I grew a lot in China.
While I was checking out on my last day, the lady at the front desk asked me, in Chinese, about some of the junk my roommate left in our room. I responded, in Chinese, without hesitation. I didn’t ask her if she could speak English; I didn’t ask anyone else for help. When I hailed a taxi to the airport, it was the same thing. When I was checking in at the airport, same thing.
Being abroad in country as different as China forces you to rely on your own resources. I am talking about the resources within. Most Chinese, unlike Europeans, don’t speak a lick of English. While Beijing is becoming a global metropolis, Chinese culture still reigns supreme.
It is just you in a country of over one billion people whom you cannot communicate with. This forces you to be resourceful. It makes you realize what you actually want, because there is no one there to tell you what to do or how to do it. You’re on your own.
It is a little like growing up. I am living off campus for the first time this year: cooking my own food, taking responsibility for my own house, and keeping it all together. Being abroad felt like how I do now. It is a growth experience. I understand myself better now and know what I want. And I’ll get it all on my own.
But independence does not have to necessitate loneliness. Being abroad helped me learn to navigate different social situations, in different languages, in a different country. I’ve become more comfortable both with myself and being uncomfortable in unique cultural situations. Although I am more independent after this experience, that doesn’t make me anymore lonely. I have a wealth of great memories and experiences from this summer to keep me company.
It’s these experience I gained from going abroad in China that helped me grow a lot .