“Alright, have a good first day of school, don’t be nervous, you’ll have fun.” The passenger door closes, and the driver drives away. The new student clenches the straps of their back pack and begins heading towards the entrance of the school. Their feet drag as they are hesitant to walk inside, their stomach turns, and they feel sick. As they walked inside, their eyes begin to look in all directions, especially at the hundreds of students filling the cafeteria running around and yelling. The whistle blows and suddenly the kids begin heading to class. With their schedule clenched in one hand, the backpack strap in the other, they read the room number and head to their first class at the new school. Starting at a new school can be overwhelming, encountering a new culture only makes things more difficult.

Americans eat out a lot; there’s no denying it. Students pick up Chick-Fil-A after practice or go to Casa Rod if nobody feels like cooking. It’s normal to us; a way of life. Essentially, anywhere you travel in the United Sates, you will see familiar faces, even if you are miles from home. McDonalds, Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Pizza Hut exist all over the country. In Europe, this isn’t the case. Although the streets may be full of restaurants, there are typically fewer chains. There are many home-style restaurants that cook traditional foods indigenous to that region.

After not seeing some of my relatives for ten years, I finally had the opportunity to visit them in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I was thrilled about going. Not only would I be seeing my family again and living with them for two weeks, I was also going to be working with a medical brigade for the first time. As the time to go drew near, I became more nervous. How would I fit in with my family? Would I be able to communicate well with everyone? Would I be able to adapt to a new atmosphere? I guess you could say I was just being too anxious about the whole trip, but to be completely honest, I was a little terrified about going for two weeks.

Learning about new customs, cultures and languages only serves to increase a persons knowledge and understanding of the world.