A Lifetime of Memories

I'm not too sure that I can accurately put into words all that I experienced this summer and what it has meant to me and how I am forever changed because of it. This summer was way more than seeing some cool places and meeting cool people. I experienced so many different cultures, lived like the Europeans do (at least for a few weeks), and met some of the very best people while traveling and that I got to travel with for a whole six weeks.

Getting off of the plane in Frankfurt was exciting and terrifying all at the same time, and while a great majority of German's speak English, there are a good amount who don't and learning how to navigate a new place with signs that I didn't understand with a language that I didn't speak pushed me so far out of my comfort zone. Slowly but surely as I learned more German and as we had more and more dinners and conversations with our host family, Germany felt less like a place we were simply staying and more like a home away from home. The very first day when Rachel and I had to navigate the tram to class and got lost, it was a blow to the confidence and I surely thought that this is how everyday was going to go, but thankfully I was wrong and with every tram/train ride, I got more and more comfortable with traveling, even traveling by myself one afternoon to go visit my cousin in Koblenz. By the end of week six, I think I could have probably done my daily commute with my eyes closed and felt like I deserved a medal. I loved every minute of the different types of travel and learning how to use them, even though it was frustrating to get lost at times and end up in the wrong place, but with a little trial and error, I made it and then in the following three weeks I was able to navigate my family through Italy and the Paris metro system like a champ. 

All of the excursions and weekend trips taught me so much about myself. My strengths and what I contributed to a group when traveling to all these different places and planning out our days. These places taught me about who I am, and taught me about how big the world is and that the best part of any place was the people that I was with and met along the way. I loved being immersed in a different culture each weekend and trying to find local places that really gave us a good sense of what a place was like and known for. The week we went on excursions with the class were some of my favorite. I loved getting to travel with Dr. Wasser who has such an extensive knowledge of each place we visited and was able to share that knowledge and love for each place so well so that we could share in that. For example, I don't think most of the world knows that Germany has islands or would typically visit them, but Norderney holds a special place in my heart and was honestly one of the best places that we visited. Dr. Wasser loves sauna and has a passion for this little island and the little things like sharing his favorite ice cream shop with us one afternoon, made us all fall in love with the island too.

I loved that learning wasn't confined to a classroom but was in museums and in spas and the streets of Vienna. This unconventional way of learning not only taught us what you can learn on a powerpoint slide or in a textbook, but as we walked the very streets that individuals did with the plague and explored museums that had wax models, we learned more than we ever thought we would. The best things about these classes were that they didn't feel like work. For the first time in a long time, learning was interesting and fun and didn't feel like a chore, but instead learning was mixed with travel and cultural experiences and I looked forward to each and every different museum and experience on the streets of the cities that we were in. Even pharmacology, even though it was so short, was one of the best classes that I have taken at Texas A&M. The class was discussion based and really engaging and was so fun because it made us all think not just memorize information.

On my hero's journey, I would say that I am forever transformed and that I will carry these experiences with me for the rest of my life. It wasn't always easy, getting lost was frustrating, the language barrier was frustrating, my foot blowing up to the size of a bowling ball for unknown reasons was FRUSTRATING, but each time getting lost or hobbling through the streets of Budapest taught me that even though it wasn't picture perfect, it was mine and it was perfect to me. My foot slowed me down and allowed me to realize that experiencing a place wasn't all about seeing everything in the city but was about taking it all in and allowed me to see that the people that I had become friends with weren't simply fair weather/good time friends, but were willing to stick it out with me when things weren't necessarily as fun. I have taken all of these life lessons back with me and have done my best to apply them to my life here. I feel more confident, less stressed because if I could survive there I can survive here and all the little trials that each day brings. I am already itching to go back. I am taking a gap year between undergrad and medical school and would love to live in Europe once more. I know if I do go back it will be different, different people and different experiences so I will hold this one close to my heart forever. Thankfully the best parts about this summer are back in College Station with me. I see the friends that I made just about everyday in my classes and walking around the vet school, and am so grateful that if I ever want to talk about this summer they will never get sick of reliving it with me (unlike all of my other friends who already are). Even traveling those three weeks after the trip ended with my family, I missed the class and traveling with friends, it was so different in a good way, but still different.

