*WINNER* The land of a million elephants and me: Cross-culturally analyzing my first experience in Laos

Abstract

Expounding upon Earnest E. Boesch’s chapter in Psychology and Culture, “First Experiences in Thailand,” I will be providing an outlook similar to his regarding another country: Laos, Thailand’s neighboring country. As a first-generation Laotian-American, I visited my family’s home country for the first time as a teenager. I will discuss my first experiences in Laos and how, in retrospect, they connect with different aspects of psychology and culture. The topics discussed include, but are not limited to, overall Laotian culture in relation to American culture, priming different cultural mindsets when experiencing events, and the importance of food in the Laotian culture. References to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions will also be used to analyze my first experiences in Laos.