Bittersweet Farewell

The memories of my experience in Europe have turned bittersweet since my departure. The white snow, subways, beautiful cathedrals, daily “field trips”…I miss it all. However, the thought of all those experiences leave a churning feeling in my stomach since a friend accidentally deleted all the pictures I took from my memory card. What heartbreak. I guess I’ve put off writing this final blog so I wouldn’t have to think about all the deleted pictures. Guess it’s a part of life’s experiences.

But besides the negativity of losing all those pictures, the internal memories of my experience will never vanish. I never thought visiting a foreign country could be so enchanting. Upon my departure from the states, I didn’t know what to expect. I was excited, yet anxious and scared all together. Experiencing the trip with my fellow classmates definitely made the experience more adventurous. I was able to explore new places while simultaneously meeting new people. I will never forget Olaf, and of course Cosmo. As a life lesson, I’ve learned that there’s a whole other world out there, with many different people: different colors, different backgrounds, and different values. But what we all have in common is our mere existence. Simple, but you never think about those things when you’re caught up in your very own world.

So how about those programs? Man, there were so many. Probably can’t remember them all if I tried. I must say my favorite was being able to stand on the operating floor with actual surgeons to see an artificial heart transplant. You can’t place a value on that. And let’s not forget my very own visit to the eye doctor. I’ll never forget that. When I reminisce on what information may be useful to my future career as a physician, the “telemedicine” presentation comes to mind. Upon further visiting UTMB, the school into which I will matriculate into in the fall, I learned that they have a telemedicine program. I would have never known what this meant or what telemedicine was without that presentation. And although I am still skeptical about telemedicine, I find it intriguing that one day I may possibly use telemedicine within my own practice.

Clearly, I cannot sum up my whole experience within this one blog; however I can openly admit that I enjoyed every minute in Europe. The culture, food, and people were all different, yet the experience was worth the hassle of trying to speak the German language and “schnell-ing” when trying to fight to board a train. Do I miss Europe? Yes, with no doubt in my mind. Do I plan on returning? Yes, and as soon as possible. The most influential impact this trip had on my future was my decision to take the “Global Health” track in medical school. I want to learn even more about the rest of the world that’s out there and continue to help those that are different from me…both here in the states and abroad.

I’d like to thank Dr. Wasser and Dr. Rousell once again for their divine wisdom and the opportunity to study abroad…and Olaf for keeping me laughing. I also would like to thank all my fellow classmates for the good times, and even some of the bad ones. Once again, I hold this experience dear and will never forget all that I saw, tasted, and especially, what I learned, inside and outside the classroom. Although I have no pictures of my own to remember each and every little experience, I still hold my experience in Europe close to my heart. Farewell…for now.