Culture Shock
It's hard to imagine I've been living in Argentina for a whole week now. I feel as if I just got here yesterday, yet I also feel like I've been living here for weeks. But, don't get me wrong, the first initial days weren't easy and I'm not going to lie and say they were.
In the beginning I felt lost, alone and almost regretted this decision. I guess I got a case of culture shock. But maybe I also didn't feel at home and I didn't expect it to be as 'hard' as it was. I felt as if I had just been thrown into this foreign country and left on my own to survive with nothing to protect myself from.
I felt so out of place and helpless because I couldn't even communicate with others, which made all my doubts start flooding in. The feeling was bizarre and not something I was use to, but I wasn't going to allow it to take over. I'm not the type of person to do that, nor was I ever raised like that. I was raised to be strong, independent and to never give up.
It took me a couple days and a few long talks with my family and friends for me to wake up. I'm here in this beautiful country and I need to embrace it, rather than hide from it. Once I started to embrace my current state, everything started to fall back into place. I began to feel like myself again and I was ready to see what this country has to offer.
I've started to meet new people, begin my Spanish classes (soon I'll be bilingual), and even my internship. It's crazy to think what little changes can do to us both physically and mentally, which is why I'm always grateful to get through those hard times to see those brighter days.
Now, I feel at ease again and I know I made the right decision. I always have to remind myself nothing is ever easy in the beginning, which is why not everyone makes it to the end. For this reason, I didn't want to disappoint myself by not taking full advantage of the opportunity in front of me, because life is too short and I want every moment to count.
I know this was a bit of a rant, but sometimes I just need to let it all out to get past it. I'm now one week down and have 11 left to go, so let's see where this journey of mine takes me!