Introduction
Every time we encounter a difference we are given a choice – avoid it or learn about it. One of the greatest flaws of the human mind, whether an inherent product of imperfection or a learned mindset, is that it undoubtedly gravitates toward the former. Difference brings discomfort, change, and ultimately fear, none of which are on my list of favorite things to experience.
In my life at home, the difference exists but in a much more subtle way. The stranger I see in the park is different, the music my roommate listens to is different, the food they served at Phelps today was different. But, it is quite possible to live your normal life without experiencing much difference.
When you sign up to study abroad, you are signing up for a difference. At first, almost everything is uncomfortable, new, and scary. The language spoken is different, every meal time and foods are different, the weather is different, the way people greet each other (what, they kiss each other on the cheek!) is different – everything I thought I knew was different now. Life falls apart, and the choice I’m given now is to escape life or learn about it.
pulse of place
There is a scientific phenomenon called physiological synchrony, where interactions between individuals lead to increased coordination of actions, emotions, thoughts, and physical processes. In other words, the more you spend time with someone, the more likely it is that your heartbeats will align. how cool is that!? But, it is not only the people who are bread and butter; In places they are also there.
When I arrived in Buenos Aires, our beats were bad. As if the heart of the city was beating slowly and rhythmically bombo laguer Argentinian folklore, while my heartbeat was racing and incoherent, a side effect of a productivity-hungry college student who has forgotten how to slow down. How can a person who hates wasting time survive in a place where people pride themselves on being “professional time wasters”? The answer is found in physical synchronicity.
There is a Spanish word that is used all the time here in Argentina, the verb Inside. It means to go or walk, but in the sense that going/walking is the destination. For example, if a friend invites me for a picnic in the park, I might say “voy para ahiWhich would be translated as “I’m going there”, but I can also answer “that and thatWhich can be loosely translated as “I’m going to walk the streets, I’ll get there eventually.” To connect with the pulse of the city, I needed to learn how Inside.
As I began to take in this new place, my heartbeat began to slow down as I tried to figure it out. As the city and I spent more time together, elements that seemed strange at first turned into behavior. I started moving, feeling, thinking and living in the rhythm of Buenos Aires.
hug is a posture
The beautiful thing about adopting something different is that it doesn’t require sacrifice, which is normal. Studying abroad is not a rejection of familiarity; This is an extension of that. I’ve learned how two different ways of life can be purposeful and beautiful in their own ways.
“Studying abroad is not a rejection of familiarity; it is an extension of it.”
The posture of embrace is a posture of humility. It counters the glorified ethnocentrism that tries to portray one way of life as superior to another, and instead seeks to understand a culture on an intimate level. This is done by connecting with all aspects of the society. Food, music, art, holidays, architecture, nightlife, language, body language, transportation, and all other elements of culture become ways to cherish a new way of life. A life that started differently, but has now become quite familiar to me.
