Experiential Blog Post 9

The information most meaningful to me was about myself. I always felt like I didn't fit in; I felt like I was some sort of lone ranger. Yet, after going on this study abroad, I've realized; I do belong to a culture. I fit in somewhere, and I have a home. It's an odd feeling admitting that because I've always considered myself above that, but I appreciate such smaller things now. The food I eat, the way I speak and the things I do are all related to my culture, how I was raised and where I live. From today and on, I am going to look at things in my culture and be able to say, "Yeah, that's part of U.S. behavior". This could have changed quite a bit in my past. Things I looked at negatively or disliked I would have appreciated more. Things I took advantage of, like refills, free water, low taxes and free bathroom use are all things I never thought about being a privilege. We have a lot going for us in the states, and it's our duty to make sure everybody has an opportunity to live such a good life.