Although it isn't my very first long-term experience abroad, I can hardly call my self a seasoned veteran of travel. Furthermore, there's only so much that a person can prepare for when making a departure of this magnitude. So the question remains: what innate strengths and weaknesses do I possess that will affect my ability to cope when I inevitably encounter unfamiliar and unexpected circumstances while I'm abroad?
Based off of the cultural-context inventory and self-audit we filled out, our in-class discussion, and my own personal experience, there are several traits that I believe will be useful.
- I tend to go with the flow when events unfold differently than intended.
- I'm fairly self-sufficient, and don't typically require interaction with others.
- I'm open minded about nearly everything.
- I'm not afraid to ask for assistance, directions, etc.
There are also some traits that have the potential to hinder me, often merely negative counterparts to the previously mentioned positive attributes.
- According to people that have known me for any length of time, I'm quite disorganized.
- My self-sufficiency often has the effect of isolating me from others.
- I'm not very talented at navigation, especially somewhere I've never been before.
- I'm a hardcore procrastinator.
One of my favorite parts of meeting people from other countries is the process of discovering all the innumerable peculiarities that make our cultures different. I like to think of it as a kind of trade of experience, and it's something I do pretty naturally. I'd really like to try to present those from other countries with a positive view of those from the United States through showing them some of the more positive values we adhere to.
- I can show them that we work hard, and always get the job done.
- I'll exhibit that we care about the impact our decisions have on the rest of the world
- I will make it clear that we are extremely diverse, and perhaps dispel generalizations.
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