Saturday, January 22, 2011

Value of Study Abroad

Deep in the throes of self-doubt, fear, panic and paranoia lay the treasures of self discovery one hopes for in a study abroad experience.Looking back at the positives that came out of the negatives of my time in Costa Rica, I realize it was the stupid mistakes and silly decisions I made that led to the strongest learning experiences.Whether it was picking up a pirate taxi late at night, or befriending a person a little too sketchy for my own good, many of the moments of poor judgement led to strong development.

This is why I want to make sure I am not there for my foreign roommate. I have to make sure I do not assist him too much and do not allow him to get lost like I once was.The adversity gave me the growth I was looking for.When Sijun askes me a question about how to get around campus I answer back...but I might take a little longer than normal. Let the struggle set in.
Remembering my time abroad, I recall times where my family seemed to be going out of their way to not help me, to give me the room to flail around in international confusion.All my fellow study abroad buddies went through this. I want to make sure Sijun does as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment