Lessons from Study Away

Now that I have been in Australia for quite some time now, I have really gotten to know some of the Australians pretty well.

We often chat about the differences and similarities between here and the U.S., but we rarely ever talk about ourselves specifically, so this was an interesting assignment for me.

The first story that one of my friends told me about myself was about a time that someone was driving me to town and I was essentially holding on for dear life and nervous the whole time. Whoever said that New York drivers are crazy apparently never met an Australian. The driving here makes me nervous so I was holding on to the door of the car and was frantically using my phone's GPS to navigate around. Apparently, this was pretty funny for my friend who was driving. He said I was the most nervous passenger that he has had in his car. I think this reflects the "control freak" lifestyle that is sometimes attributed to Americans. I admit, I like to be the driver of the car and do not like to feel like I have no control. But for the laid-back Australian lifestyle, the nerves seem out of place. I think that Australia has helped me to give up control and be more easy-going and stories like this one help me see that.

The next story comes from a dinnertime conversation with another one of my Australian friends. We were talking about our families and what our family dynamic is like. I am very close to my parents and talk to them a lot when I am here. Many of the Australians do the same with their families back home, but not quite as often as me. But when my friend brought it up at dinner that I seem to be really close to my parents, I became more conscious of how often I talk to them. This instance helped reinforce my close relationship with my parents but also helped me see the difference between me and some of my peers who are not as close to their families. I was not met with any sort of disapproval for this, but it was clear that my friend made an evaluation of my relationship with my parents based on how often I talk about them.

This demonstrates my close relationship with my parents:
They came to visit for a week, and we climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Another story that one of my friends shared when I asked him to tell me a story about myself related to my hesitation to ask for help. Australians tend to be relatively blunt and forward when they want something. But as a new addition to the country, I am still more reserved and less likely to just come out and ask someone for something. However, one time I needed a ride to a place that public transportation did not go and I was really nervous to ask. I had just met a lot of these people and did not want to come across as a burden or annoying. Apparently, I did not do a good job of hiding my nerves because when finally did ask my friend, he noticed how nervous and hesitant I was. I think this shows that although I am relatively out-going and personable, I am still nervous about certain forms of communication and shy about asking for help. I also like to be independent, which seems like a very American trait and do not like to rely on others.

Once my friends shared these stories about me, I was able to learn a lot about myself and how others perceive me. I think exercises like these are very helpful.