Pre-Departure for Germany

It actually has not fully hit yet that in a few days I will be thousands of miles away from home.  This thought makes me extremely excited, but also slightly anxious.  This will be my first time going to Europe and as such it is all going to be new for me.  The fact that I am going to be experiencing so many new things is what makes me the most excited about going to Europe.  I chose this program because it seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about German/European culture while also expanding my knowledge in my field of interest.  One thing that I truly enjoy is being able to experience and learn about other people's cultures.  I think that an understanding of how people live in other parts of the world is something that can be extremely valuable in life.  One of my favorite ways to experience a person's culture has always been through food.  I consider myself a "foodie" and because of this I plan trying as many foods as I can while in Europe.  I cannot wait to learn more about German culture from the people that live there.  I am also excited to learn about their culture and my field of interest through the German History of Medicine course.  In growing as an individual I think it is very important that I try and learn from as many different people as possible.  In going to Europe I hope to gain a new mindset when it comes to veterinary medicine and medicine in general.  The aspect of the trip that makes me anxious is just the fact that I will be experiencing so many new places on my own.  To clarify, I will be with a group pretty much every where I go, but just the fact that we will be going on trips to so many new countries on our own seems daunting.  That being said, the anxiety that I feel is also paired with excitement to experience as much of Europe as I possibly can.