Personal Globalization

The presence of globalization within America is undeniable. Traveling abroad to Greece, I was anxious to see the ways another country has developed into its role as a member of a global community. During the short time I have been in Greece, I have only seen a small portion of the country, which limits my ability to make generalizations. However, I have inferred several things from the patterns of Greek life that I have observed. Globalization affords us the opportunity to realize, interpret and adapt foreign experiences into our lives at our own discretion, acknowledging that the changes are based on our observational inferences. My travels through Greece have helped me developed my own definition of globalization, which includes three main elements of language, community and change, each constructing a web of global connections affecting all aspects of our lives.
I formulated my definition of globalization only after acknowledging that it exists in various models unique to each country. Furthermore, understanding globalization within the context of a specific country requires an understanding of their culture, especially their language. The term globalization is an umbrella for countless subtopics and as a concept has many similarities to language. Both exist in distinctive forms, varying levels, and affect a wide array of subjects. Language is the movement of ideas, and the movement of ideas is language. Without this co-dependency, the ideals of globalization would not have spread, and societies and cultures would not change, whether good or bad.
One of the greatest benefits of globalization is that exposure to new ideas inspires us to change the undesirable and preserve the enjoyable. Globalization has enabled the movement of ideas between distant places, such as Greece and America. I see my travels to Greece as an opportunity to transplant the most intriguing aspects of Greek life into America. Equipped with the model of the Greeks’ adept use of language to build community and exchange ideas efficiently, America has a very advantageous tool to learn and share information from and with the wider world and benefit a larger array of people. It only takes one small planted seed in someone’s mind to inspire conversation about changes needed and how to go about them.
We should integrate the Greek ritual of lengthy conversations over meals or afternoon coffee. It seems as if Greeks use their extended time in cafés and restaurants to exchange insights, news and stories with each other. One night after dinner, our study abroad group simply sat and chatted, which made me feel a little more Greek. I loved this because it gave me time to recognize the peaceful feelings that they must experience in such a simple custom: sitting back, taking time to enjoy and further develop human connections rather than hurrying to leave to achieve the next money-oriented task. This dedication to people is not simply at luxury, but a necessity for community. In all reality, materialistic attitudes in America often blind us to the beautiful and meaningful presence of people. In contrast to our rushed American attitude, I welcome this calming experience, hoping to change and adapt it to my life, in order to more deeply comprehend the remarkable influence and impact of language.
Three weeks in Greece has opened my eyes to the significant effects of living in an era of globalization. Globalization is universal because it informs, preserves, explains, and spreads concepts that help link one place to another. As Erla Zwingle said in her article about globalization, ‘Linking: This is what the spread of global culture ultimately means” (32). Language, community, and change are each dependent upon the other, yet distinctive in their importance in understanding how globalization has affected me during my trip to Greece.

Valerie A.