I am so fortunate for the opportunity I had in London this past semester. Going through this process I have learned so much not only about the U.K. but myself as well. I have become a stronger individual through the discomfort I have faced, and it has guided my new attitude and values that I am proud to hold today.
One experience that guided this change was through my internship done in London. I worked with a small tech accessory company and found myself getting very close to everyone I worked with. This was not the case in the beginning of my study abroad. I feel that I held back from truly opening up to the new culture I was placed in initially. One example of this was shown through my initial week in London. For the first week at my internship, I was offered food every day for lunch. At first, I thought accepting food in a work situation would be considered rude. Over time I learned through strong communication that this is not the case. In London it is more acceptable to accept offerings and can be considered rude to reject.
My perspective on this initial cultural set back is that I am glad to have had this confusion. This mistake is what has guided met to learn more about the culture in the U.K. Without my open communication and desire to learn about the new culture I was placed in I would have struggled to build a relationship with the people I was working with. Through my desire to integrate I found myself building stronger relationships and forming a whole new attitude towards globalization. This experience gave me insight on the proper ways to let go of egocentrism and open up to new daily rituals.
When thinking about this situation from the perspective of someone from London I think they would think they would initially think that my actions were rude. In reality I thought denying an offering was the correct way to be well mannered. I am fortunate to have solved this altercation and grown from my cultural unawareness. I believe that after I took the initiative to change my ways and accept a new cultures identity is when a local in London would appreciate my efforts. This is how I truly formed relationships and learned the most about the culture I was in. Only through adaptation is when someone can truly integrate and form comfort in a new setting.
These reflections prepare me to respond to future cultural misunderstandings by enhancing my thoughts and forcing realization. Through a reflection one can truly analyze experiences and dig deeper to understand what actions enhanced or diminish a cultural journey. By completing this blog post I have realized that open communication and an open mindset is very important to study abroad and truly integrate successfully. I am thankful for this opportunity and all the positive change it has instilled in my life.