More Europe, Bitta?

After my plane landed and I walked sans luggage (my duffel back apparently still wanted another couple of days of vacay) out of the DFW airport, I was blown away not only by the heat when the sliding glass doors opened but by how unattractive the metroplex really is. Don’t get me wrong, I love Arlington, but compared to the Germany and Austrian countryside, I needed a box of Kleenex to help me face the harsh reality of the polluted air that I was back to inhaling. Besides the enchanting scenery, I miss the convenience of hoping on the subway and lack of standstill rush hour traffic. I almost miss the Olympic speed walking pace of our fellow Germans, but it is nice to get back into the casual shuffle of the feet to and from class.
Visiting all of the awe-inspiring facilities in Germany and Austria really cemented my desires to pursue a career in research. For the longest time, I only saw myself as a veterinarian but now thanks to all of the lectures we had by the different doctors, pursuing a career in medicine isn’t so out of the question. Also, I never understood how global research has become, as a researcher you’re never limited to one continent, which is really appealing. There are so many contributions to studies made from scientists around the globe. From this trip, I took away that I shouldn’t lock myself down into one set profession; I really need to keep exploring out there to make sure that I find the one I truly belong to.
This opportunity to study abroad allowed me to make some new life-long friends and learn so much about veterinary medicine and human medicine. Being able to visit hospitals and the cattle clinic at the vet school is something I would have never been able to do if I had taken this class here on campus. One of the best parts of this trip for me was being able to see pieces of history that I had learned about for years and years in the classroom and witness it in real life. I can’t tell you in how many history text books I’ve seen pictures of concentration camps, but when I walked around the grounds of Sachsenahusen on a cold, solitary winter day, I really felt like my understanding of what happened there deepened and became more real. My connection to this part of history strengthened and I felt emotions that I hadn’t experienced before.
I just wanted to say thanks to Dr. Wasser and Steffi and anyone else who made this trip so influential because it really did change my perspective, thoughts, and ideas on some many things. My eyes were opened to many new topics and historical information. The program was so efficiently run and I think that’s why we all enjoyed it so much, not to mention that’s how we packed in all of our awesome activities. Even with all of the long nights :) and early mornings :( , I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I will be forever grateful!!

Lauren L.