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!