Since I have been back these past three weeks in the States, I have grown used to the comforts of home again like air conditioning and ice in drinks and beds that aren't twin sized. I do miss the weather in Germany and not sweating buckets every day, but am happy to be back in a place that I can understand the language.

Germany, I will miss you but see you soon!

Back to the "Normal" World

It has now been almost 2 months, since returning to Texas. Germany, and more specifically Bonn, became a second home to me. It was hard to believe how comfortable I felt getting around Germany, using the trains, ordering food, going shopping, and all the other tasks that you wouldn't think twice about doing back home. But when you first arrive in Europe, everything is just different enough that normal tasks can be intimidating and not just because of the language change. This study abroad has been more than I could have ever imagined. From taking some of my favorite classes- I mean does it get any better than taking the History of Medicine IN Europe- to forming what I hope will be lifelong friendships, this study abroad has been one of the best experiences of my life. I will admit that while it sounded cool, I didn't really believe in the Hero's Journey that Dr. Wasser constantly told us about until I got home. As it turned out the Hero's Journey was the whole reason I went, just not by that name. A huge factor that led to my decision to study abroad was encouragement from my parents because it would be good to get out of my comfort zone. I've known for a long time that I am a creature of habit. I know what I like and I tend to stick to that. After spending so long travelling around Europe, hiking, learning German, meeting new people, and experiencing a whole new culture, I found it hard and boring to return to that "normal", comfortable zone. Germany had become my new "normal." Since coming back, all I've wanted to do is travel! While there are tons of European cities I would love to see and return to, I like my dad's suggestion to "maybe go to a whole new continent" which would be Asia. I've always enjoyed travelling, but not frequently and I tended to be more of a homebody.
I do think there are words to describe how thankful I am to everyone who made this experience amazing. To Dr. Wasser, Dr, Fajt, Alexa, and Henning for making the classes fun and engaging and planning the coolest excursions. To my parents for making this financially possible and encouraging me to go. To my host family for welcoming me and making me feel at home. And to all of the friends I've gained throughout this experience that made me look forward to everyday!

Miss ya, Europe!

Hey everyone! Being back home has been nice, but I really do miss traveling around Europe with my study abroad homies. There have been too many times that I have started to tell a story about my summer and it starts with, “When I studied abroad this summer…”. I think my friends are finally getting to the point where they are tired of hearing about my study abroad adventures, but they are too nice to say anything about it. Just thinking about my study abroad experience makes me happy. I also am so happy that I’ve stayed in contact with the friends I made. 

The program as a whole was honestly so impressive. I had so many once in a lifetime experiences that I will never forget. I look back on all of our class excursions with fond memories and reflect on how much I learned, academically and personally. I loved all of the learning we did while traveling, how we learned about the plague while walking around Vienna, and how we saw many anatomical model collections while in Berlin. This history of medicine aspect was artfully integrated into a lot of what we did. The few weeks of pharmacology was also really interesting. I loved how the class was more discussion and analysis based, rather than requiring students to memorize random pharmaceutical structures. I learned a lot about the set-up of the pharmaceutical industry and the moral debates involved with pharmaceutical manufacturing and experimentation. Every night that we were in Bonn and ate dinner with our host mom, we would come down stairs into the kitchen to help her put things on the table and she would be watching American news. It was interesting and a persistent trend that many Germans were so interested in American news and politics. I gained a new appreciation for being informed and realized the vast impact that America has on the globe. 

My expectations of the program were simply to make friends. And to say my expectations were exceeded is an understatement. I experienced so many cultures and saw so many sights that were absolutely breathtaking. I almost can’t even put into words how much fun I had while traveling. The program was not what I expected but in the best way possible. The study aspect of studying abroad was informative and captivating. It wasn’t like a traditionally classroom set up where there is potential for boredom. The lectures were always entertaining and there was always another excursion to look forward to. 

