The End

The first week or so after we got back, I was so stressed out by thinking about trying to get a job for the summer, and worrying about trying to get into medical school, that I could barely even think about how I liked my first trip to Europe or what I experienced. After a while though, when I had time to think about everything, I realized that we got to do some seriously cool things, and that I really did have a good time. When I think back to all the places we got to go, and how much we learned, it really is incredible. For one thing, we got to observe surgery, which was something I probably would not have been able to do at home, and is also one of the coolest things I have ever done. We also got to go to so many different medical and historical museums that are unique to the area where we were. The longer excursions, Vienna and Berlin, were especially enjoyable. I can't even imagine the amount of effort and planning that must have gone into creating the program, and I am very grateful to Dr. Wasser and Kristin for making this possible for us. Overall I would say I learned so much that I wouldn't have learned had I not gone on the study abroad, making it most emphatically worth going on.

Looking back at my first blog post, I first of all feel like an idiot for writing any of that nonsense, and second of all feel that my expectations were not only met but expectations that I would have had if I had known at all what to expect were met. I got to see so much art, architecture, and famous sites that after a while I could barely even absorb it all, like my brain was on cultural overload. I went to so many places that a few years ago were an impossible dream. We got to go to the symphony in Vienna, which I think for many people was one of the highlights of the trip. I believe I have become more independent and confident, since I know I can travel and figure things out on my own if I need to. I can also make plans and carry them out, on my own if I want it enough. I have more confidence to dream and make plans that I might not have dared to before. Not all of them will be realized, just like not all my plans for this trip came out exactly how I thought; I wanted to do an internship in Ireland this summer after the study abroad, but despite quite a bit of application and effort, it was not to be. But a few years ago studying abroad was just a crazy idea that I really wanted to happen, and now I've spent about four months in Europe. Thinking about this over the past few weeks has opened up a lot of possibilities that I would not have even considered before. I would like to live abroad at some point in my life, although I'm not sure when that might be.

I also definitely got to see America from another point of view. In America we seem to have a tendency to think we're the most important country in the world, and everyone should be concerned with the same things we as a country are concerned with. It was really interesting to be in another country, and to see world politics from another point of view, where America is little more than a footnote. It's kind of humbling and makes me feel sort of small in the context of the entire world, but in a good way. I also really liked the comparison of different health care systems for a similar reason. Now I feel like I can actually have an intelligent conversation about health care and I even want to learn more about the different systems we discussed.

One thing that happened that I didn't really expect was making such good friendships with so many people. Almost all of the places I went, at least some portion of the group was there, and most of the new experiences I had were shared with someone. I feel like I became close to several members of the group, and I hope we will maintain the friendships that we formed. I was kind of sad when we all said goodbye, because even though I knew we could see each other later, it would never be quite the same as when we were all thrown together in a foreign country and saw each other nearly every day. I'm looking forward to next semester and continuing the relationships that we formed as a group.

In conclusion I just want to list some of the things that I miss about living in Germany, some of which are expected, and some are kind of surprising.

recycling everything

taking the bus

dönner

cooler weather

doppelkeks

running along the Rhein

taking trains

meeting people from other countries everywhere

differently-colored money

Ending Blog

There are many strong feelings that I have towards study abroad. It really has impacted my life in the most positive of ways and the culture that I learned to love will always remain apart of who I am. During my stay in Europe I took huge advantage of the traveling opportunities that were at my fingertips. I traveled to Paris, the French Alpes, Barcelona, Budapest, Vienna and so on. And while traveling I learned little aspects of each culture, picked up some terms, and really lived my life to the fullest, never missing out on any experience. Not only did travel, but I developed friendships with germans that were around my age. This was my favorite aspect of studying abroad! We made these friendships because we got out of our comfort zone and asked “sprichst du englisch?” and it turned out to be the best decision that my friend and I made while abroad. As it ends up we hanged out with these people a couple times a week. They taught us so much about the language, the places to go and things to do. They showed us the best time while in Germany and made my experience the best time in my life. By befriending people your age while abroad they will be your guide in having the greatest time. It is something that I highly suggest do, and do not be afraid of approaching people and trying to develop a relationship. They love Americans, and essentially all speak good English

