Last year I had the pleasure of
studying abroad in German for the year.
I did not go with any friends or anyone from Winona State. The idea of going abroad for the year was
exciting and scary at the same time.
While I was living abroad for the year I met many different people from
all over the world. I learned very
quickly that small towns in Europe were completely different then small towns
like Winona, MN. I would like to share a few stories, and a few tips that could
help people travel safer and more informed.
The
first tip I’d like to give for someone who is going abroad is: You’re an American and not
everyone is going to like you.
On my trip to Paris, France I was having dinner in a bar-lounge
restaurant with a few of my American and Irish friends. A group of local Parisians heard us speaking
English and were interested in practicing their English with us. Our conversation centered on American politics
(mistake!) and travel. Our new French
friends were probably enjoying a few too many glasses of wine, because like a
light switch they began to start yelling at us for no reason. After a few minutes of being humiliated and
yelled at for being American the waiter came to throw the group of French men
out. Although there was no provoking on
our end it is important to know that not all people are friendly to
Americans. After this situation I was
always very skeptical of sharing where I was from.
Another tip I
would like to share with regards to the Paris story: don’t consume too much alcohol in a town you are not familiar with. The story involves my good friend Lily, who
is from Ireland. Lily has a very strong personality and tends to do whatever
she wants when she wants. One of my
first nights in Germany I met Lily, and we were celebrating a Birthday for a
mutual friend, Peter. We were in another
city close to where we were staying and Lily was… well… needless to say –
drinking too much. Lily walked off by
her self that night and was robbed. Lily’s
phone and all of her money were stolen.
The point of this story is getting out of control in any new city is
something you should not do.
My
last tip I would like to share is: Try
and learn the Learning the language of the land. Learning the language ofthe country you will be traveling to is very
important, even if it is just a few small phrases. Locals are far friendlier if you attempt to
try and speak their language then just assuming they should know English. This was the case when I went to Italy and I
needed to buy medicine at a drug store.
I saw that the medication was behind the front desk and without thinking
I asked the old man behind the desk for the pills, in English. He knew what I had asked for but gave me a
dirty look and kind of threw the bottle on the counter and said nothing. Although this was not a huge deal I should have
had better manners and asked if English was okay.