My Hero’s Journey was definitely transformative. There were some hard times whenever I was homesick or feeling very tired from sleepless nights from weekends of too much adventuring. I think that I was definitely transformed over the program. I feel more independent and confident. I liked being able to navigate the tram and train systems while also researching and booking hotels and hostels. This summer I also learned a lot about team work. Every weekend and during the class excursions we traveled as a group so figuring out where to go, where to stay, and what to do was always a group effort. It was also really interesting to see everyone’s strengths shine through. Some people were good at figuring out cool places to go and some people knew the best and cheapest places to stay. It was a really encouraging experience too because everyone was pretty easy going! The end of my Hero’s Journey was my return to the ‘known’ of Houston, Texas. It was pretty sweet because my sister, niece, and nephew who live in North Carolina came for a surprise visit and my nephew was there to surprise me at the airport, so that was so sweet! 

my lil cutie nephew surprising me at the airport!

Overall, the History of Medicine program was highly impressive, exceeded all of my expectations, and allowed me to have some of the best experiences abroad that I could never have even imagined. 

Tschüss Deutschland, bis später!

I never could have imagined how impactful my six weeks in Germany would be. I was able to discover a new side of myself, form the strongest friendships, and engulf myself in many different cultures. Every single day was a new and exciting adventure, whether we were relaxing at the biergarten in Bonn or walking 12 miles through Paris. I had some of the happiest moments of my life during my time abroad and I cannot fathom how fast it went by. Before I knew it, we were at our farewell dinner in Berlin and sharing our last night out together.

Living in a foreign country and being away from home for two months came with many obstacles. I had to overcome a significant language barrier, adapt myself to the lack of air conditioning, learn how to work public transportation, and handle situations that I had never faced before. My roommate Madison and I were placed with a host mom who spoke very little English and I often found myself feeling frustrated or helpless due to our only actual conversations being “danke” or “guten morgen”. However, this allowed us to find other ways for communication and learn how to interact with individuals that come from a completely different background than ourselves. The German everyday lifestyle was also an adjustment for myself. I am the person who likes to have a detailed schedule for each day and can't stand sitting around, however this was not what happened in Bonn. I had to learn to be okay with just lounging around and not knowing what's next on our agenda. My first week indeed came with many unforeseen struggles, but that is exactly what contributed to the most rewarding experiences.

I arrived to the Frankfurt airport to meet up with 29 other students that I knew little to nothing about. I remember being intimidated and worried that it would be difficult to form friendships in such a short time. But I was so incredibly wrong. Each and every person was caring, genuine, and shared a mutual passion for medicine. Several of these people became who I leaned on, shared countless laughs with, cried with, and traveled all over Europe with. I believe that the strengths of these friendships are due to all of the memories we shared; whether that was dancing through Dublin pubs, our canal cruise in Amsterdam, or sharing countless wine bottles in front of the Eiffel tower. Not one of these experiences would have been the same without my people. During these six weeks, I learned so much about each of them and they became some of the closest relationships in my life.

While abroad it was hard to pause and realize how truly grateful I was for each day. I was able to travel to 10 different countries (Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, U.A.E., and Luxemburg) and see parts of the world that I never expected to see this young. Aside from my travels, I also had the opportunity to take courses from the most influential professors, Dr. Wasser and Dr. Fajt. Thank you both taking time to get to know us, teaching us about the diversity within medicine, and being making a foreign place seem much less foreign. Lastly, my time at AIB wouldn’t have been the same with Henning and Alexa. Both of y’all made each day and trip more memorable and I cannot thank you enough. Bonn is a city that I will forever consider my second home, even if it’s 5000 miles away.

Dr. Wasser, I can now say that I have truly seen the transformations of The Hero’s Journey. I have grown in my independence, become more culturally competent, and have developed new perspectives for my life here in America.

To prospective students: GO ABROAD, change the world, and have the world change you.

Tschüss Deutschland, bis später!

Our daily after school naps in the Hofgarten

Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic

Our program in Vienna, Austria

Bavarian Alps in Tegernsee, Germany

My final week in Munich, Germany

Canal cruise in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Night out in Berlin, Germany

Classical concert in Vienna, Austria

Parliament Building in Budapest, Hungary

My solo tour of Frankfurt, Germany

Castle hiking in Braubach, Germany

The cliffs in Howth, Ireland

Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium

Wine cruise in Paris, France

Tschüss Deutschland, Howdy College Station!