By studying abroad I learned a lot about the world and it made me realize the imperfections in our society. By living in Germany it made me question the American culture and why we didn’t do things like Germany. For instance, public transportation should really be instated in every city. It made getting around much more convenient. But after awhile I really missed driving my car. Also by being abroad it made me really appreciate Texas. What I came away with that I find most important is that I am so much more dependent on myself. I learned really good habits that really made me more responsible and not as careless about things. So not only did I learn a lot of culture, but I also learned how to not lose important items. Haha.

In all, studying abroad to Germany has been the best decision I have made thus far and I do not take back anything. I have came away with it amazing friends from around the world and friends here in College Station. But the most important aspect of studying abroad I believe is that I came away with a whole new me. Living abroad changes your views and outlooks, but it molds you into a much more diverse and interesting character. 

Where to next?

To say that my semester abroad was an awesome experience is an understatement. I can type until my laptop no longer has keys, but I will have not said enough words to describe how unbelievable the past semester was. I guess I should start out with a few of my favorite parts. First, my host family was such a blessing. They had a great sense of humor, and we connected so well. My host mom is as sweet as can be and my host dad was always quick with a joke or a fun fact. Getting to party with my host brothers was so much fun. At our last dinner together, they told me that I became part of the family more than any other student that they had hosted. Having them as my host family set me up for the semester of a lifetime.

My German friends that I made were another huge part of my experience. When Kyle and I introduced ourselves to a group of local peers at a bar, we had no idea it would completely change our experience for the better. From then on we hung out with them, and they helped us experience an awesome nightlife. For any future study-abroad students that might be reading this, I would encourage you to make friends with the locals. They can totally change your perspective, and show you many cool places to hang out. Sitting here now, two months later, I miss hanging out with them a lot.

A third part of my experience that made it phenomenal were the excursions that the program took us on. I have certainly realized that at no other time in my life will I get to experience the knowledge-enhancing trips to and tours of so many museums, churches, research facilities, hospitals, historical sites, etc. One of my favorite parts of an excursion was attending a concert of the Vienna Symphony. To be able to hear such beautiful music in such a beautiful setting was so surreal. As a person who is very cognizant of music, and has studied classical music, experiencing this was a huge part of my trip. But it wasn't just the organized trips that were awesome. Spring break in Barcelona and weekend trips to places such as Munich and Amsterdam, as well as the semester-end trip to Budapest that some of us took provided us with seeing so many cultures. I will always have memories of good times in these cities.

Needless to say, my expectations of the past semester were far beyond met. I have spoken of a few things that made it a life-altering experience, but there is so much more. I've never appreciated day-to-day life like I did while living in Bonn. Just walking down the street with so many sounds and sights going on around me made every day a new anecdote to what could be a boring time.

I would say that I have certainly grown as a person during and since the trip. I would say what I have learned most is the importance of people in our lives. From my host family to the other students to  my German friends to complete strangers in a bar, I have learned to never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone just a little bit more with each conversation. Because let's be real, in this life, all we really have is other people.

Home Sweet Home

When I was preparing for my study abroad to Germany, I had no idea what to expect.  I didn’t know any of the people on the trip really well, I was leaving my family, boyfriend, and friends behind and Texas, and I was traveling to a new place where I didn’t know the language so, needless to say, I was nervous. 

Once we all got there and got situated, it took me a couple of weeks to become comfortable with my surroundings and environment.  I have always been a more shy and reserved person but I am proud that I can honestly say that I made some kind of connection with every single person on the trip.  By forcing myself out of my comfort zone, I feel like I grew as an individual.  I am so happy that even though sometimes we got annoyed with each other, simply because we spent all of our time together, we really grew as a group as well.  At the beginning of the trip I had no idea at how close the group would come together and I had no idea that we would continue to keep in touch and spend time together when we returned to the states. 

