Since we started talking, I have met a lot of Audrey's friends and have therefore created a network of people to spend time with.
As I made more friends, I wanted to try new activities with them! Skiing is a very popular sport in Switzerland. I had never tried it before, but I wanted to participate in community activities. I signed up for a ski program, spent a whole weekend trying out this new sport and had so much fun! Although I spent most of the time falling instead of standing, I met Swiss people and got to try out a truly Swiss activity.
Even small things that you do every day are a bit different when you are abroad. In Switzerland, when you meet up with friends you kiss them three times on the cheek. I am used to giving hugs to everyone when I meet them, so we definitely had some miscommunications at first! Working out these little things gets easier as time goes by, and I feel more and more a part of my new community as get to know it on a deeper level. Over my time here so far, I have got more confidence to seek out new experiences, try new things and meet new people.
As you learn about others, it is also important to teach them about you! Integrating into your community is a two-way process; you accept new people and they accept you. As you get more familiar with a new way of doing things, do not forget to show everyone your old way of doing things because it will probably be new to them! For example, a few months into my time in Geneva, I realized that many of my friends had never experienced a real American Thanksgiving. In fact, many people did not even know what Thanksgiving was! Instead of erasing this part of my traditions, I decided to share it with my new friends by holding a Thanksgiving party.
