Culture Shock

When I went to live in Japan for a few years in my twenties, I experienced Culture Shock big time. I moved through all four stages of it in textbook style:

Stage 1: The Honeymoon stage - wow everything is amazing here, so much better than at home! - which typically lasts a few weeks.

Stage 2: The Frustration stage - everything is crap here, I'm so homesick! - which typically lasts 6-8 weeks.

Stage 3: The Adjustment stage - I'm kind of getting used to it, I think I can problem-solve the problems - which typically lasts 6 months to a year.

Stage 4: The Acceptance stage - It feels comfortable here now, there are good things and bad things like everywhere else.

Now, while moving from sauf to norf, or Witney to Lancaster, is nowhere near as extreme as moving from the UK to Japan, I am pretty sure I am experiencing culture shock - and that my initial Stage 1 enthusiasm has turned to Stage 2 doldrums.

I am fed up of eco-warriors (even though I know they are a good thing) and grey skies (even though I know I went from summer in the sauf to Autumn in the norf). Everything feels difficult. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and for one angry moment, I blamed Lancaster. Yesterday I woke up in the middle of the night and for one sleepy moment, I got squirts of pleasure from thinking I was 'at home' in Witney.

My head still knows, even appreciates, all the good things about here and why we moved here - but my heart is just not FEELING it right now. My head has even just begun to think of Stage 3 solutions (like get an electric bike for the effin hills).

The question is: Will six months be enough to get me anywhere near Stage 4? Or will I have to make a decision about where to live while still grappling with Stage 3?!