It’s only been a few days and I feel lost.ย I have just started my study abroad here in Lima, Peru.ย Ever since I arrived to Peru, the world has changed entirely for me.ย I’ve been trying to get myself together and focus on learning and passing my classes.ย Everything is different from my normality, nothing is as even close as to what one is normally accustomed too.ย I find myself lost in a language disadvantage, even though I know Spanish, the change of vocabulary is very drastic.ย I’ve been having a hard time trying to grip the words and interpreting them into a way I can understand.
Since the moment I started a new class, it has become a new challenge one after the other.ย I’m giving it my all to succeed, also I use my normal study routes to help while I’m abroad.ย As I would back home, I would get out of classes and immediately go home to check on information that the professors have put up on the internet. ย It is a way to stay up to date on everything and won’t find myself as lost as before.ย I’m thankful I have made it into a habit, and it has been helping me to try and stay up to pace as the teachers.ย As I did back home I would write to my professors if I ever found myself in doubt, this has given me the courage to do the same over here, and the professors are willingly trying to help me understand the material and encouraging me to stay on my feet to keep moving forward.
On my second day of class I found myself confronted with a cultural shock.ย I tried to make friends or at least a companion for class, yet wound up ignored by many people.ย Many of the regular students can’t find themselves talking to me for our facial differences, thinking that someone from a different culture, or per say from a different country is trying to talk to them.ย I took matters into my own hands and when the time came to present ourselves, I grabbed the courage to stand in front of a group of people I have never met before, and presented myself and I talked about how it was to be aย student studying abroad. The students saw that even though I had different racial factures, my Spanish was up to par with theirs.
After the class many students began speaking normally to me.ย This actually worked, because a friendship started with two new people.ย They have been helping me get along with things and go along the ropes of everything.ย I have learned the importance of what it is to be culturally different. Everyone has their own way of viewing things, thanks to this study abroad I will gain new points of view.