By Irma Peña | LTVN Reporter
Telling people I’m from Honduras gets a different reaction every single time. Some people think it’s interesting, but others feel bad for me. They assume foreigners have terrible days every day because we’re not home. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss my family. If I think about it too much, I feel sad about all the birthdays and big events I’m missing. For example, my little brother just started high school, and I feel like I left when he was a baby.
But if you think about it, everybody is missing their homes no matter where they are, in their country, in their state or even in their city. Even people that go back home every weekend or two miss things every now and then. Today, with all the technology we have available, it’s so much easier to stay in touch and share important moments with my family.
For me, being from another country is a blessing. I get to share my language, culture, customs and even traditions with those around me. I love when people practice their Spanish with me — it’s so wholesome. I enjoy playing a song by a Honduran artist and letting people know it’s from my home. I love when my country’s soccer team plays and I get to celebrate their goals with people from other countries. I also love cooking, so being able to make traditional Honduran dishes for the family that I’ve found in college is fulfilling.
According to Education Research International, international students face a variety of challenges in their daily life, such as different food, difficulties related to language, culture and other personal barriers. This article mentions how “surviving in a new community” is the first lesson international students have when living in a foreign country. A study from the International Journal of Intercultural Relations says “friendship is an extremely important component for individuals in satisfying deep personal and emotional needs.”
At the end of the day, having a support system makes it a 100 times better, and I feel lucky I’ve found that. All of my roommates are from different countries, and it’s a small support system that we have for one another. It’s also very interesting to compare the words we use for the same things, and it’s exciting when they share their foods, dishes and traditions.
Furthermore, I see every day as a new opportunity. It’s a chance to work hard for my dreams and get closer to them. I see each day as a way to make my parents feel like their hard work and effort to send me abroad for a better education and future is paying off. Every day is an opportunity to take on the world and make my friends, family and country proud.
Being a foreigner will always be kind of hard as there’s unavoidably a language barrier, and I don’t get to go home as often. But it all depends on the way you see things, and I prefer to see it as a blessing, an opportunity to grow, learn and take on new challenges.
