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. . .
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