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People Who Grew Up Wealthy, Tell Me About A Culture Shock Experience You Had When You Left Your Wealthy Bubble

Culture shock: The feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.

Sometimes, kids who grow up wealthy aren't necessarily taught about the extreme privilege they have, nor are they taught about how life really is outside of their wealthy bubble. So when they finally step into the real world, there's probably an immense feeling of misunderstanding and disorientation.

So I wanted to ask the BuzzFeed Community: If you grew up wealthy, what was a culture shock experience you had when you finally stepped outside of your wealthy bubble?

Maybe you went to college, and after leaving the confines of your prestigious private high school, you were set up with a roommate who had to do work-study to help pay their tuition. Only for you to finally realize that not everyone has parents to support their college careers, and not everyone's parents were as able as yours to financially set them up that way.

Or maybe you went on a family vacation to Los Angeles, and while you were exploring, you found yourself noticing more and more tents in certain areas of the city. At such a young age, you couldn't understand why people were camping on the sidewalks of a busy city, and after consistently questioning it, it finally forced your parents to explain to you that not everyone is privileged enough to live the way that you do or even be able to afford housing at all.

Maybe your family was so well off because both of your parents were high up at prestigious companies and worked long, long hours, which left you quite alone for the majority of your life. But you had the shock of your life when you went to your first sleepover at a friend's house from a different town, and although they lived very differently than you, their home was filled to the brim with laughter, arguing, and love, and you finally felt anything but lonely.

So if you've ever gone through an experience of culture shock as a person who was raised by a wealthy family, please share your story in the comments, and if you want to remain anonymous, feel free to fill out this form. The best responses will be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!