Howdy & Welcome!
There are a plethora of reasons I am excited for my upcoming trip to Germany, it will be very difficult to pinpoint one. I am 100% excited for the new experience and exposure this trip will provide. The various foods, clothing, learning materials, language, and all around unexplored places serve as my primary source of excitement.
I anticipate the most challenging part of the trip to be the balance of school and fun due to how foreign everything will be. The lecture side of this study abroad is equally as terrifying as the fact I will be in a completely new environment.
I think a number of labels will be placed on me and for a multitude of reasons. I think in my time abroad anyone who is from Germany should be able to easily tell that I am a tourist. I will most likely be wearing an outfit that doesn't match the "norm" and say "y'all" way too much. However, if I am labeled an American or Texan, which I am both and rightfully so, I will wear these labels as a badge of honor. I am proud to be American and am even more proud to be an American from Texas. I wish for my host family to know that even though I am Texan/American I am not restricted to the stereotypes those labels acquire and rather am a mosaic of interests.
The main emotion plaguing me is anticipation for this trip would be feelings of nervousness and anxiety. This anxious emotional cocktail will most likely be continuing until the completion of my first week abroad.
I hope to create lasting memories I will carry throughout the rest of my career at A&M and the rest of my life. I also aim to learn a lot of German and get an insight on what German life looks like up close and personal.
Thanks & gig'em,
Victoria
It's good to remember that the stereotypes have a foundation in reality, though they are not true for everyone. That is the case when they look at us as well as when we look at others!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be proud of your background, but it's also important to remember that we didn't choose where to be born and where we are born is not an achievement, but an accident of fate. So, we should be careful about feeling prideful of that. Quite different from something we earn, such as a university degree or a prize.
Equally, people shouldn't need to feel bad about where we were born, as we didn't do something wrong to get stuck with our birthplace.
Accepting and engaging in conversations about our culture and countries is a truly great thing, so enjoy the intercultural exchange you have with people there!
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I liked how you talked about one of the most challenging things to be balancing school and fun. I think this can be a tricky thing because even just walking the streets in a foreign country you are learning things, not simply in the classroom. This makes it easier to justify not focusing fully on schoolwork because you feel like you have to take everything in while you are there. I guess something to remember is that there will be free time when the work is done and we are all so lucky just to enjoy the time we have there.
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! I completely agree with you about balancing school and fun. I know we will make the best of every moment while still getting the job done in the classroom. I have also been thinking about how I will stick out like a sore thumb in Germany. I also say "y'all" way too much, which I anticipate will be something that sets us apart in Germany. However, I agree with you about being proud of where we are from and excited to learn about the new culture in Germany. I know we will have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteHowdy Victoria! I also want to learn a good amount of German while on the trip, it will be difficult learning how to navigate when many things are in a different language. I feel like pronunciation will be the hardest part for me. I am also pretty nervous because this will be my first time traveling abroad, my family does not travel often. I cannot wait to go on this journey with you!
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