Letters to the Editor
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it happened to me too
For my semester abroad, I lived in a small Russian town in the middle of nowhere. I had never been out of the US before. The place was not at all what I had expected despite studying Russian history and language for two years beforehand. It was rather hostile and impenetrable (also, I felt, horribly limiting for single women). I was miserable for much of the time and counted down the days to my return. I couldn't understand the TV, but at first I did spend a lot of time indoors reading as many books in English as I could get my hands on.
After a while I realized (as you have) that I was wasting my time, playing it safe. So I started walking around, planning mini-adventures for myself around town. I experienced a lot that was strange and bizarre just by walking down the street for hours toward the nuclear reactor in the distance, or by hopping on a train at the last minute for a weekend in Latvia, a country I knew nothing about. I also lived with an eccentric old Russian lady who was quite a character, if a bit overbearing at times.
About a year after I returned home, I realized that the semester HAD been a turning point in my whole life, just not in the way I had anticipated. I was never quite the same person afterward. I think and compare situations to "when I was living in Russia..." all the time. It took me a while to process the experience and figure out what it meant to me, but now I am translating my massive semester abroad journal into a memoir, collecting all the stories that have amused and horrified my friends.
If language issues are a barrier to friendship (possibly not if you can understand the TV), keep in mind you will improve your skills as time goes on ONLY if you make an effort to speak with others.
Also, if it's cold where you are, remember that spring is right around the corner, and you might feel less like hanging out in your apartment when the weather improves!