Posted November 2, 2020 by Wheaton College
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Adventurous Thinking Study Abroad
Caroline Catanzarite - Culture Clash and Growth
By: Caroline Catanzarite '21
Traveling across the globe for a whole semester is quite the decision. It’s dangerous yet enthralling. It’s challenging, breathtaking, uncomfortable, emotional. My study abroad experience was marked by many conversations and interactions with the locals. A majority of my time in Australia and Indonesia was spent in full cultural immersion.
One moment that stands out was when some Indonesian students invited our group out to dinner. We went to McDonald's (their favorite restaurant) and shared slang words, cultural differences, trends, and humor! It seemed as if there were more similarities than differences between our cultures. After we finished talking and eating, the local students rented scooters for us and we all rode around for a while, dancing and just enjoying ourselves! The amount of joy they displayed in sharing Indonesian culture with us was really touching and I appreciated it much more after hearing personal accounts of an Indonesian student’s life.
I realized the impact of my immersion in Jakarta culture after a few weeks: the language barrier and cultural differences made life constantly uncomfortable, but in a good way. This type of discomfort is experienced by anyone who lives in a diverse society and the simplest interactions with those unlike you spur significant growth and understanding.
Interested in studying abroad? Here's more info for you!
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