Journey Letter #2 – From Studying Abroad to Living Abroad

Studying abroad is not just about going to a different academic environment; it is also about being exposed to different cultures and gaining life experiences that will, most likely, shape us into newer versions of ourselves. When I was considering taking the opportunity to pursue my master’s degree in the US, I had many concerns and doubts. The overthinking-me imagined a hundred ways that would lead to failures and loss. I saw it as an investment (it was, a serious one!) and was afraid of the outcomes. The offer letter had been in my mailbox for a month, and I still held off on my answer.

It’s not just about the degree; it’s a living experience

My CEO at that time, who is now my friend, called me out, and we had a talk as he saw me getting anxious about what I always wanted to do. As a reference in all of my applications, he knew I had been seeking an opportunity to study abroad for years, but when the scholarships were at hand, I refused to take, all because of my anxiety.

“Studying abroad is not just about getting a degree. You’re gonna learn much more than what the school will teach you in the classroom.” – Pedro Pedalino.

Then he went on to share what he thought the trip could provide me if I decided to take the chance. It was not meant to be easy, the way I wished, and whether or not I got the degree, the life experience would still be meaningful. Many technical things could be taught online, but the experience in life was what made studying abroad different and worth stepping out of the comfort zone for. More than half of the lessons I learned would not be graded in a transcript, and I must not underestimate them. From this, I decided to accept the offer letter that was waiting for a reply.

International friendship was a gift that wouldn’t be graded

I came back to this conversation over and over again during my journey. I tried to step away and look out of the classroom, seeking what was not covered in the lectures, then I saw “people”. Friends were the first takeaway I recognized that my professors would not put in my backpack or grade me for how good I was at making connections with them.

The curiosity of global citizens

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, in my opinion, is a great hub for cultural exchange. For the first time in my life, I was able to meet, talk, and participate in activities with people from all over the world. I met people from Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, briefly with Australia, and I believe if there were anyone who lived in Antarctica, I would be able to see them on the campus, too.

It was pretty common that people started a conversation with questions about the culture they did not know about, usually with “what is the food that you recommend the most?”. Then, the longer we spent time together, the broader the topics extended. Sometimes, we also talked about social and political items. To me, a conservationist, it is critical to understand those contexts of countries in order to approach them appropriately and establish working strategies. And, daily learning from real people outside of the internet is way more interesting and engaging.

From taboo moments to living in harmony

It was unavoidable to face cultural shocks. I was struggling to answer the daily greeting, “How are you today?”, just as simple as that, because in Vietnamese culture, we do not greet strangers with that question unless when we are close and somewhat looking for a detailed answer. On the other hand, people suffered my question of how old they were, which is a must known information when a Vietnamese starts a friendship, older people need to be addressed with proper pronouns according to their ages, otherwise, it is disrespectful. English does not have those hierarchy for pronouns, but I asked out of habit and got some awkward moments.

Sympathy and open-mindedness were lifeboats of the story. Though we were not backed with a package of cultural awareness, not as much as we needed for this diverse environment, we went through the journey by always leaving a gap for the things we might not know and practicing to not take things personally. It was easier said than done, but that was a skill we were all challenged to achieve.

There are over 8 billion unique humans

Everyone carried the heritage of their cultures to their daily life, to the type of foods they ate, or the holidays they did or did not celebrate. A Chinese group would prefer green tea over black tea like an Indian group. A Korean group would prefer a higher spicy level than a Vietnamese group. And Japan is no longer celebrating Lunar New Year, etc. These contexts suggest the first approach to communicating and interacting with groups of people. However, individual life experiences make everyone unique in their own way.

Perhaps all communication specialists will agree that people, despite sharing similar backgrounds, have different ways of expressing and receiving opinions. Not all Vietnamese will be open for budget negotiations. Or, not all Germans will be sharp on time. It depends. Getting to know people personally, with a sincere heart and a fair mind, is the best way that I can think of to establish long-term connections.

“Everyone communicates differently. There is no shortcut to getting to know one another” – Mr. J.

A friend’s friend told me so, and I agreed with him. There are over eight billion people on earth, yet each of us is so unique. Don’t you think?