As I am preparing myself to spend two months in New Zealand, I find myself thinking about what it will be like to be a U.S. citizen abroad. Having never spent any amount of time out of the country, I know that this experience will be very different than anything I've ever experienced. However, I think that I will be well prepared for this change. When I first came to college, I did not know a single person at Maryville College, making it a very new experience, even though I had been to East Tennessee before. This past summer, I went somewhere new, to Pennsylvania, not knowing anyone I was going to work with. These have both been growing experiences that have taught me how to adjust to new places and new people. I hope to take this flexibility that I have learned with me to New Zealand as I enter a new culture.
I've heard many stories about people vacationing or studying abroad and getting a lot of questions about the political climate in America, asking if they support Donald Trump, how they feel about gun control, and many other prying questions. It would be surprising if everyone I come across believes all of the typical American stereotypes, but if I do come across someone who has pre-concieved ideas about who I am based on where I am from, I think it will be a great opportunity to have an open conversation to teach them about the diversity of my culture while learning about theirs.
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