An American Abroad

            After completing the surveys from last week I found my strengths as well as my baggage. These surveys were helpful to me in that they allowed me to see what I need to work on personally before my trip.

            These surveys revealed that I am independent for the most part and very flexible. I’ve found that growing up in a household where we like to “go with the flow” has helped me in being flexible. I am able to change my plans easily and do not get too mad when things do not go as planned. One thing I could work on before traveling abroad is openness. Although I scored high in this category, I still feel like I could be more open-minded, especially when it comes to food. I love food, but I can be very particular about what I eat. I think the best thing I can to work through my pickiness is to just allow myself to try new things, and hopefully my ability to be flexible will help me to become more open to new foods.

            As far as the cultural context survey goes I scored extremely high. I think the particular day and time I filled out the survey played a part in my high school, but overall I fit on the high context scale. As far as I can tell, based on the chart, Finland seems to be more on the low context side. My hope for transitioning into this culture is that my inner Fin will kick in when I arrive since I am ¼ Finnish.

            The aspects of my “American identity” that I will bring with me to Finland are my friendliness and good communication skills. When traveling in a foreign place I feel like having good communication skills will be handy, especially since I have a terrible sense of direction. Having these two “American identities” will be beneficial when asking for directions and meeting potential friends.  

            Overall I think that being flexible and independent will help me as I study abroad. Having an open mind and learning to be adaptable will also help me. I know that I still have a lot to do to prepare for my trip, but I am getting more and more excited each day! The surveys helped me to see what I need to work on before departing for my trip.