I have visited a lot of different places of the world. I have lived in different countries in different continents. I have visited all sorts of areas on the globe. I know which airports have great floors for sleeping (Amsterdam is great for that). I have become very comfortable with other cultures and adapting quickly to my surroundings. I don't think that serious culture shock will be a problem for me. If I can go from Canada to Texas, I'm sure that I can handle Germany. My host family seems very nice and very capable of making my stay as smooth as possible. But one thing that was always constant throughout my travels is my family. I have never visited a country before without a family member, may it be my brother or my parents. This will be the first time that I'll have to travel by myself, and that has me concerned. What if I lose something? What if I forget something? How will I deal with spontaneous problems while my family is not even in the same time zone as me? I keep getting worried that I might lose my passport while also getting rid of any possible way of getting a new one. But I think this is part of the process of the "Hero's Journey." While on the my trip to Germany, I want to get over my fears of travelling without my family.
Travelling has always been one of my favorite hobbies. But a problem I keep facing is my need to use technology. Wherever I go, I need to have my cellphone by my side. I need to make sure I am going the right direction with Google Maps. I need to make sure I am seeing the recommended sites on TripAdvisor. Too many times while traveling, I just go from point A to point B. While studying abroad, I want to try having a few days "off the grid." While I don't mean not having any way of communicating with people if I need to, I want to stop looking at technology to dictate my travels. I want to just explore an area and discover something to see by myself. I want to find an incredible restaurant without relying on recommendations from Yelp. I want to find a way to live in the present instead of constantly planning for the future.
I know that this trip will be very different for me. My lifetime of travelling has not prepared me to go to a completely new area without any family close by. Also, since this is a school trip, I should probably focus on getting good grades. But I know this is a necessary experience, one that will prepare me for my own future travels.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Is This Really Happening?
In exactly one week, I will boarding a plane and leaving my friends and family to spend over four months in a foreign country with people that I have never met. Wow, that is one crazy sentence!
I have always dreamed of traveling the world, so study abroad just made sense to me. Not only would I get to see the world, but I would also earn college credit. When I first got that email from Dr. Wasser about this study abroad experience my freshman year, I knew this was the trip I wanted to take. The more I researched it, the more sure I was. All of the Biomedical Science graduates I talked to either went on this trip with Dr. Wasser and loved it, or they regretted not going, so there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to Germany for an entire semester.
With the trip so close, my family and friends keep asking the same questions. Am I nervous? Yes! Very much so! Am I excited? Yes! I am probably equal parts excited and nervous. I think what I am most nervous about is being away from my home and my family. I grew up in Snook, meaning that College Station was only 12 miles from home. So while I "moved away" for college, it was not really moving away. My parents have always been close to me and I could see them whenever I wanted. And to add to things, I have actually been living back at home with them for the past year! (Best decision of my life, just saying!) So the thought of not being able to call my mom for a spontaneous lunch date, or have my dad bring me my calculator when I forgot it before my final (true story), or just sitting down and watching a movie with them a week I don't have a test, this scares me. This makes me nervous. But it is ok. You know why? Because I am going to have experiences that I never could've had if I decided to stay home instead. I am going to grow into a different person and experience the world in a whole new way. And that is what I am excited about. I am excited to meet new people and have new experiences. I am excited to be able to grow as a person and learn things that will help with my future career goals. I am excited to travel around Europe and learn the languages and the culture! Do I know anyone else going on the trip? No, or should I say not yet. While this also adds to the whole anxiety of going to Europe seemingly alone, it also opens doors to make new friends and get out of my comfort zone. Have I packed? No! Although this is usually answered in a quiet voice and head down because I leave in 7 days and I have an empty suitcase. I will probably have an empty suitcase until after Christmas, which leaves me with about 2 days to pack. Oops!
Everyone keeps telling me that I am going to come back a different person. Is that a good thing? I think so. This experience will help me to the see the world from a different perspective. Being in the medical field, it is important to understand the world through others eyes, and that is what I hope to accomplish from this journey. I hope to acquire experiences of a lifetime and a better understanding of the cultures and people around me.
So am I ready for this journey? Am I ready to leave my life in College Station for 4+ months? Am I ready and willing to let myself be changed by this experience? I guess we will find out. . .
I have always dreamed of traveling the world, so study abroad just made sense to me. Not only would I get to see the world, but I would also earn college credit. When I first got that email from Dr. Wasser about this study abroad experience my freshman year, I knew this was the trip I wanted to take. The more I researched it, the more sure I was. All of the Biomedical Science graduates I talked to either went on this trip with Dr. Wasser and loved it, or they regretted not going, so there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to Germany for an entire semester.
With the trip so close, my family and friends keep asking the same questions. Am I nervous? Yes! Very much so! Am I excited? Yes! I am probably equal parts excited and nervous. I think what I am most nervous about is being away from my home and my family. I grew up in Snook, meaning that College Station was only 12 miles from home. So while I "moved away" for college, it was not really moving away. My parents have always been close to me and I could see them whenever I wanted. And to add to things, I have actually been living back at home with them for the past year! (Best decision of my life, just saying!) So the thought of not being able to call my mom for a spontaneous lunch date, or have my dad bring me my calculator when I forgot it before my final (true story), or just sitting down and watching a movie with them a week I don't have a test, this scares me. This makes me nervous. But it is ok. You know why? Because I am going to have experiences that I never could've had if I decided to stay home instead. I am going to grow into a different person and experience the world in a whole new way. And that is what I am excited about. I am excited to meet new people and have new experiences. I am excited to be able to grow as a person and learn things that will help with my future career goals. I am excited to travel around Europe and learn the languages and the culture! Do I know anyone else going on the trip? No, or should I say not yet. While this also adds to the whole anxiety of going to Europe seemingly alone, it also opens doors to make new friends and get out of my comfort zone. Have I packed? No! Although this is usually answered in a quiet voice and head down because I leave in 7 days and I have an empty suitcase. I will probably have an empty suitcase until after Christmas, which leaves me with about 2 days to pack. Oops!
Everyone keeps telling me that I am going to come back a different person. Is that a good thing? I think so. This experience will help me to the see the world from a different perspective. Being in the medical field, it is important to understand the world through others eyes, and that is what I hope to accomplish from this journey. I hope to acquire experiences of a lifetime and a better understanding of the cultures and people around me.
So am I ready for this journey? Am I ready to leave my life in College Station for 4+ months? Am I ready and willing to let myself be changed by this experience? I guess we will find out. . .
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