Facing the beginning of an exciting and hectic fall semester, it is hard to believe that the last time I was in a classroom I was at the AIB in Bonn, Germany. On the one hand I feel like just yesterday I was sitting amongst my luggage, writing my first blog post and mentally preparing for my ten hour flight the following morning. On the other hand I feel like so much has happened and changed since then, it’s almost as if that were years ago, not three months ago. Regardless of the time that has passed, I am still blown away by how truly impactful those six weeks were on me as a person and on my perception of the world. 

Looking back at the very beginning, my first blog might have given the impression that I was an experienced traveler and knew how the next few weeks were going to play out. The truth is that my “only” expectation of adjustment was about to encompass every aspect of my daily life and bring to light other expectations that I never knew I had or was initially too scared to admit to myself. From the language barrier to the lack of air-conditioning and extreme reliance on walking and/or public transportation, I don’t think I realized how much of an adjustment there would be. My day to day life looked drastically different than when I was home. I was walking sometimes ten miles a day, getting very little sleep thanks to the heat wave, and feeling helpless in the face of the difficult German language. Within the first week I distinctly remember thinking, “what have I gotten myself into?” It was challenging and often times uncomfortable, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Sometimes in life we have to be challenged and uncomfortable in order to grow and I think that’s exactly what happened. Through the discomfort I learned to lean on the people around me, and as a result several of us became closer in six weeks than I am with some friends I’ve known for months or years. By confiding in each other we were no longer facing the unknowns of the summer as individuals but as a group, and we were able to laugh at the misfortunes of late trains, cancelled flights, bruised toes, and mysteriously swollen ankles. In all I think this focus on community is one of the biggest lessons I took from my time abroad, and is something that I’m striving to implement now that I am back home. For example, most of us didn’t have international phone plans to waste on Instagram and snapchat the moment we sat down at dinner or to texting others when we were on the bus ride home. Instead, we looked each other in the eyes and had real conversations about our hopes, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, etc. and really got to know each other. It made me realize just how much I don’t like social media and the way it diminishes conversation, popularizes comparison, and controls “free” time, and how much I long for genuine conversation. Consequently, I have deleted most social media apps from my phone in an attempt to focus more on the people around me and building those relationships, just as I did in Europe. 

As for those friendships built in Europe, I am so beyond grateful for the impact they had on my time abroad, making every day in class and every weekend trip more exciting and memorable than the next. It doesn't stop there though. I am beyond excited for us all to be back in College Station and able to spend more time together! The continuity that is made possible by us all coming back to the same place makes Texas A&M feel even more like home. It's amazing how small a school of nearly 70,000 students can seem when you see people you know in class, eating at Sonic, ordering your Aggie Rings (another benefit of the hours taken this summer), standing in line for the football game - basically everywhere. I just still can’t believe I got to spend my summer traveling to eight different European countries and meeting some of the most fun, intelligent, and caring people, but I am so thankful for every second of the journey and every lesson learned along the way. 

Oktoberfest won't be the same...

   Before this year, I never imagined that my summer would go the way it did. I never thought that, while I undoubtably wanted to study abroad, that it would be this summer. This summer changed my life in so many amazing ways. Since getting back to the United States, I have really had a hard time describing what this experience meant to me aside from being "the most amazing experience of my life". Yes, getting to interact with the culture was amazing. Yes, getting to see the amazing beauty of Germany and the other countries I visited was a one in a lifetime experience. But the trip was so much more than that. 

   This summer along with Germany, I went to Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Italy, England, and Ireland. Each country brought new experiences and new friendships that formed into amazing bonds. Going into this trip I did not know anybody. It was something that I was going to do all on my own and at first I was very nervous about that. As time went on I could feel myself becoming significantly more confident in myself. I was confident in how to get around a foreign country where I barely knew the language. This created a confidence in myself that I know I didn't have before going on this study abroad. Coming home I had friends and family members noticing this confidence in me that wasn't there before. 

