So far in London, I’ve enjoyed a show in the famous West End, visited the queen (and my future husband, Prince Harry) at Buckingham Palace and ridden on the top of a double decker bus. I’ve updated my wardrobe to be more chic and I’ve started casually incorporating the words flat and posh into my daily vocabulary. I’ve also spent a lot of money on alcohol, and for that I blame Freshers Week.
Also called “reentry,” reverse culture shock is the reaction to returning back home after experiencing another culture and is common among students who study abroad. Most study abroad programs prepare their student for culture shock, providing them with resources and information on how to adapt to a new culture away from your life back home. However, what students should be most worried about is the thoughts of disconnect and depression when returning home.
While learning so much about Italian culture, I have learned more about my own culture in the process.
Change is a risk worth taking.
But what I think was the most important lesson was how to deal with being the odd one out. I was perpetually known as “the American.”
I had found exactly what I had been searching for, but failed to find all summer long: a taste of my semester abroad, a taste of London, and most importantly—as the name of the restaurant implies—A Taste of British Culture.
Australia has done much more than just quench my thirst to travel.
There are so many experiences I had in China that I could ramble on all day everyday about.
Every year, Arcadia first years and transfer students look forward to setting off on the preview experiences. So without further ado, here is a collection of photographs taken by those who went abroad.
During the exchanges I have had with students that have been on preview or who have studied abroad I’ve learned a few traveling tips that might be helpful to all who plan to travel in the future.