While preparing for New Zealand I find myself trying to research what I will actually need for cold weather. Being that I finished growing up in the Florida I have not had to deal with layers, wool socks, thermo-rain jackets etc. I am so nervous/excited to embark in this new adventure/chapter of my life and to see how I can grow and learn from this experience. I was born in Bogotá Colombia, a city, and am now a American that lives in the Florida suburbs. This makes my identify is very diverse.
I think that my identity allows me to see the world with an open minded perspective. It always allows me to be more understanding of differences and appreciate them. I myself have made both cultures part of my identity, which means Thanksgiving in November and Dia de las Velitas in December. It has also made me more independent, even though my Spanish culture is very family dependent. I have grown to appreciate the difference in cultures and try to learn from them. For me, moving to America was not the challenge, it was learning how to be fluent in English that was the most challenging. New Zealand at least speaks one of the two languages which will make it easier to navigate and I am excited to learn about all the small intricate differences that it has.
I would never assume that people see the world that way I do. People have been brought up differently and what they have been able to experience for themselves has shaped their own understanding of their surroundings. I may have similar views with people in the United States, or even New Zealand, but even then I do not think we all the same perspective of the world. For example, I have not lived in the cold so I may have a harder time walking to class, or hiking a mountain than someone from up north USA. Some people may enjoy running in the mountains, will I am not accustomed to hills or mountains and will have to choose a difference form or cardio for the time being.
What is exciting about this experience is that I will be able to meet new people, not only local ‘Kiwis’ but many international students from all over the world. We will learn about each other’s cultures while being in a total new environment. I will be living in a flat with both Kiwis and international students, and the first thing that comes to mind when I think about this arrangement is food. I am eager to see what recipes are the ‘norm’ for them. My hope for the study aboard experience to immerse myself in the culture that I am in. I want to have an open mind and learn customs that are practiced there. I am also excited to meet people that will become my home away from home so that we can travel New Zealand, study for classes, and find comfort within the uncertainty of this exciting adventure.