   After the program was over, I went with my host family to Munich. This was another amazing experience that furthers the bond that I had with them. I think one of the biggest parts of my "Hero's Journey" was going to London and Dublin by myself when the program ended. Not only did this build the confidence I had in myself, but I know I am significantly more independent since then. I mean, I made it to each place, figured out my own schedules, managed the public transportation systems, dealt with a flight cancellation, and made it home safely all on my own. It was truly an amazing experience that I still to this day cannot believe I did. 

   Going into this experience I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. It truly turned out to be the most amazing adventure of my life. One of the most unique things about being in Germany was learning about all of the history there in the country. I have never in my life been so interested in learning history. I often found myself asking questions that I normally wouldn't have asked in the States. I have always had a passion for learning, but being in Europe fueled that passion. 

   At the end of it all, I cannot wait to return to Europe. I loved being there and am keeping close contact with my host family to someday return. I am so happy to have met the people I did and the close friendships that have formed from that. Every day since I have been back I have thought about my experiences in Europe and the bonds that were formed over there.

Bonn, The College Station of Germany

Unlike most, after Berlin my parents flew in and we went to so many different places. Krakow, Athens, Bucharest, Rome, Geneva, Interlaken/Jungfrau and Annency, France. Even though I was having a fantastic time, I really missed everyone! I wish I would have been able to share all of those places with the people I became super close to in our 6 weeks. Flying out of Berlin, I had to catch a connecting flight through London. After missing my flight, crying to the ticket lady to get me another ticket and having to find the gate in Heathrow on my own, I finally made it back to Texas. I was really upset I had to fly into DFW because let's face it, Houston is better. ;)

Being home the last few weeks has been interesting. I really miss the cheap food trucks and Vapiano (even if I ate there in Chicago last week). I miss seeing everyone everyday and being able to walk places and not actually melt. I've also really been able to reflect on myself too. One thing I really learned is that no matter how much planning you do, something will probably go wrong. The countless times our travel was cancelled, rerouted, or delayed even with the extensive planning was very helpful in that. I also learned to really appreciate the times you have with people and that the dumbest things make the best memories. I probably won't remember riding the tram everyday after awhile, but I'll remember running in a full sprint under the train rails with Jen so we wouldn't be late or the music/dance party (Mom, its your birthday) with Catherine. Also, the countless times we ate McDonalds and were genuinely excited? I think Stone and I cried when we paid $3 for a meal in Ljubljana.

Its also been really cool running into people from the trip on campus. I've probably seen some of these people numerous times and had no idea who they were, but now im seeing people everywhere. Its been nice always having someone to talk to on the bus or in class. (if I haven't ran into you yet thats sad so can we please hang out?)  I'm so thankful for all of you!!! Also, Henning and Alexa I miss you dearly. Alexa, come back to college station!! Henning, if you're ever in Texas I think I speak for everyone when I say we want to see you!!!

This trip highly exceeded my expectations. I really expected to only learn about medicine. Even though that was appealing at first, I'm so glad we had the opportunity to learn about other things! Being able to go to the German History Museum in Bonn or the Bee Keeping day in Berlin may have seemed really trivial then, but it was awesome to learn things from some of the most knowledgeable people. I don't think anything will ever be able to replace all the great moments that happened on this trip. Even the ones I wasn't so excited about at first.

I've also come to realize that Bonn was definitely the college station of Germany. At least to me. I ate at the same restaurants and didn't stray after awhile. It was all college students and it was way more homey than I think any of us realized it would be.

While my undergrad study abroad experiences are sadly over (8 months until graduation!!) Im really looking forward to bringing the ease of German life back to America. I might take the long way to class to get my steps in, or maybe make schnitzel from time to time now. This isn't goodbye, because ill definitely be back Bonn!!!

Prospective students. Don't under estimate the power of studying abroad. This is my second trip and I still feel extremely changed and thankful for the different experience. It might be scary, but it's worth it!! Get on that plane and see yourself truly change for the best!!!

Don't Cry Because It's Over. Smile Because it Happened.

Disclaimer: I am crying because it's over, while smiling because it happened. I really don't know how I can wrap up this summer in one single blog post. This summer was truly the best I have ever had. I experienced something new every day and I met some of the most incredible people. Germany History of Medicine will forever live on in my head and my heart. Here is my Top 10 Reasons for Loving my Study Abroad. 

