Education of a Lifetime

From July 2- August 7 I got to do something most people only dream about- I got to go and explore a foreign land. Departing from the Houston airport, I had no clue to what I had coming in Europe (other than knowing that the possibilities were endless). I wanted to be affected by this trip, and during it I felt something pulling on me- though I never really knew what it was. In the wake of returning and coming back to A&M, I believe I am finally ‘living in the moment’ of my European adventures. During the trip, it took all my energy just to take in the new sights and sounds, not truly appreciating the beauty of the place. In retrospect, I actually feel the beauty of all the places I’ve been to with a much more tangible feeling than I did when I was actually over there!
In Germany, I definitely got an education on medicine’s unique history in Europe, but I also got something much more valuable- I got an education on a different peoples and culture. From the unmatched architecture in Vienna, the beautiful country of Prague, Amsterdam’s insane city life, Switzerland’s pure water and mountains, and Paris’ history- I got to see a variety of people and experience things I could never have experienced by just staying at home. It excites me to think about how I got lost in Bonn that first weekend night by myself in the city- not knowing where anything was. I proved to myself that I could get around by myself! Getting to know Steffi and her husband Christian was a first rate look into the lives of true German denizens! When I think about Steffi now, I know that I was blessed with someone truly special in this world. She is someone, a fellow sister human being, that I would have never even known existed had I not spent 3 weeks living under her roof.
When I think about German culture and American culture, there are blaring differences- and yet we are ultimately the same. How can I say this?! I think this realization for me makes the world a lot less scary to me. I feared the unknown and now I know (a little more at least) about ‘the people over there’. I appreciate their way of doing things (though I still prefer mine), but we still ultimately just want to live life as great as we know we can.
The lesson I value most from my study abroad experience in Germany was that it taught me to take a step back and live life in the moment more often.