I found it rather difficult to orient myself in the first few weeks of the program because the city is not laid out as an American one.  I was worried about stepping outside my comfort zone and exploring new and different parts of the city in part because of the difficulty in orientation and in part because of my skill with the language.  I think that once I figured out the method by which the city was built and how the parts connect and relate to each other, I became much more confident.  I think that I have gotten better at figuring these systems out and will feel more comfortable in other new cities, regardless of where they are located.