While surveying the site provided me with useful scientific information that allowed me to plan my experience with ease, the connections I established during my first visit to the island ended up being far more valuable and enriching.
I spent a month at the university after returning from the island, during which time I studied and developed my proposal. I also worked hard to develop the friendships that I had begun when I first arrived at the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. As I grew closer to the people around me, I began to feel less foreign, and with the help of my friend-family, Kuala Terengganu began to feel like home.
Have you ever felt like a tourist? How did you overcome the “tourist” feeling and begin to feel at home in your new environment? You don't always have to move halfway around the world to feel a little out of place.
