Experiental 5: My Emotional Well Being

Throughout the study abroad I have felt confusion and shock but also insightful. At some points I was frustrated by the difference in a cultural belief, as was everyone else. These moments I overcame through actually openning my eyes and experiencing the difference myself. I would express my frustration through whispering a profanity under my breath or putting my hand over my face but once I tryed using patience things got much better. In America we show our emotions quite blatantly by looking annoyed or saying something but that is not the case in the UK. In the UK people feel like showing disgruntlement with something is rude. In Vienna people rarely even communicate with one another unless if their friends. I think some of my feelings of uncomfortableness and confusion are quite common within the study group.  We all are experiencing new places and atmospheres outside of what were used to. Some conclusions I have come to are that people's behaviors and attitudes are heavily affected by the environment they find normal. Speaking up and making your voice heard is quite common in the States but not in the UK. Also I have found that senses of fashion and style can mean very different things depending on the culture it originated. Lastly I found a personal insight while dealing with culture shock and confusion which is that I like to try to understand why a particular norm is around in a culture. I found that working through the confusion to find the purpose was exciting and fun because you can look and say that the norm could possibly work in America.