I also feel like I became more independent while abroad.  I definitely learned how to manage my time so that I could travel while still being prepared for my classes.  If I could change one thing about the program, it would be to have less homework to allow for more time to travel.  I understand that the biomedical engineering and biomedical science curriculums are both work intensive but I feel like if students are traveling to another country to study, they should have some added freedom to thoroughly enjoy their new environment. 

Coming home was bittersweet.  I was excited to go home after being away for so long but I also wish that I had taken more advantage of my surroundings by traveling more.  One major difference that I noticed after coming home was how wasteful we are as a nation.  For example, in my host family’s home, we recycled, composted, and conserved as much as possible.  Sadly, these habits are not practiced in many homes in the United States. 

I am so glad that I got to spend a semester abroad in a country that I had never been to before.  I am also so impressed with the work Dr. Wasser and Kristin Vosbeck put into our program.  Their commitment to us really made my experience unforgettable and I am so grateful for that.  If I went back in time and had the choice to do this trip or not, I would definitely choose to do it again and I would recommend it to more people.  Thanks for a great time and some extraordinary memories!


Tschuss!

Back State-side

I will be the first, and likely not the last, to admit that I have been putting off writing this blog post.  Partially because this summer has been super busy with working on average 48 hours a week, but mostly because I have no idea where to begin!  It is like when people that you haven’t seen in a while come up to you and go “Oh my gosh you’re back!  How was it? Tell me all about it!” and then sit there expectantly waiting for you to start spilling.  My reaction is always to say it was great and then try to judge how much they really want to know.  I mean, how are you supposed to sum up an entire life-changing semester in a two minute conversation?

I guess a good place to start would be by reviewing my expectations list that I wrote at the beginning of the trip.  I should have added “expect my expectations list to be completely off” to that list, maybe then I could say I went in knowing what I was getting myself into.  I actually did manage to complete many of the goals I had set for myself, like balancing traveling with school work and trying to integrate into the German culture as much as possible, but there was no way that I could have known how much I would change.  You always hear about people going abroad and becoming more self-confident and having a new view on life, but I just figured that I already had a good measure of independence and self-confidence so that wouldn’t change that much.  Boy was I wrong.

When you leave home for the first time to go to college you gain a lot of independence, but you are still in the same country, with people that speak the same language, and your family and friends are just a phone call away.   When you leave to live in another country all of that is ripped away and you really learn what it means to be on your own.  Sure we were over there with a group (which was a HUGE comfort) but you are still completely on your own.  No internet at the tips of your fingers, no parents just a phone call away for those bad days, no speaking the same language, and no meetings to be at for the various organizations you are involved in.  That drama that used to engulf your life? Thousands of miles away.  It was refreshing actually, to be so completely removed from everything.  It allowed me to really explore my boundaries and to experience an entirely different world without feeling like there were someone else’s expectations to meet.    I didn’t think it possible, but I grew so much while I was over there.  It’s hard to even explain, but I am so free.  My newfound sense of freedom comes from knowing that I keep my head when I get lost in a foreign country, having a different perspective on the world around me, and simply having a blast with a new found group of friends. 

My biggest changes since I have been back? 

• A lack of interest in my cell phone.   I was never as addicted as some people, but going from having a smart phone with internet and unlimited texting to a dinky phone that looked like it was made in the early 2000s where I paid per call was a big change.  When I returned to the states I had actually forgotten how to use my smartphone!
• Feeling so excited about my major.  I knew I loved medicine and engineering before, but being able to supplement my learning with real experiences in medicine abroad sealed the deal for me.
• I developed an interest in politics.  Okay not really an interest, but I don’t stick my fingers in my ears and go “lalala” every time someone brings it up.  After having an outside look at many of the hot issues and learning about them I feel I can actually have an educated opinion about these things and express them out loud. 
• Feeling like a citizen of the world.  After having an outside look at things I have rediscovered some of my patriotism.  There are some things about America that I love and there are some things that I don’t love.  Being in Germany helped me to realize that the United States is, in my opinion, the best at some things,  but it also helped me to see that our way is not always the best way and that there is room to grow and learn from one another
• My inspiration to travel the world.  I don't know if you have seen the movie "The Prince and Me", but in it Julia Stiles's character has a world map on her wall with pins of the places she's been and the places she wants to go.  I have started such a map.  So many places, so little time!

