Perth, Australia

Why I chose to go to Australia: As a little girl, I dreamt of seeing the Australian outback and of having adventures with strange animals like koalas and kangaroos. I even pretended to eat “eucalyptus” leaves like a koala bear from one of the trees in my back yard. Although I no longer dream of the rugged adventures in movies like Crocodile Dundee and Indiana Jones, I now envision a different adventure in my study abroad experience — one in which I attempt to successfully integrate myself into the laid-back Australian culture in Perth. Because of my interest in science and health care, Curtin University of Technology seems perfect for me. My intercultural research project also excites me — I plan to go on an Asian study tour of health care systems in Mongolia, Lao, and Thailand.

Another intercultural experience I had: To me, going abroad means always feeling a little bit out of place; being the unusual foreigner who does things a bit differently; never completely understanding jokes — maybe even being the joke. This is how I felt when I stayed with a host family and interned at a hospital in Feldkirch, Austria. While there, I tried to use my best manners, and I offered to help my host mom cook in the kitchen. Although I meant this as a polite gesture, she declined my offer rather harshly and appeared offended. I now think that I had crossed some unspoken line defining a guest’s place in the home. This was just one of the misunderstandings I encountered in Austria that made me want to learn more about intercultural communication.

Another intercultural experience I had: The intercultural communication class has helped me become more sensitive to nuances in another culture. We examined cultural differences in many different cultures, and our goal was to be able to apply our knowledge to any new culture we encounter. For example, we learned that in French homes, which rooms a guest may enter depends on the degree of intimacy between the host and the guest. In general, only family members and close friends are allowed to enter the kitchen. While this is an example of differences between American and French cultures, I now know that such differences occur in other cultures as well. This would have been useful to know before I went to Austria and "invaded" my host family’s kitchen. Just knowing that cultures vary in such ways will help me behave more sensitively in Australia.

The challenges of being abroad: This study abroad experience will place me in completely unusual situations that may prove difficult to handle. My biggest fear is that instead of meeting these challenges, I will just want to retreat into my room and avoid interactions with others. To meet this challenge, I may have to force myself to meet new people and explore the city. Perhaps I can set little assignments or goals for myself each week. While I will need time alone to reflect and to get enough rest, I will also need to make sure that I push myself to get the most out of my study abroad experience in Perth.

How study abroad might be easier than life at K: Going to Perth may actually relieve some tension for me. I think that the stress levels in the United States, and especially here at Kalamazoo College, are pretty high. While attending Curtin University of Technology, I expect less challenging coursework and more time for relaxing, traveling, and meeting new people. Studying abroad will help me reexamine my life and take a break from the stressful pace of Kalamazoo College.

See contact page to arrange a speaking engagement.

Read excerpts from my letters home.