Alumni Update: Durdona Akhmadionova, Uzbekistan
Coming back home after an excellent semester at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, I didn’t feel the same. I admit I missed Uzbekistan, national food, and was counting down the days to come back home without patience. However, I felt so strange. During my exchange, my adviser lent me a book to read called I am a Stranger Here Myself. At home, I felt similar to the hero of this book: everything seemed so new, strange, and unusual. Now, I had different view, different personality, and horizon.
Encountering reverse cultural shock was not easy either. Even small unnoticeable traditions and culture seemed too big and awkward. Reading more and more, making myself busy with interesting activities like cooking, learning new a language, and so on helped me to adapt to the environment.
While missing my American life, one day I got a call from my home university with news about being selected to go to South Korea for my senior year. The news returned my sparkling eyes with hope for traveling and having a new experience. Now, I am preparing to go to study in Incheon, South Korea for 5-6 months and come back with my bachelor’s degree.
Life is full of unexpected presents. So, I believe the best things are still yet to come: new adventures, new experience, new places are waiting for me.
Written by Durdona Akhmadjonova, 2018-19 Global UGRAD student from Uzbekistan at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay