This is the beginning. A little less than a week until I take off on the journey of a lifetime. There are a handful of emotions soaring through my mind as it begins to set in that I will not be around my friends or family for almost half a year. I will be on my own, experiencing a new corner of the world, and improving the woman I am. I cannot thank Rollins enough for giving me this opportunity but I think it is also important to give myself credit.
You see, because of my personality I am able to leave everything I know and take on a whole new challenge. I believe this says a lot about my personal identity. At the beginning of this whole process I was asked to choose words that described my identity. From there I was asked to examine how my identity affects how I perceive the world around me and other cultures. There has always been a desire to learn more about the world outside of my own and more importantly the different cultures around the world. Being open-minded, willing to learn new things, willing to take chances, and knowing when to remain quiet I believe has made a huge impact as to how I experience the world around me. This mindset has allowed me to not take a day for granted, accept new perspectives, and welcome each new relationship with open arms.
As much as I would like to think I am as open-minded as the wind, I know there is a part of me personally that is struggling to remain set in her ways. Throughout my life I have realized that almost everyone has a wall up when they first meet new people, take on new challenge or experiences, or just in general. Over time that wall disappears and friendships are built. Unfortunately, I noticed my wall remains up for a long period time. Vulnerability is not often discussed and when it is, its’ connotation is negative. If there is anything I have learned through self reflection this summer is that vulnerability is key to being human. This is a flaw of mine that takes consistent effort to defeat. By not willing to be vulnerable I am missing out on meaningful and insightful relationships.
Going abroad is something no one can prepare you for. Each person who has told me they have gone abroad has shared a completely different story. That being said, I expect to experience a variety of identities. From extrovert and outgoing to introvert and sits in the background observing. From people you can tell have been through a lot and have yet to find peace with everything to those who have been through a lot and have thrived in life afterwards. I expect to meet people who are just as nervous as I will be and those who have taken on similar challenges before and will be a person I look too for reassurance.
Reassurance is a notion every human needs. Going to a foreign country requires more reassurance than usual, at least I would assume so. Coming from America I know I will have a different perspective of the world than other international students and I can not wait to experience the difference in worldly views. I believe that the people I will meet abroad will have a more “selfish” mindset than I, as a general American, do (figuratively speaking). America is a country that is known to be quite focused on the betterment and involvement in everything worldly related. Other countries however, are more focused on the well being of their own country and citizens. Different from some Americans perspective on the world, I believe their perspectives will be focused more on problem solving within that individual country instead of using involvement (I think my Political Science mindset is the main contributor to my analysis).
To say I would disagree with their potential worldly perspective is a stretch. Based on my current research of other countries, how they view the world through their own eyes, I can confidently state that their perspective has advantages by not creating tension between a wide range of countries. The disadvantage of the “not my backyard, not my problem” mindset, that I believe is a general ideology for those from foreign countries, is that it hinders relationships from forming. In a world that is becoming more and more globalized it is important to create stable relationships. On a more intimate level, I believe they will be more open to creating friendships with people from other countries. Unlike Americans, students from other countries are well versed on the culture of other countries and are “trained” to be open-minded about the people they meet. I believe that their identities, will be of use in seeing the bigger picture of forming relationships but might hinder them from getting close to those who might not share the same values/ideology as them.
Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime experience and I cannot wait to see how I change over time. I am looking forward to meeting new people, taking on new challenges, and experiencing a whole different side of the world. I am ready for this adventure, even if it scares me.