In 9 days, I will be on my way to the airport with a group of about seven people, about to embark on a one of a kind journey. We will spend almost four months in Montevideo, Uruguay as a part of our school's study abroad/spanish immersion program. I am beyond excited at this point, but I am also very nervous to leave my home and my native language for so long. Here are some fears that everyone has before studying abroad.
1. Not getting along with the other people travelling — I am travelling with a group of about 7 people. While most study abroad programs have many more, this makes it more challenging because there are so few of us. Personality clashes or grudges can make the time overseas frustrating.
2. Not packing right — One checked bag, one carry on and one personal item — this is all that can be taken overseas. Packing too much or not enough can be detrimental to your bank account.
3. Stolen items — Although it is easy to quickly fall into the habits of the natives and adjust to the culture, Americans still stick out as tourists. Tourist stereotypes picture us as loud, dumb and rich, and perfect for victims of muggings or robberies. Keep your phone and wallet with you at all times!
4. Not getting past the language barrier — I am going to Uruguay as part of the Spanish immersion program, but that does not mean I will be good at speaking Spanish. Communicating through everyday activities such as eating at a restaurant or grocery shopping can be difficult with a language barrier
5. Experiencing culture shock — Unfortunately, this is a given. Culture Shock is basically an extreme form of homesickness. At some point, everyone who travels will experience the struggle of the language barrier and will cry over missing their family and home.
6. Being an American stereotype American tourists are often loud, rude, rich, colorful, dumb, overly happy, and annoying. I am scared that I will fall into this category (especially the loud part).
No matter how many fears I have about studying abroad, nothing will be scary enough to stop me from going!