I’m about to go to bed for my first night in Montevideo, UY and what a day… I didn’t think that flying was going to be too bad but after getting off a 3 hr flight from Boston to Miami and having to rush right onto my 9 hr flight to Montevideo I think it’s safe to say I hate flying, for the time being at least.

What’s hit me the most today is the reality of culture shock. We talked about it in class and I read about it and checked out the culture exercises that Grace put up on Moodle last semester, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this. Ever since I got in line boarding my flight from Miami to Montevideo I have been a minority. Not necessarily in skin color but absolutely in language and culture. Frankly it’s terrifying. I thought I was going to be able to hold my own with my Spanish, that was wrong. Listening to these people (or any native speakers I would think) is so far from a classroom, even Luis, that it’s like everyone is speaking Swahili. I think I’ve found that the best way to get through this is to completely swallow your pride. I have never been on an international flight before so right off the plane in Montevideo I had no clue where to go. I must have asked six different people directions between getting to customs (40 feet in front of my face), getting through customs, getting my baggage, scanning my baggage again, and then finding the exit (again right in front of my face) and getting in my taxi to go to the university. Continue reading →