Blog 2: An American Abroad

Prompt: Using the Self Audit, Culture Strategies Survey and Cultural-Context Inventory as your guide, what are some of the strengths (or strategies) that you personally bring to the table when it comes to learning about and adapting to a new culture? What challenges are you going to face, and are there strategies that you think will work well for you to learn more in depth about the cultural traits of your host country?  What aspects of your identity or of “being an American (or your own culture if not American)” will you bring and educate others about?

 Response:  When it comes to adapting to a new culture, a strength I know that I can employ is my ability to adapt to most circumstances, as well as my ability to be independent. While I like structure and knowing how things are going to pan out before I leave the house in the morning, my day isn't ruined if things don't turn out just the way I planned them. I'm also open to trying new food, which will make my process of adjusting to a new country and culture that much easier on myself.

     Challenges though that I could see myself encountering are really related to interpersonal relationships. Obviously I have some close friends, but I suffer in the department of small talk and don't really enjoy the awkwardness that small talk brings with it. So while talking to new people is going to be a challenge, I can make it one of my priorities to work on that aspect. Something that will help me get over this anxiety about making small talk is the fact that I do have experience with friends from other cultures besides my own, so I won't theoretically be stuck in my American bubble.

     Another challenge that I can foresee for myself is the fact that I find it hard sometimes to be away from home and to say goodbye to my family when it's time to go back to school after spending a bit of time with them. Obviously going overseas for a period of three weeks would test my ability to be independent and be away from my parents and home, but it's a challenge that I'm open to tackling, and will hopefully come out on top and stronger for it. By being alone without my parents, it'll be up to me -- as well as the other international kids there with me-- to navigate the city and learn about it ourselves. 

     As for what aspects of my identity that I'll bring with me to the United Kingdom, I'll have some personal things, as well as things that define me from just being from the United States. For myself, I bring my experience as a college student, as well as a daughter and sister in a country that may have different ways of bringing up their children than my new host country. As for being an American though, I bring with me our entire political climate. For those that aren't necessarily 100% aware of what's going on here, I can educate and share my experiences with people, as well as share my opinion on what's happening here in the government.