Inner Journey - Pre-Trip

When visiting an urban city, I always feel small. Standing five feet and eleven inches tall has limited my experience with this feeling. However, entering an urban city makes me feel as though I only stand three feet tall. The buildings, the large amounts of people, and the fast paced atmosphere of an urban city all contribute to these feelings I commonly experience. Looking up at the stars, riding roller coasters, and having arguments with my mother also provide me with the same feeling, but visiting an urban city seems to over exaggerate this feeling. These feelings attribute to my descriptions of my outer journey while traveling. I base these descriptions on the geographical location of my traveling; being in Chicago is extremely different than traveling in Boston. Nonetheless, both cities are filled with tall buildings, large statues, and cars that can hold more than ten people at one time. I have recently discovered that I attribute these feelings to not only the large surrounds within an urban culture, but also my inner feelings while experiencing a foreign culture. I often feel intimidated within an urban culture based on the fact that I do not believe that I could fit in within this type of culture. I need to develop a higher level of self-confidence that allows me to morph into any situation and culture to which I am exposed to, without fraying my arms in despair. I believe this trip will allow me the opportunity to finally grow up and understand that I am confident enough within myself to actually go out on a limb within a new city and try new experiences without being afraid to fail, along with eliminating my poor assumption making skills when entering a new culture. I commonly make poor assumptions about people who live within urban cities. As horrible as it may sound, I assume that all those who live within an urban city are grouchy, rich, and hate tourists. I base these assumptions of movies such as The Devil Wears Prada, (Who isn’t afraid of Meryl Strep at some point in that film?), television shows such as Sex in the City, and magazines that portray city life to constantly be an extravaganza of fun activities. However, may times during my interactions with people who live within the city I’m traveling within, I am proven wrong by being shown great hospitality along with great restaurant recommendations and manners. I need to hurry up and get rid of my assumption that “all city people,” are mean and unhelpful before I seriously offend someone or am given wrong directions on purpose.  Traveling to New Orleans is the perfect opportunity to be able to grow within myself by developing skills I will need to be successful throughout the rest of my life. It is time to take a step back from making wrong (and hurtful) assumptions about people and start to develop skills in order to learn more about cultures that differ from my own, not only to make myself into a culturally competent nurse, but to be able to give all other cultures the respect that they deserve.