The Caspian Sea and downtown Baku from one of the city’s oldest landmarks, the Maiden Tower.

It’s been just over one week since I’ve arrived in my new home for the semester, although it certainly doesn’t feel like it for me. I would like to say that my days thus far have been filled with non-stop action, exciting adventures, and new experiences, but I must admit that only the last bit is true. Like all exchange and study abroad programs in my experience, the first few weeks, perhaps even the first month or two, are never the romanticized fun-filled international parties that you seem to get in your head.

What greeted me in these first few day was constant confusion, an occasional sense of dread, and the usual case of overconfidence to match the dread. Like many people that have been in my situation, I found myself imagining that my…