I have now lived in Edinburgh for two months, and I recently had a week off of class and had the opportunity to travel around Europe. Now that I have seen a little bit more of the world, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my identity as an American, specifically a black male American, abroad.

On the way to Houhai, the streets are empty, the crowds are sparse, the city is hollow. The street vendors left a week earlier to villages and families they visit once a year. The office workers have just left, most visit families, some avoid families by visiting other places. The bosses are fishing on an unnamed island. Houhai is an island of ice in an ocean of cement.

Before jetting off to Ireland, I, equal parts nervous and excited, read loads of articles, books, and travel guides to learn everything I could about the place I would be living for a year. Besides learning about all the places I wanted to visit while in Cork, I was also very interested in knowing more about the accent.

I got on a plane to LAX with an overweight suitcase as opposed to a dream in my cardigan.

I don’t really know how I feel about the word accomplished. It takes me back to a Jane Austen novel where women were seen as accomplished if they could read, sing, sew and or play music. Am I accomplished? I am a third year college student, with a decent GPA and two part-time jobs. Also, I am studying abroad in Prague right now. So, I guess that I could say that I am accomplished for my age.

We take the 11 a.m. bus. Take the noon or 1 p.m. and you risk not getting a seat. There are no 2 or 3 buses, and I have no idea why. But by 4pm, the sun is getting ready to set and it’s too cold to wander around town. So we take the 11 a.m. bus.

Studying abroad has been something I’ve wanted to do since I can remember. Growing up, I recall feeling a great sense of longing, even jealously, when I would see people I knew get the chance to take on the great adventure overseas. I knew one day I wanted that to be me.

I’ve been in England just over a week, and while the world may say America and England both speak English, I have encountered several word discrepancies, and not just the commonly known “chips” = “french fries” and “crisps” = “chips.” No, there are so many more differences. For example, just like how in the US, some people say “supper” rather than “dinner” for the final meal of the day, people in England sometimes use “tea” rather than “dinner” as the final meal.

I decided to title this post after a lyric from one of my favourite Beyoncé songs because I feel like it most effectively captures the type of work ethic that I have adapted since arriving in Edinburgh (which was more than a month ago can you believe it!). Scottish culture has a very different concept of time, but now that I have adjusted to it, I have found myself being much more productive.

When someone mentions Ireland, the first thing that comes to mind is that it rains. A lot. Upon first arriving back in August, I wanted to prove this myth wrong.

Study abroad is a perfect opportunity to translate oneself in a foreign country, in a strange language, in unfamiliar roosts. You may just discover a way to add another layer of meaning to your brand. No, despite what the Chinese supermarket said, you can’t actually buy life. But maybe you can rebrand it.

If I said living in a new country was easy, I’d be lying. You always hear the stories of culture shock but, you’re not quite sure what it will look like once it begins to happen. Well, let me tell you. It can be ugly.