5 Situations that will happen on your Exchange (and how to overcome them)

I still remember what it was like planning my first exchange.

All I thought about choosing Australia was “I want it to be summer”. I didn't think about the food, the culture, the people, anything.

I did a little research before going, but I confess I didn't make many plans. I knew I was going to take a bus that would take about 10 minutes to get to school, how much it would cost and that was it. At no point did I prepare myself for all the differences compared to Brazil.

Well, I got there and the first shock: English hand, the driver drives on the wrong side of the street. Then came lunch which was just a snack, a party that ends at 1am, a smart bus stop and so on.

The lack of planning made me get lost, discover new places and discover habits that I had no idea other cultures had. And this last one was, without a doubt, the most interesting part of the exchange.

The second time, a work experience at Disney, I did the opposite. I researched it for over a year, joined Facebook groups, read reports, prepared myself for everything.

Getting there I took the wrong bus once and missed it. I discovered that the nightlife also ended early, that American women aren't always good roomies, that either you cook or you'll live on burgers, because despite there being healthy food there, the price is exorbitant.

The truth is that no matter your level of preparation, there are exchange situations that everyone will experience at least once. Whether it’s because you created too many expectations, because you researched everything or even because you didn’t research anything.

Most of them are easy to resolve, while others will require your patience, an open mind and your acceptance that you have traveled to live new experiences!

I talked to some friends and selected the 5 exchange situations you will probably face. I already took advantage and also gave some tips and examples of how I overcame them all. Let's go to the list:

You will get lost

Yes, even if you have memorized the subway map and know the number of all the buses that take you to your house.

I went through the experience at the beginning of my first exchange, can you imagine the nervousness?

I took a bus that wasn't the usual one, but it also had the name of my neighborhood. Well, if the name was the same, the path couldn't be so different, right? Wrong. The bus took some crazy turns and as soon as I saw the beach in my neighborhood I got off and walked almost 30 minutes home.

Then I discovered that if I waited a bit I would arrive at my usual spot. But the irrational despair of “I’ll never find help again” overcame me at the time.

The solution? Download your city's public transport app. It will have all the routes, times and alternative paths to your destination. If you end up in an unknown part just use the app He will tell you how to get home. Very practical!

Additionally, I recommend Google Maps, an application that I always use when traveling. Just enter where you want to go and it will give you the best routes by car, public transport and walking.

Maps also gives an estimate of the price of Uber, which is super popular in other countries. Remembering that anyone who uses the code “uberalyssaprado” when registering gets R$20 off their first race!

There won't be rice and beans every day.

And your meals will probably be different from the ones you usually eat in Brazil, after all, each culture has its typical dish. Some places tend to just have a sandwich for lunch and leave a more complete meal for the evening, others eat bacon for breakfast, some eat insects...

Do not be sad. One of the exchange situations is trying new things, and that includes food!

Try the region's dishes at least once, no matter how strange they may be. It is worth reflecting that our dishes are not common either. When having lunch in Brazilian restaurants, you will see your foreign friends finding it strange to add “sand” (farofa) to their food.

You might like this post: 6 Breakfasts at Disney that you need to know!

If you really miss home, look for restaurants with Brazilian food. You can use Google Maps or Foursquare to search (this app It's great for discovering new places).

Look at the reviews on TripAdvisor It also helps to know if the place you are going to have lunch has very spicy food or food with a lot of vinegar. Believe me, Brazilians have been everywhere and reviewed everything.

As a last option, it is always possible to find fast-food chains that are already well-known here, such as Subway and Burger King (usually for a more affordable price).

Winter is really cold.

OK, those who live in the south of the country already know this detail, but for those who have never seen thermometers read less than 10ºC, this can be scary.

The good part is that countries where winter is intense (such as Canada and some parts of Europe) are already prepared for low temperatures, and have heating in homes and enclosed spaces. So, when you are inside, you shouldn't be too cold.

But that doesn’t stop you from taking heavier clothes! Research what the temperature usually is during your trip and prepare for the worst. A heavy waterproof coat, a pair of wellies, comfortable boots and gloves will be your best friends!

To avoid weighing down your suitcase, you can take one of each of these items in neutral tones and buy different scarves and hats to vary the look.

You may also like this post: 13 Free Tours in New York that you can't miss!

People from other cultures have different habits.

I've already talked about the food, but have you ever stopped to think about everything else? I thought everyone spent New Year's Eve in white, to wish for peace, but I discovered that only Brazil does that.

Take a shower every day? Trash bin in the bathroom? Eating pizza using cutlery? Cream cheese on sushi? Leave dishes on the draining rack? These are all things that are so common in our everyday lives, but they represent ideas that some people in other countries have never heard of. Have you ever thought about that?

In Australia I ate salmon pizza which was a super common dish in the family home. There, the mall even closed at 5 pm because from then on it was “too late to shop”. In the post about exchange in Argentina, my friend Fernanda commented that the stores closed in the afternoon so that people could go home and sleep!

The Swiss people at the English school thought it was absurd that the bus was two minutes late, that this was a messy country thing. When did they discover that they had to pull the rope to get off the bus, then? Can you imagine people who don't know about the rope?

Discover the habits of people of various nationalities and learn how big the world is. If any of them bother you, you can always talk to the person and explain the problem (bad breath, for example).

But remember that you are in another country to learn the culture. Don't want everyone to behave your way, live the experience and try to do things another way!

Your friendships won't be the way you imagine.

When I went to Australia I thought I would make a group of friends on the first day, that we would go out every night and that the friendships would last forever. None of that. Nowadays I only talk to one person from that time, my current boyfriend.

I went to Disney thinking I was going to have fun, but without much expectation of making lasting friendships. I was wrong again, and this time I came back with two friends who I don't talk to often but who are there for everything.

The truth is that you can't know whether you will make many friends or few. You can't know if they'll be super partners and enjoy the parties like you, or if they'll make you enjoy a quieter bar. Maybe in Brazil you have that friend who always cooks for the group, and when you get there you will become that person, even if your specialty is cooking noodles.

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t have a huge group of friends like “all” the exchanges we see out there. If the friends you make don't enjoy the same shows as you, make even more friends or enjoy your own company. Take advantage of this trip to get to know yourself too!

I wanted to thank my friends who took the time to tell me their stories. Many confirmed what I already knew: there are exchange situations that everyone goes through!

For those who enjoyed reading my stories, I recommend reading Débora's post, from the Foco no Mundo blog, telling What was the month like when she studied English in the United States?. She mentioned more than one case from that list haha.

And you? Have you ever been through any of these exchange situations? Do you think there was anything missing from the list? Comment below to let me know! 😉