America Challenges

Anytime one immerses themselves somewhere new and unknown, they face a challenge in adapting to their new environment. As an American, our culture and customs are much different than the countries that I could potentially be studying in. For example, when researching New Zealand and Australia, I came across that strangers may use sarcasm and insults with one another. In the United States, this is not common, as it is customary to treat complete strangers with respect and only joke with and insult those who one is familiar with. I feel that if I go in knowing that the interactions of strangers are different than here in America, I can shake it off and even participate when a stranger is sarcastic to me. Another challenge is that I will be thousands …show more content…
I will be away from my immediate family for the longest period of time that I have ever experienced. This is especially true because my family lives a mere 20 miles from the University of Denver campus. I could deal with this potential challenge by making sure I talk to my family and friends that are abroad elsewhere. However, these conversations could come few and far between, so it is imperative that make the most of the time and write down things that I would want to tell them. Another way of overcoming the distance is to make new friends abroad, who can be my “family” while I am in a different country. If I can do these two things, I can overcome these challenges, and enjoy the perks of what being abroad will bring. The final challenge is that I am applying to two English-speaking countries, meaning they are direct applications to the universities. I will need a high amount of self-advocacy, because I will be more or less on my own while abroad. However, my main goal of being abroad is to take further steps into becoming an adult, and being independent is the easiest way to get