Everyone who has
previously studied abroad claims it was the best experience of their lives. In
truth, the negative experiences are often suppressed or forgotten when they
return home. Humans always seek the greener grass on the other side. When we
are in the USA USA
Here’s the deal. A place,
truly, is just a place. An experience is only a worthy and engaging experience
when you apply meaning and value. Due to hedonic adaptation, the stimulation
from exploring a new location fades over time because of repetitive exposure.
Yes. I am psychology nerd analyzing the study abroad phenomenon since I’m
immersed in it…
A thought I’ve been
sucking the end of my pen caps over lately: you are the same person in one
location as you are in another. Or ARE you? Three semesters ago I was inspired
to write my doctoral thesis on the notion of exploring oneself by exploring the
world (obnoxious planning may be a norm on my end). Of course, how could I
write such an individualistic thesis without living it out first? My findings
thus far and excuse for why I haven’t posted anything for the past two weeks
(forewarning this is a reflective post and not intended to flaunt my ego… or
id… in any way, shape, or form):
MIZZOU’s study abroad office
warned us, waiting anxiously in anticipation, that there seems to be a common
trend among students abroad. A natural high occurs the first 2-3 weeks because
the constant stimuli fascinates you and you believe wherever you are is SO MUCH
BETTER than home (let’s face it, with American politics nowadays…). Then you
chill out a bit and warm up to the foreign country. About 1-2 months after
studying abroad a number of students become depressed or homesick or both. I
tried to blame the lack of sunshine, but this phenomena proved to be a crude
reality for the girl who studied abroad to deepen her understanding of positive
psychology. Situational irony, I know.
I’m not going to sugar
coat studying abroad. Venturing through Greece Copenhagen
I thought it was
homesickness. I thought it was the lack of vitamin D (Denmark is not exactly sunny in with a high of
75 like St. Louis Copenhagen
The big factors I expected
to suffocate my personal well-being were not actually triggering my reactions. Hitting
real life in the face by applying for “big kid” jobs and setting up Skype
interviews for the real world caused intense anxiety. Asking for recommendation
letters via e-mail simply isn’t my style. I’m a face-to-face kind of girl.
Gotta roll with the punches, I know. Yet, worrying about whether or not my
internet connection will pull through during these interviews still flirts with
my conscious thoughts. To be fair, that’s not a surprising stressor for anyone
my age. Senior year overseas problems. Oops.
The true cause for the
shut down, however, was being thrown off the daily routine which laid a
foundation for handling stressors and accomplishing one thing after another. Don’t
get me wrong, friends and family I do legitimately miss you all. (Here’s where
I rant a bit in a “woe is me” fashion). Last semester I lived the luxurious
life of having my own room. I used to be able to roll out of bed early in the
morning and not feel guilty waking up 3 roommates in the process. I used to
enjoy a tune from my wake up playlist as an alarm clock as I stumbled around
half awake to get my Asics on and stuff a banana down my throat on the way to
8am Advanced Cycling at MIZZOU’s rec center (ohhhh how I miss those stationary
bikes). I used to come home and take my time getting ready, trolling around in
my towel wrap and primping not because I’m a girl, but because it felt good.
People don’t pamper themselves enough in our rat race society. Not in healthy
ways, at least. Take a breather. Enjoy Stonyfield vanilla Greek yogurt with
flax seed and honey in the morning with your coffee (that actually includes
coffee mate creamer). Make yourself a mozzarella, egg, and fresh basil sandwich
for breakfast. You’re lucky if you can find these ingredients at your local
Netto, let alone spend less than $30 on those breakfast items.
This routine kept me grounded. Introverts thrive off the ability to stop, reflect, and think deeply about the whirlwind of occurances happening around them. In an flat full of 7 women, an opportunity for reflection does not happen very often. We've all been feeling the subtle pressures from living in such a cohesive environment. Alas, I encourage you all to take time for yourself on a frequent basis. Reflect on what you've learned about yourself over the years and escape from reality's distractions ever now and the. Ground yourself within your thoughts and you'll strengthen who you are.
This routine kept me grounded. Introverts thrive off the ability to stop, reflect, and think deeply about the whirlwind of occurances happening around them. In an flat full of 7 women, an opportunity for reflection does not happen very often. We've all been feeling the subtle pressures from living in such a cohesive environment. Alas, I encourage you all to take time for yourself on a frequent basis. Reflect on what you've learned about yourself over the years and escape from reality's distractions ever now and the. Ground yourself within your thoughts and you'll strengthen who you are.
Deprivation from these
little blessings will make them that much sweeter when I return home.
Now that I’ve settled
into that mindset and realized why my psyche hasn’t been functioning up to par lately,
all is well. I can embrace the moments I have, once again, without believing
something is truly wrong with me. Funny how reframing concepts to an external perspective
brings inner peace. Good thing the University
of Pennsylvania
If you’re interested: Resilience Program
It’s all water under the
bridge. More fun posts to come on the Scotland
PS: This TED talk
inspired my epiphany. SO good! Power of Introverts
I too have begun to remember how important self-reflection can be. Especially when you've got so many thoughts buzzing around in your head at once, it's good to sit, reflect, and organize your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThe video you posted was indeed "SO good" by the way.