Tip 1: The ILAC center has lots of beautiful spaces to sit, relax and reflect
Drinking
Safely in the Dominican Republic
As a member
of Encuentro Dominicano, you are able to experience studying abroad in a
different, but exciting way. Encuentro Dominicano students are fortunate enough
to experience a new culture and navigate a foreign country just as all study
abroad students, but Encuentro Dominicano differs in that students are exposed
to incredibly high levels of poverty and have differing responsibilities. One
of these responsibilities is a fifteen to twenty page synthesis paper. This
paper is known to induce high levels of stress upon students and I myself am
not excluded from this. When I finished the rough draft of my own paper, I went
out with the group with the intention of having a good night and letting go of
the stress that had built up in the previous weeks. Though I went out that
night with good intentions, I was irresponsible and proceeded to become
intoxicated enough to the point that I put myself and others in my group in
danger. I had also gone out knowing that I had not eaten properly in the past
few days and that I was severely sleep deprived. I handled the situation
improperly both before going out and during the night.
The
situation was not only dangerous because I was severely intoxicated, but was
also dangerous because of my position as a foreigner, especially in a
developing country. While being severely intoxicated is dangerous anywhere, I
put myself in more danger by not understanding the cultural norms and by not
being aware that my options could be limited had the situation been much worse.
As an American female in the Dominican Republic, I made myself a target to be
taken advantage of.
As many
know, drinking is not a proper way to deal with stress. Encuentro Dominicano is
a unique study abroad experience and through its uniqueness can put incredibly
high levels of stress on students that they may not even recognize. Instead of
drinking, there are many other healthy options that I could have used to
release that stress. These options include exercising regularly, keeping a
balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and talking about other stresses that
occur as they are happening. Paying attention to your body and your emotions is
necessary during Encuentro Dominicano, and it is okay to admit that you may be
in too deep. The program is set up to be flexible in order for students to be
mentally and physically healthy, but it takes the student as well as the advisors to recognize that.
If I were
to be in this position again, I would pay much more attention to my body and
would not use alcohol as a stress reliever. Had I devoted more time to my paper
earlier in the week, these problems may not have occurred so I also would be
more responsible as a student in the first place. Also, I would try to be more aware of my
position as a foreigner in this country because that has a huge effect on how I
am perceived and how I am treated.
I think
what I have learned most from this situation is that I am not invincible and I
need to be more responsible. I have learned that I need to be more aware of
myself and my surroundings and the possible consequences associated with that.
Safety in incredibly important as an Encuentro student, but I have learned that
I myself play a part in my own safety.
Tip 2: Get exercise by running on the track or playing volleyball with the staff
Cultural Differences in Drinking Culture
Thing number one to think about when drinking in a foreign
country is to know how strong the drinks are.
Here especially, if you want a drink with less alcohol, you should say
suave. The other thing to note is that
like I said, drinking here in the DR is more social and it’s not looked at very
well when you are drunk and can’t handle your alcohol. Another thing, especially for ladies is that
the men here tend to be more aggressive concerning romantic pursuits, and if
you are intoxicated and don’t have your wits about you, it would be very easy
to get taken advantage of, especially because of the language barrier.
The most
important I learned from this experience is that the culture of drinking in the
United States did not prepare me to have complete freedom with alcohol. I thought it would be easy for me to handle
having so much freedom, but I forgot how dangerous alcohol can be, and that I
need to remember that drinking in a foreign country should be done with much
caution because you are not completely in your element and don’t know the
dangers that could occur should you get out of control. Stay safe, and lean on your comunidad
Tip 3: Make friends with ILAC staff to practice your Spanish and relieve some stress
Knowing How and When to be Alone
During a previous weekend
out with my friends, a couple incidents that occurred would have been better
off avoided. My behavior was not exemplary for that of a Creighton student or
for a person with adequate self-responsibility. While I typically behave myself
and never let things get out of control when out in public, my night out a few
weeks ago was an exception to the rule. I had been experiencing sadness,
homesickness, frustration, anger, and overall contempt with respect to stuff
going on at home and the Encuentro Program itself. While I do not want to
address any of these personal matters in this reflection, it should be known
that there were prior internal disturbances that affected by behavior that
night and that caused me to act in a way that is counter to what I know to be
appropriate. The fact that I had consumed alcohol in moderate amounts only
further worsened any emotions that I experienced and also the way that I
thought was fitting to cope with those emotions.
Since I had been upset the night that the group was going to go out, I should have reevaluated my mental/emotional preparedness for a night out. In hindsight, I was not fit to go out and manage my feelings at the same time. It would have been a much better idea to stay in at ILAC and reflect for the night. Similarly, it would have been a better idea to simply reject any temptations of drinking for the night. If this were to have been done, my emotions would certainly have been more manageable and no conflict would have occurred.
I would also like to address the dangers of traveling/wandering alone in a foreign country, particularly at night. My decision that night to stray away from the group (without informing them and without a cell phone) is contrary to Creighton’s and ILAC’s expectations for Encuentro students. It was a decision that could have resulted in personal harm and endangerment. Looking back at my actions that night, I am very disturbed by this decision to wander off alone. I could have easily been targeted and hurt if I had passed people with wrong intentions. It is clear that the consumption of alcohol bolstered any naive sense of security I had.
If I were to relive that night over again, there are several things I would do differently. I would have contemplated staying home for the night or not drinking. I would have informed a trusted group member that I was having a rough time and asked them to hear me out so as to better handle my emotions. I would also have made sure that I had a cell phone with me at all times if I ever had gotten away from the group.
Since I had been upset the night that the group was going to go out, I should have reevaluated my mental/emotional preparedness for a night out. In hindsight, I was not fit to go out and manage my feelings at the same time. It would have been a much better idea to stay in at ILAC and reflect for the night. Similarly, it would have been a better idea to simply reject any temptations of drinking for the night. If this were to have been done, my emotions would certainly have been more manageable and no conflict would have occurred.
I would also like to address the dangers of traveling/wandering alone in a foreign country, particularly at night. My decision that night to stray away from the group (without informing them and without a cell phone) is contrary to Creighton’s and ILAC’s expectations for Encuentro students. It was a decision that could have resulted in personal harm and endangerment. Looking back at my actions that night, I am very disturbed by this decision to wander off alone. I could have easily been targeted and hurt if I had passed people with wrong intentions. It is clear that the consumption of alcohol bolstered any naive sense of security I had.
If I were to relive that night over again, there are several things I would do differently. I would have contemplated staying home for the night or not drinking. I would have informed a trusted group member that I was having a rough time and asked them to hear me out so as to better handle my emotions. I would also have made sure that I had a cell phone with me at all times if I ever had gotten away from the group.
Although this
experience was an overwhelmingly negative one, I learned a valuable lesson.
Alcohol is not an appropriate way to deal with one’s problems. Alcohol simply
attempts to cover-up one’s problems and never does so successfully in neither a
short nor long term sense. I would like to thank my mentors at ILAC for guiding
me through this time and allowing me to realize that my actions were
inappropriate.
Tip 4: Make sure you get plenty of sleep!
