All changes, no matter how significant, require adjustment. Moving from suburban Ohio to the busy city of Yerevan, Armenia? That calls for a considerably significant adjustment. Ever the pessimist and over-thinker, I had prepared myself for a painful case of culture-shock. Interestingly enough, as it stands now, no such panic-inducing situations have occurred. That is not to say, however, that I have not had to acclimate myself to daily life here in Yerevan. When faced with the prospect of studying abroad the most daunting aspect is the language barrier - or in the case of programs such as ours, living with a host family. However, what really sneaks up on you are the little things. It is the day-to-day conveniences that can stack and begin to grate on your general mindset. Imagine a grain of sand stuck in your shoe: one is fine enough, two is hardly noticeable, but after a while, things add up.
Example One: The Temperature Debacle
If there was ever a time to get annoyed that, as an American child, you only ever learned how to read Fahrenheit, it is when you want to read the daily forecast in literally any other country. Unfortunately, that is not the entirety of this daily inconvenience. Located at the (relatively) same latitude, Yerevan, Armenia and Columbus, Ohio have comparable weather. And despite the fact that 90℉ (32℃) in the dry air of Yerevan should feel better than 90℉ in the ever-humid Columbus, it somehow does not. Furthermore, traveling about the city center is very different than moving through the suburbs. In Ohio, I hop into my air-conditioned Kia and go anywhere I want. In Yerevan, I walk. A lot. And while Armenians have managed to master the art of walking in the heat with flawless style, I have to put a lot of effort into not looking like a sweaty, frizzy-haired American all the time. I am still working on that.
Example Two: New Diet (Some Things You’ll Like, and Some You Won’t)
One of my favorite things about exploring different cultures is the food - and Armenians know how to eat. We (the American students) are very lucky in the sense that we are in the country during the peak fruit and summer vegetable season. Most notably, we arrived just in time for apricot season. If you, like me just a month ago, are unfamiliar with this small orange fruit, go ask your local Armenian friend and they can tell you all about it. Did you know that the pit of an apricot contains an edible and tasty nut? I didn’t, but now I eat them every day! The downside of being able to try so many new foods is that it can be a bit of a shock to your system. Admittedly, I am a vegetable hater. Besides the trusty starches (potatoes and corn), I generally do my best to avoid the food group. However, I also do not know how to refuse food, or say that I do not love something. Therefore, I have probably eaten more vegetables in the past month than I have in the past decade. Fruit as well. I have eaten a lot of fruit, though I have no complaints about that. Even though I have been consuming so many vitamins, there was still a multi-week adjustment period I had to go through. Students might want to prepare themselves (and their digestive system) for a dietary shift.
Example Three: They Can Smell the American
No matter how hard you try, no matter what you wear or what language you speak in, someone is going to spot the foreigner in you. Studying abroad gives American students the unique chance to truly live outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to adapt to situations they likely have not dealt with before. From little things, like being asked where you are from by a Stranger, to big things, such as having to barter down prices for a small item. Eventually, you stop trying to hide your foreignness and learn to take it with a grain of salt.
The best advice I can give is this: prepare to be unprepared. Even if you plan for every worst-case-scenario, there will always be something that catches you off guard. Learn to roll with the punches. And learn to live without air conditioning.
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship Recipient
Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Yerevan, Armenia, Summer 2023