Q & A

Houston Intercontinental Airport can be one of the scariest places on earth. Knowing that there is no turning back on what can be considered a journey of a lifetime, induces an uneasiness in my stomach. The funny feeling in my stomach is hard to explain. I believe it is a combination of fear, nervousness, and extreme excitement. As I wait for my departure time, my head is filled with thoughts comparing my old home to what I think my new home will be like. Will it be about the same? Will I ever feel comfortable? What is the food going taste like? Then I start thinking that these thoughts are totally natural. I am sure, no; I am positive that these are the exact same feelings of everyone else going on this trip. Then I feel a wave of warm relief and my confidence level rises almost instantly.
My study abroad experience in Düsseldorf, Germany was amazing. I had so many expectations of what it was going to be like. It met and exceeded all of them. The closeness and friendships that formed with both my fellow students and with my host family is something that I have never experienced before. It was nice going from the feeling of being alone to being surrounded by all new friends almost instantly. This trip definitely changed they way I approach meeting new people. It seems that I am more open to new people and new experiences. I am also more concerned on events that are happening globally. I can see now the relationship between me, as an American, and the rest of the world. Whatever events happen across the world could possibly affect my lifestyle in some way and I should be aware of these changes. This is a view on world events that I never had before this trip.
Along with meeting new and different people, my visual experience was just as great. The history and culture that is in Europe is somewhat hard to describe in words. There is just so much that can be taken in from 1,000 year old castles and churches, the Rhine River valley, palaces, WW II ruins, and an endless amount of other things. Most of these objects I read about in history books, and now I have actually been there. I like to say that I “touched history”.
On this trip, I was bombarded with an incredible amount of information. Information from both our guided tours and our class was a lot to take in. I was skeptical on how much my brain could hold, but then surprised that I can still recall almost all of the details. From what I learned about the history of medicine opened my eyes on how far we have come, as a society, in treatments concerning the patient. We have come along way since the time of no anesthesia and human experimentation. It seems that the patient’s well being has taken top priority as opposed to the patient being sacrificed for the advancement of medical science.
My study abroad trip to Düsseldorf will be something that is imprinted in my mind forever. I find myself recalling experiences from this trip and applying them in present situations. Saying this, my trip to Europe was not just a memorable experience, but an encounter that I can utilize for the rest of my life.