The Time Has Come

Tonight I board my flight to Frankfurt, Germany. I have been counting down to this day since December and I cannot believe that it is finally here. Luckily, I am already adjusted to the significant time change because I have been in Dubai, UAE this past week visiting family. The days leading up to my departure were full of anticipation and nervousness about leaving the United States for 8 weeks and traveling across the world alone. However, I felt a sense of calmness as soon as I entered DFW Airport and began my journey. Traveling around the UAE and experiencing the diverse culture has been beyond amazing and made me even more excited for my upcoming time in Europe. I have always dreamed about studying abroad and even looked into the different programs, but I never thought that it would actually become a reality. Everyone encouraged me to go for it and insisted that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so thankful for that motivation. I had also been asked if I am scared of the potential dangers for a young woman traveling or if I am nervous about terrorism, but the answer was always no. Obviously it is something to be cautious of and keep in mind, but I wasn't going to let fear keep me from experiencing this adventure fully.
I spent this past semester researching what cities and countries that I wanted to visit and we even started planning our travel arrangements. This is when I realized how lucky I am to live in a foreign country for over a month and have the opportunity to travel around Europe on our weekend breaks. We will be just a short train ride or flight away from vastly different cities and people. And not only that, but while living with a host family in Bonn. I am looking forward to learning about the German culture and local lifestyle from my host family and trying all of the German foods. Lastly, the classes that we will be taking are a big reason that I chose this program. I am so excited to gain knowledge in global medicine and observe how healthcare varies in Europe. Although I like to see myself as an adventurer, I have always been close to family and friends and rely on them heavily. I believe that this will be my biggest challenge, but one that I will be able to overcome by embracing my time abroad and making remarkable memories.
I'm ready for you Germany, let's do this!