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You did it wrong. I mean, everyone is different, so if that's the kind of thing you like, then whatever, but it sounds like you didn't really enjoy yourself.

You did it wrong. I mean, everyone is different, so if that's the kind of thing you like, then whatever, but it sounds like you didn't really enjoy yourself. If you spent your time shuffling along with other tourists like cattle, then you missed what's really special about living in another culture. If you do it again, try going for longer (culture shock can last up to six months), learning the language, and living as much like the people of that culture as you can stand. Rent an apartment (or a room in one), not a hotel room. Eat at street vendors, not at western restaurants. Go to the food markets, the places of worship, the villages where real people live. Drink it all in, the good and the bad. If you're going to just go look at a bunch of tourist attractions and try to preserve your lifestyle as much as possible, save your money and go to Flickr.com.

donw 17y ago
I've got to second this -- what makes extended time in other countries so much fun isn't going to a tourist trap and buying kitch. The fun part is getting drunk as hell with a restaurant owner because you're (a) the only foreigner he's ever met, (b) you can say 'thank you' and count to ten, and (c) you ordered the local delicacy. Or running into a birthday party for a bunch of people you've never met and being invited. Or sleeping on a park bench because you missed the train. Or getting yelled at by the check-out lady because you are too stupid to understand the fruit-buying process (thanks for that one, David). It's the weird stuff and the hardships, the jump outside of your comfort zone, that make time abroad a worthwhile thing.