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| Enjoying the view at Sukhothai National Park in Thailand |
Thoughts on Adapting to New Environments
My motto
in life is “If your dreams do not scare you, then they are not big enough.”
This phrase inspires me to disregard any doubts or fears when making goals for
the future. With this phrase in mind, I pursued and achieved my dream of
studying abroad in Korea, despite a fear of the unknown. Similarly, I refer
back to this motto when I am interacting with new people or environments. This
basic idea of moving forward despite fear or doubts is my main strategy for
interacting with people who are different from me or situations that are
unfamiliar. With this mindset, I have come to think of entering an unfamiliar
situation as an adventure, which helps encourage me to address ambiguity and
miscommunication with humility, patience, and a sense of humor.
Additionally, when approaching a new
environment, I make a point of conducting research beforehand. Taking the time
to become informed about a culture’s language and socially acceptable behaviors
allows for a more smooth transition through the stages of cultural adjustment.
For example, before leaving to study abroad in Korea, I enrolled in Korean
language courses, adjusted my tastes to Korean cuisine, participated in Korean
cultural events at the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, and kept abreast
of South Korean current events.
The aforementioned research-based preparation
was done with the purpose of diminishing the effects of culture shock. Next,
planning a time-efficient schedule was my strategy for approaching a two-month
backpacking trek through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, thus allowing
me see as much as possible of each country. Then, when I began my first foray
into an office environment as an assistant to study abroad advisors, I took
things one day at a time, knowing that adjustment would come with patience and
perspective. In all of these situations, I formed a different strategy for
approaching each new environment. However, all of these strategies stemmed from
the basic idea of keeping an open mind, which is the foundational
characteristic that has helped me move from environment to environment with
confidence and understanding.
