When going over the cultural assessments and self assessment sheets I've come to find out that I'm a person who really doesn't do well with not knowing what's happening. Oddly enough these past few weeks have been the perfect example of that. I like to sit down, plan what's going to happen for the next day, and then stick to that plan as closely as I can. If I say we're going to eat at 12 pm then you can expect my bum in a chair eating some pasta at 12:15 at the latest. Yet, with what was going on with my family this week I've had to take things a day at a time. It's been an unnerving situation, and I honestly don't think I've been more stressed in my life until this point. At least I know that I can handle the situation now if it arises in the future, whether I like that fact or not.
Which leads me into my first strength, I'm a pretty adaptable person when it comes to stressful situations. I've learned how to make myself open to situations that I might not be comfortable and learn how to make the best of it. Being really structured and able to fix myself around this really helps in the chaos of trying to make a new place for myself in such a different culture. I do like to know what's going on, or will go on, and having a set plan is good for me, however if things need to change I'm able to live with it and go on, even if I have pretty low scores on flexibility. I'm open to trying new things, and that's what will help me get through. Another strength would be that I'm pretty independent, and I can rely on myself to help get things done. So with the combination of being structured and self reliant, I know that I can at least have several backup plans if one goes astray.
There are several weaknesses I have and problems I'm going to face, and all of them revolve around flexibility. I'm not happy with having spontaneous events or if things run late. I'm definitely not okay with having minimal information and vague answers. However, I know that I need to figure out other ways of communication that can get me the answers I'm seeking in a way that the other person can figure it out as well. The good thing is that with my country being low context, like me, I'm going to be able to get the things I'm seeking a lot easier than some others might have it. Germans are only slightly less direct than Americans so I'm going to have to adapt on not being so blunt and straightforward with communication and interactions.
Some things I hope to bring to the table when it comes to educating others would be the fact that not all Americans are prideful, boastful, freedom must ring people. Some of us can be quiet, down to earth, and yes, hate McDonald's and their hamburgers. I'm well versed in history so hopefully if that have questions on anything American in that department maybe I'll be able to answer them. Economy, government, and politics might not be my strong suit, but hey at least I can say why we have those things now. I know that I'm a pretty soft spoken person most of the time, and while sometimes I'm 'nice just to be nice' I know that my attitude and personality should be a bit of a shock to the expectations of my future German peers.
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