Initially, when I heard I would be rooming with an international student I was beyond stoked. I could not wait to get to know her and develop a relationship. I was even more excited to find out that she was from New Zealand, the motherland of any country I have ever wanted to visit.
As the days passed, my excitement grew. Finally move-in day arrived and I met her. While yes, I did my research and looked her up on Facebook, I did not find out too much. She was not much of an avid Facebook user and her other social media didn’t offer any new information. So, when I finally met her I was eager to put the puzzle pieces of this mystery together. What I first discovered was that she had never left home before. I am not just referring to day trips and what-not. Rather, she had never lived anywhere else but the home. She was also an only child and had no siblings, which was something I wasn’t used to. She loved to talk but didn’t quite get social cues . I began to worry about how the rest of the semester would go.
Now, I have had my fair share of interesting roommates but this one was entirely different. Maybe it was the fact that I was so American, but everything she did was so odd to me. After the first few weeks, I began learning more about her world and culture. For her, going to the big city was a family affair. Everyday her mom and dad would take the train with her to the university. This was a concept that I and many other young Americans would not understand. Here in America we are breed to be independent. For example, after you graduate from high school you go to college away from home. You live on your own and become more of an individual. In New Zealand it’s very common for most students to attend the University that is closest to their home, and live at home. They also sometimes take gap years between high school and college.
After hearing this, I was interested to learn about other cultural differences. Throughout that semester of living together, I learned that although we share a language, our cultures are vastly different. I realized that my American upbringing may have prevented me from having a more open perspective about the cultures of other countries. My foreign roommate taught me so much about life. Prior to getting to know her, I would have never thought that my life is so “Americanized.” I had this idea in my head that if you share a common language, you must share a common culture, but I was so wrong. Sometimes we are so preoccupied by our daily lives’ that we forget that there is so much more out there than just the United States.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet an amazing new friend, and to open my mind to a whole new perspective. My roommate and I taught each other so much about our respective countries and cultures and helped each other navigate our way through the semester. If I could tell my past-self anything, I would say “keep an open mind.” Sometimes we just need someone to show us that there is more out there then what is in front of you.