Meet Prep Globetrotter Karen Young (IV)

I always thought I was a tolerant, open-minded, and patient person, but living abroad has made me far more so. I'm way less US-centric than I said to be. It’s now hard to watch certain American news sources. However, I also have a greater appreciation for certain aspects of American life. You will never again hear me complain about roads, Internet speed, or menu choices!

In the United States, we live to work. In the rest of the world, they work to live. By and large, they have a better understanding of balance and how to truly enjoy life. I love to work hard, but now that I am back I am trying to change that somewhat. 

Prep jumpstarted my desire to see the world with all those books in the Preparatory Component. I remember reading all about Rome and thinking “I want to go there!” My junior year at Brearley, I won a scholarship to study in Paris, which was my first time abroad. It was a great first experience, especially living with a French family. After that, I knew I wanted to travel more, but I didn't know that I would live abroad.

Then in my professional life, I soon understood I would benefit from a greater understanding of cultural nuances and a broader perspective, particularly working for such a multinational corporation.

I had a revelation in a pharmacy in Johannesburg. I was in the hair care products section and practically everything there was for black hair. The same for the skin care area. I was in the magazine aisle and 90% of the faces on the magazine covers were black. It occurred to me then: Oh wow, so this is what it's like to be the majority in a culture. I needed to be abroad to experience that.

It's simple, but it's true: The world is a big, crazy, beautiful, complex place. Living abroad has helped me love it all the more.