Man, if only they had things like this in Texas

Being in Germany was an awesome experience, one that I want to repeat someday.  It gave me time to discover not just another culture, but to learn more about myself in the process.  I will go back some day.  I do not yet know whether it will be for graduate school or just a vacation, but I know it will be a great time either way.

Thank you Dr. Wasser for putting this program together.  It was a rough time trying to deal with all of the classes and still get out abroad, but it was a lot of fun and I learned so much from it.

My Time in Europe, Good Times!

Thinking back six months, I couldn't imagine what I was about to experience. I was nonchalantly thinking, "Germany huh? Well, let's see how this goes." and I think that was the perfect attitude for me to have. I didn't know what to expect, I was curious to see what living in Europe would be like, and I was just open to whatever was going to happen, the good, bad, ugly, and amazing, because I think that's what going on an adventure is all about, trying new things, experiencing struggles, and enjoying yourself all along the way. Whether it was asking my host family ignorant questions and having them laugh at me, finding out after spring break in Barcelona that I was broke and I would have to eat cheap canned soup for lunch the rest of the time, doing about eight assignments of Dif. EQ per week (barf), or seeing the Eiffel tower sparkle like a thousand diamonds at night, I was living life in Europe as fully as I could.

Two months after leaving Bonn, Germany, and returning to the great state of Texas, my view of the world has definitely been distorted (mostly for the good)! I appreciate many of the things that I have here more than I did before, but I am also seeing other things in a different, slightly jaded, light. I've come to realize, after living in such a different society, that there are things that America are really #1 in (whoop!), but there are also significant problems that our nation sincerely needs to address, problems that won't have a quick fix and will require the bright minds of the future, our generation's minds. Even though I see the world with a more objective perspective, allowing me to see more of our society's ailments and afflictions, I'm also more confident in the world's potential to fix these problems, as well as my own.

On a personal note, this trip was also a personal journey of self enlightenment and discovery. You discover how you handle really tense and difficult situations, like missing your train to Paris because your connecting train gets delayed then taking another train at 5 a.m. the next morning, missing the connecting train, taking a 50 euro taxi, then sitting in a crunched luggage/connecting cabin room, but eventually making it to Paris! On the other hand, you also have the time of your life while going to some of the best clubs in the world in Barcelona, or partying in the streets of Köln with about a million other Germans during Karneval.

This trip has definitely made me think more about my future and what I want to do with it, but I think that it has just helped me realize that the world is much more open than I knew before! With that said, I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned from my travels and just continuing to live life with the same sense of adventure that I had while I had studying abroad. To sum this up, I think T.S. Eliot observed what our whole group experienced pretty well:

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

Last Post

This past semester in Germany went as well as I could hope for, and I am thoroughly satisfied with the outcome. There are certain aspects to the program that I think could be improved, but, for a first time program, this was an outstanding experience. I still remember the outings to Vienna and Berlin fondly, and I was able to improve my German language skills somewhat. Perhaps typically, most of my surprises about living in Germany concerned various little things, such as the trains not blowing their horns when going through a town. Also, I expected the German winter to be colder than it actually was. The cultural differences did not seem like any sort of insurmountable barrier or hindrance at any point, but this might have been due to the types of people I met. As for how I have changed, this past semester has given me more confidence in my ability to navigate certain foreign countries, and it has planted the desire to travel within me; I'm considering going back to Germany for graduate school as well.