At the end of it all...

 

            When it came to adjusting to Europe, I personally found it very easy to adjust. Between the considerations that the book The Ugly American gave me, my own personal etiquette knowledge, and my ease in going with the flow— I found myself adjusting easily! I think that if I were to live in England for a year rather than a month, I would definitely need to get better with the train system as well as figuring out the best way to grocery shop! Appliances are just as small as most kitchens and it seems like the best option is usually to buy premade things rather than try to cook from scratch.

            I would definitely expect to have issues with changing my closet to fit the business casual culture! (As mentioned in my post titled “Business Differences”) I usually run cold and wear a sweatshirt, I think I would definitely stick out for a while! I think I adapted very quickly to the whole walking on the other side of the street and jay walking gig, but I would also need to adapt to walking around more in general! Another thing that I mentioned in an earlier blog post is getting used to the education system. I think that trying to keep this difference straight would probably prove to be difficult for me to overcome!

            I think that before I travel next, I am going to do less internet research and more word-to-mouth research! A lot of the things I found on the internet did prepare me well for the harshness of England, but it definitely didn’t mention the abundance of friendliness and tourist help available! I think that listening more to people’s experiences who are in my personal life will prove for more trusty references.

 

 

            When it comes to culture shock, I really did not experience any in exception for the walking/driving on the opposite side of the road. I cannot say that I experienced any wild cultural differences. However… I definitely am experiencing jet lag! In fact, as I write this very blog post, I’ve been awake for nearly 24 hours trying to fly back into town! On our way into the country, my travel buddy and I decided to stay awake the entire flight so that we could sleep good that first night. We slept for just over 12 hours and it was perfect to set us up for an energized day!

 

           

            In the textbook required for this class, there was lots of talk about ethics between cultures and within them! I can internalize ethical standards such as respecting all religions by simply understanding that everyone is different and there’s no need to change that in any manner. I can learn to apply that standard to my own future by being extra cautious when topics such as religion come up. Being respectful of people and their lives as a distant difference from mine! This distance is not a threat or to push away a threat, but rather a length of respect towards their life an my life.

 

 

            As for my future travels, I think that I will probably stay within the U.S. for some time. I think that testing the waters in somewhere like Germany or a Southern American country could be lots of fun! I would definitely expect to experience culture shock in a place like those! I think it would be good for me to have those experiences at some point as it will likely help towards my career. Being able to communicate and understand a larger variety of consumers is also just not a bad business trait as it is!