Hostels, Pimsleur German, Thalys train bookings, Eurorail passes, gifts for host families, airplane tickets, and tuition--some of the preparations for our History of Medicine program in Germany. This has been challenging; I feel as if my bank account is being drained by the minute. No one ever said that a study abroad program would be cheap. No one ever said that the preparations would be easy. No one ever said that everything would go as planned. However, this is the experience. Everything will fall into place.
As a former South Korean citizen, I am no stranger to foreign travel. As a little boy, I traveled back and forth between the U.S. and South Korea. However, I have never set foot in Europe. Many new adventures await: the sights, the people, the culture, the food. I joined the History of Medicine program both for the opportunity to travel to Europe and the opportunity to study in a country that excels in medicine. Fortunately, not all will be unfamiliar. Sean, a fellow classmate, and I attended middle school, high school, and now, Texas A&M together. In addition, my aunt and cousins from Germany will be nearby in Cologne to help and visit me as needed. Despite my anxiety exploring a foreign culture, I will have the support from friends, family, and program coordinators to find a rewarding experience in Europe.
I expect to learn a great deal about the German culture and the history of medicine in Europe. I expect to drink lots of tasty and authentic food/beer (mainly beer). I expect to make new friends and life-long memories. Other than that, I am trying my best to be open-minded. My natural tendency is to be punctual to absolutely everything and stay on schedule. When events do not go as planned, I can get annoyed. Going into this program, I am trying my best to accept that not everything will go smoothly. Besides, I finally get to cross off something on my bucket list: going to Switzerland!
My main anxieties are having my passport/credit card/money stolen or lost, my host family (will they like me??), and getting lost in a foreign country. To help me along, I have picked up some German through Pimsleur (which will serve me well in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany), and I will be taking extra caution to make sure everyone in the program stays safe. I believe despite the risks and anxiety, I am ready to step out of my comfort zone and experience a life-changing experience.
From my brief interactions with my classmates, everyone seems very kind and willing to help. I'm excited to learn everyone's names, get to know the people on this trip, and travel together. Also, how amazing would it be if Germany won the World Cup this year?? If they lose, they might riot, which would be awkward. Or in the extremely unlikely case, what if Germany and the U.S. played against each other? Well, until then: BTHO Belgium and BTHO Algeria (only the soccer teams of course)!
Edward Ji '15
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