Culture shock!

I know exactly what it's like to experience culture shock, I feel prepared to deal with it. I went to camp last summer to work as a counselor--it was a big step for me because I was having a really hard time at school and at home, and I kind of lost myself. Deciding to work at Gwynn Valley was an effort to figure myself out and get away from the pressure I was putting on myself. Going to camp, I knew I wasn't in the best mental state to be in charge of kids and meeting an entirely new set of people, but I also knew that I could handle it and that ultimately it would help me.

When I got to camp, I was initially elated; the campus was beautiful, the people were friendly, and I felt I had made the right choice. However, a lot of the counselors were returning and knew each other, already I was on the outskirts. The initial excitement wore off a few days into staff training, and I became miserable. I missed my family, my friends, and my comfortable bed. There was so much to learn and so much to do, and so many people to meet that I just became physically and emotionally exhausted. For a while I struggled there, but eventually I adjusted to life at camp, and became truly happy there. It was the best decision I've ever made. Gwynn Valley emphasizes the fish! philosophy in the everyday lives of campers and staff. The four principles of this are choose your attitude, be present, play, and make their day. By really taking these ideas to heart and practicing them, I was able to adapt well to camp, and I keep them in mind in my everyday life at school too.

The leap to working at a summer camp doesn't really seem like a big one, but at the time it really took me out of my comfort zone, and that was so good for me. That's one of the main reasons I decided to study abroad. I've finished my major requirements, and I could have had an incredibly relaxed senior year, but I wanted to push myself again. I've experienced culture shock more than once, and I know that I can handle it--it's never fun and it happens to almost everyone, but it's not permanent.

A few things that are specific to Ireland that I know will affect me are the different dialect and slang of Northern Ireland and the classroom structure. I'm sure that will be difficult to get used to for a while. I also love warm weather, and I know it will get very cold and wet by the time the semester is over at Ulster. I will be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes and happy thoughts!

What usually helps me when I'm experiencing "culture shock" is keeping in mind that I'm not the only one feeling this way. It's easy to become sad and feel alone in this kind of situation, but there's always someone going through the same things.