The prevalence of a very social party scene was something I definitely had to get used to. While exploring my new ability to legally go out to bars and clubs, I was not expecting to be going out every week, this includes week days. While not everyone on campus thinks this way, it appeared as if the day of the week really didn’t matter, if people wanted to go out, then they were going out. This is a very common thing in Australian culture. One big focus in Australia is strengthening relationships within the community. Even though going out and drinking all the time is not my favorite activity, especially because it’s expensive, it was a great way to meet people. I learned how to be more social and outging when I’m in a new place. It was something I had to adapt to very quickly because orientation week is essentially party week and there is always something fun and exciting going on. If I hadn’t gone out during that first week, I don’t think I would have made the friends I have now. Someone from Australia would probably think I am over reacting and that going out to bars isn’t as big of a deal as I make it out to be. It was all very new to me and I was very overwhelmed. I did have some friends who went through the journey with me step by step to make sure I was comfortable in the bigger social settings. I learned to be comfortable with walking out to the kitchen and having it be full of people. I think this helps me with future misunderstandings and conflicts because it taught me to be patient and open minded. Many conflicts, especially about culture, start because one culture is not willing to hear out the other and immediately go to fighting instead of a conversation.
