In what ways has your host community supported your identity? In what ways has your host community challenged or altered how you identify yourself? Please share examples of conversations, photographs or situations that can bring your entry to life.
Living abroad really affects you. I’ve come to appreciate many of the American luxuries that I cannot find in my host country of Germany, such as free public restrooms or free tap water in restaurants. At the same time, there are many things in Germany that I appreciate, such as the focus on recycling and timeliness. One of the best things about my study abroad is that it is also a multi-country EU program, so I am able to travel to many places. We have had field trips to Brussels, Paris, Prague, Berlin, Athens, Bucharest, and Budapest.
Because I am away from my friends and family, I am completely free to explore each city. For example, I have gone to Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Heidelburg apart from Freiburg in Germany. Each city has a very distinct character, and makes me realize what I want to explore more of. In Berlin, while citizens of Cologne, while also open-minded and young, are carefree in a different way.
At the same time that I am able to discover my strength through living abroad and travelling, I am also challenged. A lot of my class work and the people I met have challenged my political and social identity as an Asian-American. I have found myself in situations where I am travelling alone without a phone or wifi, and I am unsure of the next steps I need to take. Sometimes, cultural misunderstandings also occur, and these have all put me out of my comfort zone. In the end however, I believe that being exposed to these ways of lives and perspectives add color to my life, and will only make me a better person.