I agree with Kat studying abroad is
a very important. I haven’t taken
classes in another country but I have been a few places around the world and
the experiences I've had were extremely fun, and memorable. In 2010,
I went to South Africa. I spent tens
days over my Easter break helping grow relationships with the underprivileged
people of South Africa and created relationships and made experiences I will
never forget. Throughout the trip we
built houses and planted gardens for the people to better their lives.
I also went to Spain and Italy
summer of my senior year. We went to
Barcelona and traveled all throughout Italy.
I went to all the famous land marks and enjoyed every second of it. But that is not what I take back most from
that trip. I learned how to overcome
language barriers with many Spanish and Italians, buying stamps could not be
any more complicated. But I also learned
how to manage my money and not spend it all on the first thing I saw. I learned how to barter with street venders
and get the best deals on fake sunglasses.
These two experiences have taught
me a lot and I believe they have helped me discover who I really am, and helped
me mature as a person and as a man.
These trips helped me and I would like to go study abroad sometime
because I feel as though I would return with similar and hopefully better
experiences. Going abroad just would
open my mind up to many new ways of thinking and new cultures, and I think that
is very important especially for college students as they are discovering who
they are themselves and what they want to be doing for the rest of their
lives.
I'm sure you learned much more than haggling over fake sunglasses, although that is a very useful skill no doubt. I think the larger lesson there is just how to deal with incredibly complex and cognitively stressful situations, and to quickly navigate them. There is nothing more stressful sometimes that hopping off a train and having to find your way around a new city, get a room, and get situated. The best lesson is learning to make the most of these situations and to enjoy doing so!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder what the experiences in places in South Africa are like for the other side, the underprivileged people who do not have the ability to go study abroad somewhere. Do they see these rich people coming in and think that it is going to be a good time for them? Even after they do meet you and receive your aid, do get a similar feeling that you receive. You said that you developed relationships with people that you will never forget, and I am wondering if the people you were with also will never forget these interaction. I do not mean you personally, I am just wondering about this in general.
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