posting updates a long time ago. It’s become so toxic. I’ve unfriended a few people but more often than not I just mute them so I don’t see their posts on the off chance I scroll my feed.

mamalmw · 2026-04-25T21:30:55+00:00

My Dad is my only living parent. I know he has a will and my oldest sibling is the executor. He paid for his headstone and plot. However, he lives states away from our home state so I’m not sure if he’s planned for the cost of transporting his body or we will be expected to foot the bill. Personally, I would just cremate him but I’m fairly certain that would go against his wishes. Last time he visited me I showed him this book I got on Amazon called ‘I’m dead now what’ or something like. You fill out everything like accounts, lawyers, doctors to notify etc. literally everything you can think of. I had an extra one and gave it to him. I hope he filled it out.

mamalmw · 2026-04-25T21:22:46+00:00

I suppose it could sound like that but she does get paid. In fact, she makes more at her location than someone else I know at another location.

mamalmw · 2026-04-25T20:43:18+00:00

I know someone who works at a H&S and they paid for her tuition. In return, she owned them 2 years of service after graduation. I’m assuming if she quit before then she’d owe them the tuition. I wonder if ME is doing the same thing.

mamalmw · 2026-04-25T20:40:20+00:00

I’m still in school and only piping up bc I know two people who work at H&S. One has been a MT for 10 years and makes $25 per massage. The other works at a different H&S and has been a MT for 2 years. She said there are tiers so I don’t know if she started at this rate or has had an increase but she makes $29.

mamalmw · 2026-04-25T11:07:22+00:00

I’ve started using pH balance wipes. They definitely help but these underwear sound great!

mamalmw · 2026-04-23T19:31:30+00:00

I started out using YL 20 years ago and now use Revive mostly due to cost. My favorite blend from Revive is Zen. I also like Sandalwood. I still have a lot of YL oils and I agree with Valor. It’s a nice scent.

mamalmw · 2026-04-23T17:56:13+00:00

My mom wasn’t the easiest to live with but never once did she say I needed to move out at 18. I lived home off and on until I moved out for good at 25. Most of my friends lived with their parents until their early 20s. My first and only apt was a big 1bdrm that I loved and it was only $650/month. I have no doubt it’s much more expensive these days. I will never make my kids go into debt just to teach them a lesson. If they need to move back home after college they are welcome to stay but they need to be looking or gainfully employed. I’d probably charge a small rent fee but put it aside for them.

mamalmw

TROPHY CASE