10. Cultural Exchange. Having the opportunity to live in a host family in an immersive experience made this program truly unique. From the welcome barbecue to simple conversations with my host mom, I will cherish the time I spent on Alice-Salomon Strasse dearly.

9. Public Transportation. Shout out to the 603 for carrying me throughout Bonn. From the bustling Paris metro to the small bus system in Interlaken, accessible public transportation has been missed in my 52 days since returning from Europe. I still have my two Bonn bus passes in my wallet as a memory of my travels. The Aggie Spirit just isn't the same. 

8. The Cuisine. Although I eventually grew tired of bread (I never thought I'd say that), Europe offered a much more varied food scene than I would've thought. Vapiano treated me more than well, and I even had sushi as my first lunch in Bonn. Experiencing different cultures through their food was most highlighted in Spain. Biiiig shoutout to Megyn for showing us the best Barcelona had to offer. 

7. SEVEN. (Sorry for the shameless inside joke. ) This encompasses the friendships I made on this trip. I have never been around such a fun, loving, intentional group of people in my life. I mentioned it earlier, but these friends I made will last a lifetime. I have new people to sit with in classes, run into at tailgates, and talk about our experience without worry of annoying my other friends. These people just get it. They know the importance of studying abroad, and the transformations that we went through. Cologne Stone is ready for a reunion!!!

6. The Classes. For the first time in my college career, I was taking classes that were taught by engaging professors with equally engaging course material. History of Medicine was very interesting, and Dr. Wasser's knowledge seemed unending. I will never know how he keeps that information straight in his mind. Also, only he could sing the Dies Irae in the middle of a museum in Bingen, Germany. Special Topics in Pharmacology was something I did not expect to enjoy so much. Dr. Fajt easily kept the class enjoyable, and those discussions led me to explore more about the field of drug policy, regulation, and development. 

5. Travel. This could easily be the best part of my study abroad. Having travel excursions built in to the program and free travel weekends every weekend, enforced what I was learning in the classroom and allowed me to see parts of Europe I had only ever dreamed of. Bingen, Norderney, Vienna, and Berlin were all included in the program, and allowed us to examine medical history in the places that the events and advancements occurred. Paris, Barcelona, Brussels, Interlaken, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Luxembourg were all places I was able to go to during my weekend trips. I grew closer with friends while seeing some of the most famous landmarks in the world. 

4. Alexa and Henning. These two deserve a shoutout. To Alexa, thank you for our bar talks during World Cup games. Thank you for sharing all of your experiences and treating all of us with respect and like life-long friends. To Henning, thank you for keeping things light when plans changed, and thank you for always finding humor, even with us Texans. 

3. Bonn. My home away from home. I have so many memories that are strictly tied to Bonn, and I can't imagine my experience being anywhere else. I got to see a golden retriever on my daily commute, and I really got a feel for what Bonn was about. The locals were extremely kind, even when I only knew two german phrases. Deutsche ist keine probleme fur miche! Eine bier bitte! Thank you to the AIB for giving me a second home, 5000 miles away from Texas. 

2. My Parents. Thank you for continuing to invest in my education. Y'all gave me the best experience of my life, and I will be forever grateful for that. Y'all have been unendingly supportive, even when I am not always the most appreciative. Just know I will never forget all that y'all have given me. 

1. The Hero's Journey. Now that I am being reflective, I can truly thank Dr. Wasser for stressing the archetypal Hero's Journey throughout this study abroad. I saw transformations within myself upon arrival in Frankfurt International Airport. For the first time, my independence was truly tested. My family wasn't just a phone call away, and that worried me. I have always been a homebody, but the travel and learning kept me yearning for more, while not worrying about not being at home. I had to make decisions for myself, wake up on my own at ungodly hours (whoop to not missing the train to Norderney), and communicate with others that don't speak my own language. I am sure the growth will not stop now that I am away from Europe, and I am sure some impacts form this trip have yet to be seen. 

0. Prospective Students. Go. Take the leap. Answer the call to action. You will have 0 regrets. You will see unimaginable things, make unforgettable memories, and meet some amazing people. 

Go abroad. Change your life. This is Stone Kinsey, signing off.