Walking: The Key to Exploring and Managing Emotion During Study Abroad in Cuba
When you’re studying abroad, it’s common to experience a range of emotions. Excitement from exploring a new culture and making friends. Homesickness for familiar routines, people, and foods. Independence built through self-sufficiency. Overwhelm from navigating a different culture and language. Accomplishment from meeting challenges. Even sadness and nostalgia for leaving the lifestyle you built abroad.
“Low” feelings can have side effects, like loneliness and a lack of motivation. When I traveled alone or had a set routine, a strong sense of independence made it hard to connect with my family and friends at home.
When dealing with these emotions, I’d simply take a walk.
Three ways walking helped my mental health
- Aside from the health benefits like improving mood and reducing stress, walking gets you out. I often walked to new areas before doing research. This way of exploring was so much more organic and fun.
- On days when I felt unmotivated about schoolwork or exploration, I jumped on the bus, rode a few stops then and walked around. Sometimes I made a game out of it, like walking until I found a café serving a pain au chocolat.
- Walking always cured my loneliness. When I was homesick, I walked around my neighborhood, found something that reminded me of someone at home, snapped a picture, and sent it to that person. This instantly made me feel less alone in a new culture and allowed me to connect my home life with my abroad life, two things that sometimes felt impossible to link.
Studying abroad brings a whirlwind of emotions, and taking a walk helps mitigate these emotions and builds a deeper connection with your surroundings, allowing you to create memories and gain perspective. Every emotion is part of the journey, and with self-care, the experience becomes even richer.
Lucy Sparks Mendez | Bryn Mawr College | Universidad de La Habana Partnership | Fall 2024