Reflection on My Soliya Experience

My experience with Soliya was very different from what i expected. Going into the program, i thought the sessions would feel engaging, challenging, and full of new perspectives, but for me, it ended up feeling a bit boring and repetitive. Even though the group was diverse, i didn’t feel like the conversations pushed me or taught me something new. And after a few sessions, i realized that i wasn’t connecting deeply with the topics or the dynamic.

One of the biggest challenges for me was my own shyness, i genuinely challenged myself to participate, especially in the first few sessions, and i tried to step outside my comfort zone. I’m usually shy in online settings, but i pushed myself to speak when i could and share my perspective. Even though i wasn’t the most talkative person in the group, i did make an effort to be present and engaged. But to be honest, the overall experience wasn’t very meaningful for me. i didn’t dislike it completely, but i didn’t feel that i grew as much as i hoped. The structure of the sessions felt a bit limiting almost like we had to talk just to fill time and the silence, instead of having natural conversations and this was very obvious to me and it felt awkward. It always felt like people were speaking because they had to, not because they really wanted to share something personal or new. So even when we talked about cultural topics or identity, the conversations stayed very safe and i didn’t feel like i was discovering new perspectives the way i thought i would. i also didn’t enjoy the pressure to participate. Even though the facilitators were supportive but i still felt like i had to talk a certain amount, and that made me even more self-aware.

Still, the experience taught me something about myself. i realized that i prefer in-person conversations and more natural dialogue. i also learned that i can push myself to participate even when i feel shy. And even though Soliya wasn’t my favorite experience, it did show me the importance of creating spaces where people can speak honestly and comfortably not just politely. It also showed me the different communication styles in international groups some people talk a lot, some talk very little and some only share when they really trust the environment.

In the end, I’m glad i experienced it once, but i don’t think it’s something i would want to repeat tho. even though i really appreciate the idea behind the program but i think it should be more engaging in a way. Still, it gave me a clearer understanding of how i communicate, what environments help me open up and how i want future cross-cultural exchanges to feel more authentic more meaningful.