Wow! It seems like just yesterday I was begging and pleading to my parents to let me apply for the amazing study abroad program I discovered to Germany, and now it's a mere 6 days away. I can't believe how fast time flies when you're looking forward to such an amazing trip such as this one. I can't tell you how many times people have asked me, "Are you excited?". What do you think my response is going to be? "No I really hate the fact that I have to go to Germany over Christmas and tour all of these fabulous museums and medical facilities. It's going to be awful". OF COURSE NOT. I'm so excited, it's really hard to put into words. I've been abroad twice before, both times with my family. Traveling has always been something I've grown up with. Every year my family would take a vacation somewhere in the United States, and once I turned 16, I was given the opportunity to travel to Europe for the first time. I was lucky enough to get to travel to the beautiful cities of Paris, Vienna, and my favorite, Budapest. My second trip to Southern France and Barcelona was during the month before I went to Texas A&M. And ever since then I have been yearning to go back.
I'm especially excited to go to Germany this winter because of all the wonderful trips and adventures I'll get to take part in. I've never had an opportunity to tour the major medical facilities and museums of the United States, so being able to do this in Germany is just amazing. Seeing how a different country views medicine and how their medical system operates sounds extremely fascinating to me. Go ahead, call me a nerd. And not only is Germany rich in science and education, but it's also rich in history. History has always been a love of mine, but I've never been able to pursue it as much as I would have liked to due to my degree. In high school, my favorite class was European History, especially German history. It's amazing how so much can happen to a country in a span of twenty to thirty years. And I can't wait to witness this first hand.
I'm a little apprehensive about being in a country where I don't know the language and without my parents. Yes, I know I'm 21 years old, but I've never been to Europe without my family so this is new to me. But I think that is what will make this experience all the more significant.
Traveling to Europe in previous years has opened my eyes to new cultures and experiences, and I know I will learn even more this time. I'm greatly looking forward to getting to know my fellow Aggies on this trip as well as getting to know myself a bit more. Nothing brings a group together quite like being stranded in a foreign country where one word can have five different meanings.
By the time I return from Germany, I hope to achieve these five things
1. To be well versed in the German culture, medical system, and history
2. To be able to say "Auf Wiedersehen" without thinking of Heidi Klum from Project Runway
3. To have made wonderful new friends, both from A&M and from Germany
4. To have fun. Plain and simple.
5. To be a German bier expert and have sung a German drinking song with the locals.
I am extremely excited about this next adventure in my life! Like my wise sister said to me, "No one ever regrets the things they did; they regret the things they didn't do". This will be my mantra while in Germany.
Watch out Germany, I even bought a hipster hat to fit more into your culture.
Auf wiedersehen!
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