So lately I have been trying to figure out what I am going to say when everyone I know and probably even some people I don't know ask me about how my trip was. I really don't want to give the typical response ("It was such a great experience") but I don't think there is anything I can possibly say to really capture how this trip has affected me. I think I would have to say that it has instilled in me an appreciation, both for what I have in America and how things work in other parts of the world. Now, my brain is pretty fried at this point from all of the papers and ridiculous traveling, so I am just going to cop out and make a list.
Things I Appreciate About America:
1) Free refills
2) Sweet tea
3) Knowing exactly how much to tip (I know these are all food related thus far, but this is where I have noticed one of the biggest differences)
4) Classes that have some breathing room in between papers/projects/etc
5) Knowing the language
Things I Appreciate About Being In Different Countries:
1) Just because people have a different system of doing things, it doesn't necessarily make ours "right" or "better"
2) I have a newfound appreciation for people that come to America that don't know the language. It is SO difficult when you have no idea how to communicate at the most basic level
3) How ignorant we are about world affairs. Unacceptable.
4) How hard students work in school
There are many more, but these are just the ones I could crank out off the top of my head. So my suggestion is to try and not just say "Blah blah blah experience when you are asked how this trip was. Try and find something really meaningful to say about it. :)
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I admit that I personally have worked much harder since I got here. I know part of it is the rigorous workload but really if you gave me the same assignments at home I would still procrastinate much worse. This is also the first time I've had perfect attendance in school since 1st grade.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't wait to get back to sweet tea.
I agree with you Beth, it's so hard to explain a trip that his impacted you so much in a sentence. And saying "it was such a great experience" is so generic. I am thinking that when people ask me about it I'll talk about how it was, on one hand, the most stressful 6 weeks of my life, and on the other hand, how it was the best 6 weeks of my life. We'll see about that last one after I get my grades back though :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have many great experiences here at Oxford, I have also realized some of the things I really do appreciate in America. First would be ICE! It seems that there are not many places that give you ice in your cups. Second, Chick-fil-a (for obvious reasons). Third, having bills automatically on separate checks when we go out to eat, thus avoiding having to calculate how much everyone owes. Fourth would be a convenient trash can located at nearly every place you can imagine. I didn't fully appreciate these things until I didn't have them anymore. However, I am definitely going to miss living here at Trinity and being able to travel all over Europe on the weekends!
ReplyDeleteI feel the exact same way about your list of things you appreciate about being in other countries. It really stinks that so many of the people in America are so incredibly ignorant to what else is going on in the world. One of my favorite things about being over here is getting to talk to people and have intelligent conversations about things that you really can't talk about in the U.S. due to the fact that no one really knows what they are talking about. Maybe I just hang out with the wrong people though....
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