A Reflection

When is too much?!

Here are a few things I've thought about/learned about over the past 7 weeks. 

1. Question the idea of the authentic trip or the authentic site, realize that it's impossible to have an absolutely authentic experience. What does this even mean? At first I felt paralyzed from this: how could I ever go anywhere if I knew that my experience wasn't authentic? That said, traveling = at times inauthentic, staying at home = no experience. I pick traveling .
2. It's good to be prepared and to have a basic idea of the history of the country you're traveling to, food, etc. There is such a thing as being too prepared. I've realized that I've developed a nervous tick this past semester. When I get really stressed out or overwhelmed I log onto REI or Campmor and begin to obsessively look at outdoor apparel. I don't buy it, I just look. Last week a friend caught me doing this. I realized that I had reached a point of over-preparing. 
3. It's important to try to stay present. This was something I've had a hard time with in preparing to study abroad. It's hard to concentrate on my life in New York (school, friends, job, etc.) when I'm constantly thinking and studying about a place I'll be traveling too. I hate spending time feeling nervous or anxious for something I'm not going to experience for months. I wish this wasn't the case, however I'm not sure how to resolve this. 
4. I reminded myself of the following numerous times throughout this course; this is something I say to myself when in a number of different situations: If it rains it rains, if you get bit by a poisonous snake you get bit, if the subway never comes it never comes....etc. The basic idea being that if something happens, it happens. I like to address a problem when it happens rather than worrying about every potential problem that could come my way.
5. Sometimes people say really shitty things about the places. We all have ideas about what certain places are like or what the people there are like. However, this is not an excuse or a reason to say offensive, racist, sexist, or homophobic comments. This seems to come up often, whether it's the fact that I'm a female traveler or the fact that I'm (Gasp) going to Africa. I try to take these comments in stride, choosing when it's worth the discussion and when it's simply not worth it.