"I'm holding onto a fairytale"...

^Those A Day to Remember lyrics describe how I felt just a few days after I got back from this amazing trip. Before we left, I was so nervous/anxious/apprehensive about leaving the country with a group of people I barely knew for 3 weeks, but now I know I didn’t need to worry! I came back with so many great memories and a whole new group of friends, and I am so glad that I decided to step way outside my comfort zone and go.
In regards to the history of medicine aspect of the trip, I found the subjects of Nazi-related medicine and history intriguing, since we visited several places in Germany where various experiments and discoveries took place. Though most of these advances that Nazi physicians made were based on terrible human experiments, they were fascinating to learn about. I really appreciated the fact that we learned about these events, because the history of Nazi Germany is something that we should all know about and remember. The environment in which we learned about all this gave the history and facts more meaning and importance, for me anyway. I came away from this program with a much more educated view on Germany (and Austria) and its past, and I would like to continue learning, on my own, about its history.
Though the trip was mainly for gaining medical knowledge and experiences (the surgery is still the first thing I think about when I remember this trip!), the cultural interactions that I had during the short three weeks are unforgettable. Without getting too long-winded, it would be impossible for me to describe how the drastically different culture of Europe changed how I see things now. However, in a nutshell, Germany changed my outlook on life, people, and priorities. That sounds completely cliché, but it really did. Things that used to be so important to me no longer seem like such a big deal; I no longer stress over every little detail in my life or worry about petty things. Also, after speaking with people my age that were travelling around Europe, I found that they seemed more… for lack of a better word, cultured, which is something that I hope to become after seeing more of the world.
Last but not least, the group that went on this trip was incredible! Despite a series of rather uncomfortable gatherings at the pre-departure meetings (by the way guys, sorry I was so anti-social at ALL of them), we managed to loosen up and become friends as soon as we set foot in Germany! I am so glad that many of us still see each other and talk, and I hope that we will be able to reminisce about our awesome three weeks together for a long time. I am so grateful for much regarding this trip: that I was given this opportunity to see/learn/experience so many incredible things, DR. WASSER, Steffi, Olaf, Dr. Zack, everyone that lectured and gave us tours, and all the lasting friendships that I made during our time in Deutschland. I hope to return in the near future! Farewell.
“It’s time to say goodbye”