Isn't culture the same anywhere you go?

Cultural shock is a funny thing. Some people live their entire life without realizing that not everyone is like them. My first cultural shock was when I first moved to United States, but since I was relatively young, it did not impact me very much. However, when I want to Australia 4 years ago, I was very pleasantly surprised. People there are much more laid back than in New York. Sydney is a big metropolis just like NYC, but there is just no rush. No one pushes you on the streets or metro, store clerks are eager to spend 5 minutes talking to the customer. Being "American," I had to take a step back and relax. I realized that what I thought was normal pace of life, was only normal for NYC.