Bad Food, Great Experience #HogsAbroad

When you study abroad, there’s a whole new world that you enter.  A new world with a new culture, a new world with new opportunities, and consequently, a new world with new adversities.  No matter how much you prepare in advance before you trek abroad, inadvertently, challenges will arise.  Whether it be a challenge as menial as being forced to read a map in the cobble stone streets of Paris due to the lack of precious Wi-Fi (like, who reads a map anymore, that’s so old school), or a major challenge such as becoming homesick, or worse, literally sick.  No matter what adversity you face, there’s always a way to harness those problems and produce positive experiences.
    

Bread Factory in Paris: We got to make our own bread with the local Parisian factory workers, that was pretty cool.

I studied abroad in Europe and luckily, most of the challenges that occurred for me were small.  I remember being told by a local Parisian to go back to America (I’m phrasing that in the nicest way possible because it definitely wasn’t nice the way he phrased it to myself and the other students in my group).  I remember not being able to comprehend the Dutch language on the ATM in the Amsterdam airport on my way back to America.  That was really difficult because I needed extra cash (for what reason I forget), so I just bought a Coke instead with the $20 of American currency I had left.  I paid with American currency and received Euros back, which didn’t help since I was headed back to America (yup, didn’t think that one through, I still have the exact 10 Euro bill from Amsterdam from that day).   

Ravioli in London

Out of all the problems I had, the biggest challenge that I remember the most was trying the food.  I know that may seem very trivial but it was a great problem for me.  I am a VERY picky eater so growing accustomed to the food was a challenge.  I was in England for about 6 days and most of the food I ate wasn’t pleasant.  I’ll never forget the day I was served a beef pot pie in London at some local restaurant.  It was horrible! I vividly remember sneaking away from my group with a few other students and going to McDonald’s in Stratford, England.  Those nuggets I had were heaven sent! I don’t know if the nuggets in England are truly better than America’s or if I was just so deprived of American food that they seemed to taste better.  In England’s culinary defense, I can say that the Holiday Inn beside the Heathrow airport has THE BEST chocolate cake I ever had in my 21 years on Earth! 

Visit to a Belgian Chocolate Factory

As I progressed through different countries it became easier to become accustomed to the European food.  I don’t think I would have been able to try the different types of food if it weren’t for the other students and my delegation manager encouraging me to give the food a try.  I know my adversity is very insignificant compared to other testimonials that I’ve heard but it was really difficult for me.  All it took was my friends showing support and for that reason I became open-minded in trying new foods from that day on.   


If there’s anyone out there studying abroad or will study abroad and you’re having a hard time coping with what will be or what is (if you’re studying abroad), I’d just encourage you to open your mind and remind yourself that you’re studying abroad for an experience that you can’t get at home.  You’re in a new world and you should embrace it.  Did you know that only about 2% of students study abroad? When you’re facing adversities while abroad and feel like giving up and going home, just remember that you’re in that 2% that has broken barriers and not only faced but overcame adversities that 98% of college students couldn’t!
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Cordarius Enright, Study Abroad Peer Advisor