Looking back on the trip this summer, I don’t even know where to begin. Upon arrival back to the US and having to answer questions like, “How was your trip?” or “What was the experience like?” made it very difficult to put everything into words. I found myself often saying that this was undoubtedly the most amazing experience of my life instead of trying to explain every single crazy and wonderful thing that happened throughout the study abroad. My expectations for the trip were definitely met and exceeded, and I hope to detail some of the key reasons why.
The learning experience through this study abroad was completely different than any atmosphere I’ve ever been in. Being able to physically stand in a building or city where large advances in medicine were made is phenomenal. One of my favorite parts was visiting Vienna and seeing amazing clay sculptures of the human body and being able to learn how students would use those exact models to study human anatomy. I was also fascinated by the fact that when medical professionals would see a certain disease they would actually preserve the infected organ in order to show what the disease does and try to understand the cause. Standing in front of those organs that have been preserved for so many years was mind blowing. It truly allowed me to appreciate the technology we have now and understand just how far medicine has come in such a short time period. This style of teaching allowed me to learn about so many pivotal things that I’m interested in and also taught me to be grateful of the advances that have been made and understand how medicine evolved into what it is today.
The social aspect of this journey also made such a huge impact on my life. I went on this trip without knowing anybody, and I am so grateful that I did it that way. It made me come out of my comfort zone and be able to make lasting memories with new friends. The host family that I was placed with was beyond amazing. They were so welcoming and were truly interested in helping us not only learn the culture around us, but make sure that we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. They would give us tips on where to go and what we needed to see, and even prepared food from other countries so we could try it all. However, my favorite thing was just being able to sit with them and discuss things from work to politics to differences in culture. We would sit down for dinner and then continue to just talk for hours about everything.
This was my first time ever traveling to Europe, and it made me completely fall in love with it. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that no matter where I went it would be something I had never seen before. Aside from the travel built into the trip, I went to Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Every place was entirely different the next but amazing in its own way. Brussels had amazing food and arguably the best beer, while Barcelona had beautiful architecture and an amazing atmosphere. Denmark was a struggle to get to after having a train cancel and having to take a seven hour bus ride, but was entirely worth it. It was such a lively city, with the best ice cream called “soft ice” and an anarchist district called Christiania just outside the city that took you to an entire different world. Interlaken, Switzerland was breathtaking and had water so blue it seemed impossible and is the place we decided to go paragliding at the last moment which is something I would recommend to everybody. Then there was Rome, so much culture, so much pasta, and such great wine. Every sight in Rome was a part of such great history and beautiful, and the most random thing happened… we attended mass in the Pantheon! I could type for days and never be able to express all the great things about my trip to each city, while there were many bumps on the road, I left a piece of my heart in every country.
Recognizing your “Hero’s Journey” was something discussed about a lot on this trip, and I know that I had more than one. Before this trip, I struggled with getting out of comfort zone and often just stayed close to people I already knew. It was hard leaving everyone behind and speaking to them with a seven hour time difference, and what made it even harder was being in a foreign place staying in a stranger’s house. However, once I realized that everyone was in the same situation and I was on a trip with great people and had an opportunity to experience something that not everybody gets to, I found it easy to be open to new things. This is something that I believe I have brought back, even here I try things I might not have before, and I try my best to meet new people without caring about nonsense like what if I make things awkward or what if I don’t like it. My next trial was my phone breaking for the entire last week of the trip. I was in Rome, and was unable to capture the beauty, talk to my family, map where I was, or even transfer money to my bank account. It was very stressful to feel out of control of everything, but it did make me realize how reliant I am on my phone. It was important for me to see that and it forced me to be completely present for every moment we spent in Rome and in Berlin, which I am grateful for. After reactivating my phone here in the US, I notice when I am glued to my phone or not present in the moment more often, and find myself less worried about pictures and what everyone else is up to and just focusing on what’s right in front of me. It’s fair to say that the entire experience changed me for the better, and I wouldn’t trade any moment, because even the bad ones let to something great.
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