Blog Post 6 - Reflections

I sincerely cannot believe that next week is the last time I'm meeting with these amazing groups of people. I've had so much fun doing this and it was pretty unforgettable. Looking back, I honestly feel quite accomplished over the bonds that have grown out of these conversations and the real intercultural exchange that has grown out of the topics we've covered.

Some of my favorite moments from this semester largely come from the conversations that I never would have predicted having with others. Like the time my participants debated the merits and downsides of ethnic enclaves, or the time someone taught me all about the Korean film industry, or when the whole group banded together to explain to me how driving permits and license plates work in large cities in Eastern Asia; sometimes, I felt like the one who benefited the most from all of this was me based on how much interesting stories and information I got out of it.

That said, if I could go back and do it over, there are certainly things that I would change. There are some small logistical things that I would change, such as emphasizing how important it is to show up and be engaged, and also putting more focus on the conversation being more self-directed; I never really felt like I accomplished the right balance of me speaking or explaining or posing questions as compared to everyone else doing these things. 

Moving forward though, there are so many useful skills that can be drawn from this experience. For me specifically, I am considering a career in journalism more seriously than ever and asking pointed, open-ended, engaging questions that lead to thought provoking answers is a huge skill to have in interviews. This entire experience definitely helped me develop that ability as I pushed my participants to keep talking, tell me more, and look at things from different angles. 

In the end, I'm just so, so glad I did this!! That's the real takeaway here.