Did you read that opinion piece by the student who loathed her study abroad time in Florence? It’s been controversial, as you can imagine, with people commenting on her entitlement and so forth.
But what it made me think of is flexibility. My first experience overseas was a summer I spent in Japan with a homestay family. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew everything would be different and the onus was on my to deal with the differences. Because I went in with a positive mindset and a willingness to embrace new experiences, I had a fabulous time. I’m still in touch with my homestay family all these years later, and I feel so lucky to have been able to spend that time with them.
But not everyone on my program had that kind of experience. People complained about the food, the climate, the language, their families, you name it. Why were they so unhappy? Because they weren’t flexible. They were in a different country but they weren’t able to appreciate the differences. They didn’t try to learn the language, they weren’t adventurous with the food, and they complained that their families weren’t friendly. (I met those families, by the way. They were all lovely!)
When we’re in new situations, I think how we deal with it starts with attitude. Go in with the assumption that good things will happen. Sure, there will be new challenges and unexpected occurrences, but I’ve always found that when I’m open to those—enthusiastic, even—that I have good experiences.
What do you think? Are there times you’ve approached things with an attitude that impacted your experience? What did you learn along the way?
