Blog #2: An American Abroad in Australia

So I didn't realize that I was so behind on blogging...so I'm going to try to catch back up.

New Culture or First Long-term Experience Abroad
After doing all of the assignments that basically tell us what kind of personalities we have, I realized how much of an outgoing person I can be. I really thought back about the last time, well the only time that I have traveled abroad and how comfortable I felt being pushed outside of my comfort zone. Before coming to college, I always thought of myself as being introverted and kind of a loner and afraid to try new things. But now I see how much more comfortable I feel when I am out on my own, exploring and meeting new people. I realize now that I could bring a lot of strengths to the table when it comes to learning about and adapting to a new culture. I am always positive and outgoing and I feel like I give off this fun, happy, welcoming vibe. I like to think I am great at working with others, that I am easy to talk to, and although I tend to jump around the point when I am trying to talk about something, I feel like I can communicate clearly what I am saying. Some challenges I will face definitely include staying focused. I tend to get a little distracted, mostly when it comes to time management and prioritizing my responsibilities. But hey! That hasn't kept me from getting to where I am now! Obviously, it won't be that difficult to communicate since there is not that much of a language barrier between the U.S. and Australia, but the lingo will sure be interesting to try to pick up on. Seeing how not everyone in the world is a fan of Americans, I am sure I will encounter some haters out there in the Outback, but I'm not the type to get into heated arguments over things that I can't control. As an American from the South (specifically) I will try to educate others about the wonders of sweet tea, muddin', some Southern hospitality, and of course Country music and deef fried oreos.

Returning to a Familiar Culture
Personally, I believe that the best way to deepen one's (my) understanding of the Australian culture is to just go immerse myself in it. Instead of just staying in my dorm room, I plan on going out to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Sydney Opera House, driving down to Canberra and seeing the Capitol of Australia, and biking in the Blue Mountains National Park. As an honorary foodie, I won't have to think twice about tasting the local cuisine. Maybe visiting the Australian War Memorial and learning about some of their history...who knows? There is so much to do! I want to learn as much as I possibly can while I'm abroad. I just want to soak it all in. As for teaching about my own culture, I can teach about the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, and the religious beliefs of the South (which is pretty easy to talk about since pretty much everyone and their mother is either Christian, Catholic, or Jewish). The skills that I have yet to learn