Self-Assessment

Magellan Project 2017 Self-Assessment

Andrew Donatelli

            As I waved one last goodbye to my parents in the Pittsburgh International Airport and turned around to proceed through security, I had a feeling that my life was about to change. This would be my first time traveling all alone. I have traveled without my parents before, but I had teachers and classmates to help me along the way. This time, I was all alone. Of course, fear surged throughout my body. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched my parents disappear. I passed through security and I knew there was no turning back. My journey had just begun.

            After two long flights and two train rides, I finally arrived, exhausted, to my first Airbnb in Zurich. This initial travel sequence was the part of the trip that I was most dreading. I conquered my first fear. I surprised myself of how well I did. I am typically shy when I first get into new situations. However, once I get comfortable, I tend to open up and become more social. Before this trip, I was afraid of doing simple tasks. I hated to raise my hand in class, thinking that my answer would not be correct and I would humiliate myself in front of 20 of my peers. I was afraid to ask for help at a store or make decisions without the input of my parents. I would not go to a grocery or clothing store alone or even think about talking to a stranger. Well, my Magellan experience completely changed this.

            Communication was essential. I would have not survived if I was still this shy boy who could not do anything for himself. Throughout my travels, I would constantly ask natives, workers at the train stations and airports, and food workers for directions and help. Not one person ever seemed to be bothered by my request and all were very happy to help me. I am very proud of myself for breaking down this wall of shyness. This made my Magellan experience a whole lot more pleasurable and less stressful. Now back at home, I feel as though I can accomplish anything.

            I gained a voice on this Magellan and I also learned how to adapt to new and changing events. I am pretty OCD about schedules and times. I like to know exactly where I am going and at what time. I am early to everything and I get bothered when my schedule gets thrown off. I did assume that not everything would go as planned with my Magellan but I was surprised how easily I adapted to change. I was fortunate enough to have a Eurail pass so I did not have to buy train tickets. I was planning what time I needed to catch the train to get from Geneva to Brussels and I noticed that I needed a seat reservation. I went to the train station the next day and asked how I could reserve my seat. My seat reservation was about 106 Swiss Franks. I did not factor this cost into my budget. I accepted the fact that I needed to pay this to get from Geneva to Brussels so I decided I would have to be more careful with my remaining Swiss Franks the next few days. In addition to this change, my train from Geneva to Brussels got delayed one hour. I had 15 minutes to leave the Brussels train, get on a metro to go to another train station, and find my platform. I was expecting to have an hour to do this but that was not the case. I ended up running through two train stations, illegally riding the metro, and passing through a security barrier without a metro ticket. This was extremely stressful but probably one of the most memorable moments of trip. Today, I can laugh about this crazy day.

            In addition to these changes in schedule and budget, culture change was definitely the most difficult for me. I adapted extremely well but I never felt completely comfortable with each cities’ new culture. I experienced culture shock throughout the whole trip. The most difficult aspect of this culture shock was simply coming from a suburban neighborhood to living in large cities. I come from a small, bedroom community. There are no grocery stores, malls, train stations, airports, or large companies in my community, just homes. Everyone has their own car. We drive everywhere. The grocery store could be 15 minutes away and one’s work could be a 45-minute drive. City life is a totally different. I could walk to a grocery store in each city. I had to take public transportation to get to most places. I have been on the T in Pittsburgh and the Metro in Paris, but I was not prepared to be taking trains, trams, streetcars, and busses so often. I am used to walking outside my house and seeing no one. During my Magellan, I walk out onto a street with all different types of public transportation and hundreds of people. Living 19 years of my life in a small community, going to a small high school, and now a small college, I was unprepared for this. However, I took the time to learn how to use the public transportation in each city. There methods of transportation are quite logical and efficient. I appreciated this and felt as though some of the stress had been alleviated. There are so many other differences in culture that I noticed but these were the ones that rattled me most. I lived in an entirely new world for three weeks, but I overcame each obstacle and answered each change with the determination to grow stronger.

            Although I am very pleased with most of my actions throughout my Magellan, I must be critical of myself on some aspects of the trip. Many times where I could have spoken in German, I spoke in English. This only occurred at the airports and train stations. For example, I arrived in the Cologne train station and went straight to the information center. I needed to purchase a transportation pass and wanted to know which tram I should take. The transportation always stressed me out and I did not want any complications so I just spoke in English so that I could fully understand everything I was supposed to do. I wish I would have just calmed down and attempted to communicate in German. I am sure that the people would have been patient with me. Another aspect of the trip that I wish I would have done differently is to have eaten more of the local food. I knew I was on a budget so I always bought groceries and ate breakfast and dinner in my room. I would eat lunch out but would only grab a sausage sandwich or a slice of pizza from a street vendor. I wanted to go eat in a restaurant, but I felt that sitting by myself would be extremely awkward and uncomfortable. I eventually did go to a restaurant in Bruges but that was two weeks into my trip. These are definitely small changes that I could have made but they did not hinder my experience or the outcome of my project at all.

            The words “my life has changed” seem a bit cliché to say after spending only three weeks in Europe. However, I can truly attest to this saying. I had the opportunity to see and do so much on this trip. I gained an enormous amount of independence and learned how to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. This Magellan trip has been the most valuable life lesson that I have endured. I see the world in a whole different way and have become more open to differences in culture. I am excited to see what the future holds for me, knowing that my Magellan project and the lessons I learned will have a life-long impact on my future. Here’s to more adventures…