Studying abroad begins with study at home

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I was just offered a weekly column in the campus newspaper's new World Traveler section. I thought my pre-departure column that got me the job would make an appropriate first entry to test this thing out before I leave. For one, I can't figure out how to indent the first lines.

Preparing to study abroad is a journey in itself - the first step in learning to cope with stress, exercise patience, develop cultural awareness, and accept humility.

The first of these lessons I learned during finals. Attempting to understand German grammar is stressful enough without simultaneously attempting to rent an apartment halfway around the world. I frequently envisioned myself wandering the streets of Rome, homeless.

Eventually, time-differences and a constantly fluctuating exchange rate were conquered. I now envisioned myself wandering the streets of Rome, enjoying a cup of gelato and appreciating the importance of planning ahead and asking for help.

With finals behind me, I took a job at a kitchen store in the mall to save money for my trip. As someone who hates shopping and cannot cook, I was immediately out of my element. My first day a lady politely asked if we carried mandolines. I held back my immediate instinct to direct her to the music store down the street, and decided to ask if she could describe it for me. After a minute of description and gesturing, I guided her to the boxes of vegetable slicers, which I then realized were clearly labeled as mandolines.

After encountering this much difficulty communicating in my native language, I discovered a new appreciation for the patience I will need when I find myself on the other side of this situation in Europe - searching desperately through a pocket dictionary and gesturing vividly in front of a helpful local.

I highly recommend that anyone traveling abroad first work in retail. Doing so places you in a situation where a polite response or none at all is required, no matter what the situation. Every day you will encounter people, questions, and unruly children that would normally make your jaw drop, but instead you will learn to simply reply, “Thank you. Come again.”

Perhaps once you are used to encountering these situations in our own culture, when you encounter an unusual situation abroad you will be better prepared to hold back your initial instinct to judge and instead take time to reconsider the situation. You may even find yourself enjoying a local culinary specialty despite the use of ingredients you refused to touch in your science lab class.

The final lesson of my study abroad preparations was in humility. While studying abroad, you inevitably find yourself standing out and at times appearing ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with looking goofy, however, if something is learned and the goal is achieved.

With this philosophy in mind, I confidently walked through every department store in the mall, crumpling each pair of pants I liked into a ball before trying them on. To the sales associates I may have simply appeared inconsiderate, to other shoppers perhaps crazy. But I politely returned each rejected pair to its hanger and left with the pants best fit to double as a pillow on overnight rail trips and still look great the next day.

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Comments

[Lindsey]

Ball of Pants
Yeah, I would have wanted to kick you after watching you wrinkle all the merchandise. Thank goodness you hung it back up, otherwise the retail gods would have requested you as a sacrifice. Will you shop this way in Rome?