Before going abroad, I was very concerned about culture shock, but it turned out that I had a harder time dealing with reverse(逆向的)culture shock when returning home. Coming back has been a tougher transition than expected. It's not just about transitioning back to home life; it's also about handling the strange situation of being a different person in the same old environment. I am most terrified of waking up in a few months and feeling like I'm the same person I was before I studied abroad.
This situation is especially strange with people who have known me for a long time, like my parents, who witnessed all my major life changes before this one. I didn't realize how much I'd changed until I interacted with them and close friends. Despite only being away for three and a half months, I quickly noticed the differences between who I was before and who I am now. Over the past few weeks at home, I've been wondering how to maintain the positive changes and qualities gained from my semester abroad.
I've realized that surroundings and situations greatly influence mindset, and keeping a certain mindset while losing its corresponding(相对应的)environment is challenging. For instance, being in Madrid taught me to be more relaxed and stress-free. However, returning to Penn State with its demanding course load makes maintaining that mentality(心态)difficult. I've come to realize the problem that perpetual stress about school isn't healthy, especially after experiencing a semester of travel, fun, and academic success. Therefore, I've decided to work hard and study as usual but occasionally give myself a break, and do what I can to avoid getting over-stressed about tests and assignments. This means I will put in effort when necessary in order to make sure I am always caught up or ahead of class material.
Coming home has been more challenging than expected, but I'm confident I'll get through it in the next few weeks. Nevertheless, I'm determined to maintain the important lessons I learned about myself and others in Madrid.
