Try Not to Hesitate

My personal experience abroad has been everything that I have imagined and more. Personally, studying in the United States has been a turning point in both my personal and professional life, and I am sure it will help shape my future. It was not always perfect and happy, but it was an educational, meaningful, exciting, exhausting, and transformative experience. Living in another country means leaving all the comforts of home behind and having to do everything on my own. I remember the first week, I felt weird because I could not follow most of the conversations my American friends had. I was frustrated. I used this frustration as a motivation to learn more, to be more curious, to put more effort into my pronunciation (although it is still lacking), and my vocabulary. 

Moreover, I miss my family, my food, my language, but getting out of my comfort zone has taught me other things; here I have become a calmer and more efficient person in my personal activities. I learned to take risks. Studying in The United States can feel a bit like a risk: going to a confusing new place, living with people you do not know, often in a language, you do not speak. Indeed, looking at these last two years of studying abroad, my best memories were times when I was taking a little more risks. In my first year, one of the most important lessons I took from America was trying to love those that I did not understand. 

On the other hand, I learned to love customs that I did not like and conversations that I could not have, which made me scratch my head in confusion. I have learned that many challenges can be overcome with a little creativity and carefreeness. Rather than immediately getting angry, I try to calm down and take a moment to soak up the whole situation before I act. 

In conclusion, the best lesson I discovered while studying abroad is that the world has magnificent depth. In fact, there are still more intriguing things to learn about the United States because there is more than meets the eye.

By Jairo Andres Jaramillo Bernal

What has been exciting, strange, or confusing about studying in another country?

Studying in another country, especially in the U.S.A, has been the best experience that I have ever had in my entire life. I have learned a little bit about each culture from around the world in one place, New York City. New York has different kinds of people of diverse races, ethnicities, religion, social status and more. I love it!

It is exciting to make new international friends, which gives me the opportunity to have more destinations to visit in the future. In fact, two of my best friends are from China. Also, the food is amazing because there are new flavors, smells, and food textures that I have never tasted before. I can easily find delicious food from other nations around the U.S.A. Another important and amazing gift of studying in another country is that my vision of the world has changed. I do not only want to learn a language, but now I dream of learning other idioms and making big projects in my life. Everything is new and exciting. I find something new that surprises me every single day.

Along with these exciting experiences, I have also encountered some strange experiences. For example, I went with my Chinese friends to a typical Chinese restaurant, Hot Pot, and we ate some delicious food that I never ever thought that I would taste like frog legs, Peking roasted duck, Pinshang hot pot, and others. In addition, American culture is confusing but interesting because it is a country that was built on the dreams of people that wanted to live in a better place. For example, this president elections system is different to my own country and others, Also, each state has their particular laws, and that it is interesting.

I believe that it has made The United States a strong country. I can say studying abroad is the best decision that I could have made in my entire life.

By Herley Felipe Mendez