Intercultural Competency

The words "living like a local" to me means that a person as adapted to a culture well enough to be able to live within that culture without feeling like an outsider. While I'm abroad I plan to be involved  with campus life as much as possible. I feel that being involved with campus life will give me a way to interact more with locals. I plan on getting involved in campus life by joining clubs and and playing sports. To fully immerse myself into the culture I plan be very outgoing and make local friends. I will do this first within the classroom. While in the classroom I plan to be vocal and approachable. Some specific opportunities I feel my host institution is being a significant help in helping me to live like a local. Being involved on campus will force me to be involved with locals therefore allowing me to be more comfortable on the environment. At first I imagine my day to day life as trying to make friends and adjusting to the culture. However, once I begin to make friends and become comfortable in my surroundings, I plan my daily life to be as enjoyable as I can make it. The biggest gain I expect from living like a local is making life long friends. Another gain I expect is making my first time going abroad a success. In the future I plan on traveling to different countries. By studying abroad, I will learn ways that will personally help me to adapt to different cultures. One thing that I think will ease my transition is just keeping an open mind. This will allow me to adapt more quickly and willingly.