I have lived in a very different culture overseas, at least it was non-western, non-white and with a lot of people who didn't speak my language. I had some great experiences, and would have loved to stay more than 3 months.
But, while it is liberating being somewhere very different, I spent the first 6 weeks really quite disoriented, and freaked out by looking so different. Remember, when you are in the visible ethnic minority, you tend to get stared at. It isn't hostile, you are just more obvious. (And I'm not the sort of person that feels particularly anxious when someone just looks at me in the street, my anxiety problems express themselves in different ways.)
The funny thing is that you would think that when people are poor and living under much harsher conditions than we do, that things like depression and social phobia wouldn't be a problem, as if they are "luxury" problems. This may be true to some extent, but not entirely. Developing countries often have a lot of problems with alcoholism, domestic violence and depression that don't usually make it to the news. I remember becoming quite friendly with a young woman who was so much like me it was uncanny. Our life expereinces were so far apart, and yet she struggled with depression and anxiety that was quite similar to mine.
I learned a lot, but it didn't help my anxiety problems.
Now being surrounded by nature is another thing entirely. That always puts things into perspective for me. Personally, I can't bear the thought of life without a stereo, automatic washing machine and an internet connection for more than few weeks. But walking in the forest and smelling the damp leaf litter or watching the sea and listening to the waves, or even just feeling dirt on my hands in the garden are all wonderful healing things.
And...what about the winter months Brrrrrr Nip! Not without warm shelter of some kind!
