Drop the ego, learn about a new culture
Krystal Bick
If you’re planning on studying abroad next semester, you’re probably already mentally packing those bags.
Lots of passport holders. Check.
Endless pairs of underwear. Check.
All those damn electrical converters that look like S&M props. Double check.
If there’s one thing to leave at the airport gate, though, when you’re saying goodbye to mom/dad/significant other for the next five or six months, it’s the American ego.
Now, I’m not saying we all have the nasty “my country is better than your country” complex. But to a certain extent, it’s easy to be proud of a country that’s based on freedom and democratic ideals (at least in theory). Naturally, other places can pale in comparison.
And I speak from experience.
When I studied for a semester in Turin, Italy two years ago, I loved it. Culture, historic architecture and, good God, the wine were all part of a new and exciting experience that was worthy of a pinch every morning just to make sure it was real.
No matter where I went there was always a building to visit, men to admire and gelato that made me gain a collective, but worthwhile, 10 pounds.
And all the while, in a city of a million people or a village town of 20, it’s easy to feel alone.
Foreign country. Foreign language. Foreign people.
And, as I noticed in my own study abroad program, it’s easy to just fall into what’s comfortable, set up walls and rely on the small group of American students you arrived with. You travel together. You go to open markets together. You speak English together. They become your crutch.
Then suddenly, after spending more than $10,000 at least for a semester that resembled UNR with more foreigners, (poof!) you’re back where you started, walking up Virginia St. instead of centuries-old cobblestone piazzas, wondering if it was really just a dream.
Don’t let it pass you by.
Learn the language. There are plenty of people who, if they won’t converse with you, will at least rattle off obscenities at you, which are helpful just the same.
Try new food. Yes, there’s bound to be a McDonald’s around, but did you travel across an ocean for a Big Mac?
Hell, find someone cute (clinically sane and STD free, just to save my butt here) to date. They’ll know the city much better than you ever could on your own with a copy of Frommer’s at your side.
Just remember, you are representing your home country when you’re studying abroad. The way you carry yourself, the way you make an effort to pronounce an item on the menu and generally the way you show an interest in someone else’s culture reflects on America.
I don’t think you need me to tell you, but America could use some popularity points right now.
Studying abroad can change your life. I’ll never forget the time I got lost on the city bus and wound up in a bad neighborhood with gypsy women who helped me get back home, when I felt incredibly small when I visited the Vatican or the endless varieties of Italian boots that resulted in serious but worthwhile debt.
Looking back on it, you’ll realize that you won’t recognize yourself anymore. It’s a humble, insightful and, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s the beauty of it, if you allow for it.
Krystal Bick is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. She can be reached at kbick@nevadasagebrush.com.
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