Looking back on Deutschland

This first months back has gone by so quickly.
Whether I’d like to admit it or not, school life came back just as regularly as it ever has. It’s easy to get into a swing, a rhythm, and stay put for a while, going through the motions. But I’ve kept bits and pieces of the trip in random places, train tickets in my iPod case, the Kostritzer glass on my shelf, studying cardiac mechanics and replaying that triple bypass surgery in my mind.
There are other small changes I’ve noticed. I’ve found I love discussing different issues we were exposed to on the trip with anyone willing to bounce ideas back and forth, the healthcare dilemma being a favorite. There’s a BBC news app residing on my phone that I read each day before class, I’m more skeptical and very sensitive of US citizen’s views of foreign happenings, and I’m annoyed with myself if I slip away from keeping up with issues abroad. Thinking on global scales rather than college-station ones is more relatable and easier than it was before. I’ve recognized that opportunities are no longer restricted to Texas, the east and west coast, or the United States for that matter.
A surprising realization I’ve stumbled upon after coming back was my need to make time for people. After three weeks of unburying myself from books and listening to stories- the dancer from Budapest on the train from Prague, the Australian couple on our pub crawl, to name a few- I’ve come to realize people’s lives, dreams, and creativity are incredibly more interesting than a textbook on biomaterials. Cliché-ness aside, I overwhelmed myself beyond any shade of dignity last semester, and those weeks with nothing but coffee and papers brought me to a rude awakening. I’d been sweeping people under the rug, pushing them back to another day, when time would magically appear out of the heavens and give me a break. So one of the biggest changes I’ve made with this reprioritizing is taking time to catch up with old friends, chit-chatting with random people on the way to class. I loved that being in Germany, you could communicate with a single smile, or an expression, because words were basically useless (for us at least, Dr. Wasser of course had the language down to a fine art in comparison). Conclusion? This trip was a great reminder that people are beautiful, and at the end of the day, they’ll be there with a lot more to offer than a degree and a salary.
Ironically, on more professional terms, I feel as though I have a much clearer direction and vision of what I want to accomplish in my career. Prior to our trip, medical school was as appealing as technical design of devices, which was on the same level as tissue engineering. I remember feeling utterly confused as to what interested me. This trip had the biggest variety of medical applications I’ve ever actually experienced, and opened my eyes to a few disciplines I had quite frankly never considered before. Prosthetics became infinitely more exciting thanks to Otto Bock, cardiac imaging was put in the playing field as well, and I was reminded why I chose biomedical engineering in the first place- I was a kid in a candy store. So many thanks to everyone who coordinated the program – you’ve presented us with so many problems to be tackled, and solutions to be improved upon. I’m not sure everyone thought of it in quite those terms, but you’ve gotten us all outside of our boxes in a major way.
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I made a list of goals for myself on the plane ride home, and I’m reading through them again for the first time to see what I have and haven’t tried out. The first was learning a language. Well, starting off strong, I haven’t attempted this one yet. It’s still on the to-do list, probably as a summer project. This stemmed from my belief that Americans, in general, are pretty lazy when it comes to learning any other languages than our native English, whereas a large majority of the people in the world learn at least two languages growing up. This is probably a great testament to our lack of willingness to embrace other cultures.
I also decided I wanted to study people instead of math equations 24-7. As mentioned above, keeping up with current events is a new priority, because in no way did I qualify as an active citizen before this trip. I’ve been pretty successful with this one! I’ve surprised myself with how much persistence I actually took on this goal, considering it had no place in my busy bubble of a life before. Going along with the theme, I wanted to be able to discuss my opinion of these issues with friends and colleagues, and this goal has flowered into some pretty awesome conversations ranging from debt crises to work-life balance to FDA regulations and healthcare systems, and I love that I have somewhat of a unique and objective point of view due to my time in Germany.
I wanted to practice my oboe more. The opera sparked this one; I honestly couldn’t take my focus off of wanting to play in the symphony that accompanied the singing. It’s been a year since I’ve played in an ensemble, and I miss the flow of music through every fiber of your being as you create with a group of people feeling the same thing. It’s been too long since I’ve experienced this, and one of my goals is to teach oboe lessons when I’m a bit older. I’ve busted mine out a few times since retrieving it from Dallas and it’s been wonderful.
Another goal: studying things I haven’t before. If anything else, this trip has urged me to reach out to new areas of interest. I’ve made a goal to perform in the Austin Poetry Slam, and to finish a few novels over the course of the semester. Now that I’ve experienced the freedom of learning in a new country, from the tours to interactive museums to conversing with people on trains, I’m finding it easy to pull away from my usual study of biology and the like. There are so many integrated areas of culture and art I haven’t made time for, and convincing myself to take a break from engineering to delve into one of these has become more of a necessity for me than an “oh, it would be cool to do this, maybe one day..” type thing. Another thought: Yes, a library gives your mind unlimited wandering space, bit why not do both mental and physical wandering at the same time? Travelling is a must do, as soon as I get that salary…
Other things I learned: Americans are loud, and always will be. I smile a lot, too much for my own good, probably, as I got a few weird looks from strangers while abroad. Walking is infinitely better than driving. You’re closer to people, it’s better for you, and the only downfall is you’re missing the random jam out moments in the cars next to you. It makes me think American like to isolate ourselves from others for the most part, which is a bit discomforting.
I’ve realized history, and the paths people have taken, are beautiful. It astounds me that Germany can have the strongest economy in the EU after rebuilding itself twice. Also, I walked in the footsteps of those who survived an attempt at exterminating a whole group of people. I walked where they walked, read what they had to say about it, and in the lucky cases, felt their freedom. The parallels between the US anti-Muslim mindset and the anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany is scary and eye opening as well, it’s not so unbelievable that people should slip past their normal morals under such fear and powerful propaganda and authority. I’ve also learned that nationalism is valuable- the ability to join together and be absolutely proud of your people and your country is something I’ve always taken for granted, mostly because I ignored most of the not so great actions the US has taken over the decades. We, as a country, can fly our flags and go crazy about our pride for our country, but for Germans it reminds them of a gruesome past. It’s completely opposite of the revolutionary war –we are awesome- stigma American kids grew up with. On a side note, whenever I come across a plaque in the ground, I immediately think of the bonze squares along the sidewalks across Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria. The acceptance of their past and the ability to keep moving still amazes me.
All in all, my experiences in Germany have opened my mind to so many possibilities and ideas I never dreamed of considering. Thank you Dr. Wasser, and thanks to my fellow travelers for helping make our excursion something I will never forget!