Now that I’m officially back in the United States, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my time in Hong Kong and how it's affected how I see myself and the world around me. That said, I had to navigate my way back first before I could reflect. Getting back to the US wasn’t a very difficult trek—just a stop in Seoul for seven hours and 12 hours in the air—but getting accustomed to PNW weather and time zone was challenging. For the first few days, it was hard to find a regular rhythm for sleeping and eating. For me, coming back home was more difficult than leaving, so my biggest piece of advice would be to get lots of sleep and set goals to stay up until a certain time or wait to eat until mealtime. This essentially forces your body to return to a normal rhythm.
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Looking back on how I grew during my internship, I can say without a doubt that I’ve become a lot more comfortable saying “Yes” to new opportunities, even if I may be unsure or anxious about them. While abroad, I wanted to make sure that I was getting the most out of my trip, and the other interns wanted that for me, too. Nearly every day, I pushed myself to go out and do something new and exciting, either on my own or with our group of interns. This was one of the most important aspects of my time abroad because it allowed me to see so many new sights, eat some great food, and meet new people just by making myself go out. I still made sure to try and get lots of sleep and give myself time to relax, but trading off sleeping in for going on an adventure every now and then was the right move.
I have also had the chance to reflect on how Chinese culture is so different from ours. One of the easiest differences to see, especially in the workplace, was the collectivist mindset. When working on a project, each person in the group works to make the product as good as possible for the office and the client, not for themselves. In corporate America, we often see coworkers competing for recognition from their superiors. In China, however, it wasn’t the case. People worked hard and late, all because they felt it was simply their responsibility to deliver good work for the company.
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I also got to experience a culture that understood the needs of its community and was able to provide for them. Because Hong Kong is so expensive, many people live with very little. That said, there were still many shops that offered relatively inexpensive food and groceries, as well as discounts for regulars, the elderly, or students. Seeing a community support each other this way and ignore “negative” financial identities was very inspiring to see.
Lastly, I would like to say that if you are on the fence about whether you can or should go study abroad, I would say yes to both! Being abroad for a term has been a transformative experience and something everyone should get to do. From a financial perspective, it can be expensive, but UO and GEO offer many types of scholarships to help with the cost of studying abroad. Because of the scholarships and grants I got through GEO and the FAFSA, I was able to study in Hong Kong for less than I would have in Eugene. I hope these posts have shown people the amazing culture and experiences in Hong Kong, and I look forward to seeing more people visit in the future!
Kyler Creech, Diverse Ducks Ambassador