Wow, I can't believe my time in Düsseldorf is almost over. I spent a lot of time two nights ago thinking about what a scared foreigner I felt like when I first got to Europe 6 weeks ago, and how much I have learned to loosen up and go with the flow. I think riding the train has been the best example of loosening up for me. In America, you almost alway fly, and you have to get to the airport 2-3 hours early to check in, go through security, get every little piece of everything you have searched and scanned and checked, you haul all your carry ons to the gate that is half a mile away because if you check your bags surely they will get lost, and then you wait for your plane that is never on time, and if its really bad you have to worry about making it to your connection on time. WHEW!! that sucks. But here in Europe, you can even buy your ticket last minute. You just go to the handy little automated ticket machine, buy the ticket, say oh what platform am I on? look up at the huge ever changing baord, find the train, walk to the platform, and get on the train as soon as it gets there. AND ladies and gents, you can do all of this about 10-15 minutes before the train leaves! AND it will almost ALWAYS be on time! Its amazing! plus no one searches you or questions you or harasses you about the size of your carry on. Its amazing. My first train ride was an overnight train from Paris to Berlin and I was convinced I had to be there super early (yeah I got there like 2 hours early cause people kept telling me to get there with plenty of time), and then I was terrified that somehow it would be late or I would miss it or I would be in the wrong car and get left in timbucktu and other such horrible things. What I've come to realizse is, if travelling in the U.S. were this easy, I'd do it much more! I have loved my Eurail pass and traveling on trains. It's a very interesting place to meet people, especially when you're travelling with people like Stuart and Kellie.
But enough rambling about things I'm sure no one cares about. All I really mean is that this trip has really helped me to relax and go with the flow, even if I'm not quite a fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl like others I know. I wish everyone was allowed to have the chance to travel to Europe and have the kind of adventure I've had and see and learn the things I have. Now that I am about to return to my home and so many of the things I love, I really do find myself sad that I will be leaving the comfort of my home in Düsseldorf and the public transportation and the Hauptbahnhof. (You can buy almost ANYTHING there!) Sure I still don't speak very good German, but I know more than I did, and I have definetly learned what it feels like to be the one that doesn't speak the language of the land, a feeling I know many of my future patients will have. And with all the traveling I have ahead of me for medical school interviews, I know that even with the stress I will still have a great time. So look out Texas.... Here I come!
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