Biosciences Bonn: Home Sweet Home

My mom told me when I left that I would come home with a new appreciation for the way we live in Texas, USA. Well, as moms usually are, she was right. It’s been a little less than two months since my time in Germany ended, which is crazy to think about. Two months ago I was across the Atlantic hopping to a different country every weekend. I have to say, I miss the adventures already, but I am so very happy to be home.

May 10, 2018 — Flying back to Texas

From the moment I got to the airport in Roma I felt more at ease and excited to be traveling somewhere than I had in months. That’s saying something considering all the places I’ve ventured to. The difference this time is that my excitement isn’t due to venturing into the unknown; rather, I’m venturing back to what I’ve known for 22 years. I'm going home.

Getting on the plane for a 12 hour flight seemed a bit daunting, but as soon as the captain said “Welcome aboard, y’all” I knew I was going to the right place. I was hugged, welcomed, smiled at — and not just by the one flight attendant who I surprisingly knew! When the drink cart came around, I was able to order water without being asked if I wanted “still” or sparkling. I could ask questions and actually have a conversation with people who weren’t directly related to me. I had my mom and dad and brother with me so I could talk and laugh and lean on someone when I needed to take a nap. 12 hours is a long time to be on a plane but it’s been the best plane ride I’ve ever been on.

Mexican food. That is the very first planned thing the whole family is doing once we get back home. We have a local joint that my parents visit often and always take me and my brother to when we are in town. After such a long time away from home and a seemingly endless flight, going out for Tex-Mex is just what a native Texan does.

I’ve already expressed to my mom how hungry I am for healthy food and a better diet plan. …Which will start tomorrow, after we get Mexican food. The amount of potatoes and sausage (mostly glorified hot dogs tbh) I’ve consumed in the past four months is unreal, not to mention that I probably ate two or three full pizzas total, by myself, and can easily claim about 5 bottles of wine during the one week we spent in Italy. I am literally craving mixed greens and carrots and spinach and grilled chicken and overall just healthier meals. I’m also super excited to have a full kitchen at my disposal with a large selection of spices, ingredients that I am familiar with and can understand pricing of, and people who share my tastes and will encourage me to experiment while I cook healthy meals.

I am also looking forward to seeing all the people I’ve been out of touch with for the past four months. Even when I’m in College Station for a typical semester, it’s difficult keeping up with people I don’t see on a regular basis. Being halfway around the world has made it seriously hard for me to keep up, even with people I absolutely love talking to. Which is why, after getting Mexican food with the family, I’m heading straight to my favorite dance hall to see my dance fam. My favorite past time is Two-Stepping and West Coast Swing, and after a four month dancing drought I cannot wait to be back on the floor with the people who make home feel like Home! I am also fortunate to have a core group of people I can confidently say will all be my friends for the rest of my life, who unwaveringly kept in touch with me even though they all lead super busy lives in crazy hard majors. We are already planning a summer reunion so we can share our adventures since December.

June 25, 2018

So many people have asked me what my favorite part was of studying abroad, and it's always hard to sum up everything I experienced. So here are some of my absolute HIGHLIGHTS:

Traveling!!! Traveling around Europe is honestly so easy and affordable!! But, if you think about it, the entire continent isn’t too much bigger than Texas itself, so it makes sense that going from country to country doesn’t take much time. I traveled to 8 different countries in the span of four months, which is absolutely insane, and I loved every minute of it. The pictures don’t do the beautiful things I saw justice, and the memories and friendships I made on these trips are just as wonderful. Traveling certainly brought me and my adventure buddies closer and I can’t say how happy I am to have had people who love exploring as much as I do! Some pictures from my absolute favorite places in the world are at the bottom!!

Real-World Biotech Collaboration Experience: My main reason for studying abroad, specifically in the Biosciences program, was the research project with Enmodes. I want to work with surgical biotechnology, and getting to work with an established company on a real world problem definitely increased my interest in the field and allowed me to apply what I learned in anatomy and was currently learning in physiology. Presenting our final design concepts to Enmodes was also a great experience. It helped me hone my communication and presentation skills and I felt very accomplished at the end of everything. Like any group project we faced frustrations and setbacks, but our final design was well-received and I was really proud of how it turned out. I was hoping to have a little more interaction with the company than we did, but it was still an eyeopening experience.

Best Prof Ever!! Another thing that made this trip wonderful was that we had the best professor ever as our program leader. Dr Wasser is an infinite font of knowledge and taught all of his classes extremely well. Whenever we had concerns about a class, host-home life, or traveling he was always available and willing to help. He cares about us so much it hurts. He certainly made my experience abroad one to remember.

Friendships: I was also really happy to have met such stellar people. Some of my favorite nights were those when I met up with a few friends to cook dinner and watch movies and just hang out outside of school. But I also found people who loved to hike and explore and be outside just as much as I do! I really think having the right people makes any experience SO much more enjoyable.

But, of course, there was some homesickness involved too, as you could probably tell from my May 10 part. There really were some THINGS I MISSED SO SO MUCH and wish I'd had with me during those four months: my friends from back home, the amazing Texas BBQ and sufficient FREE ice water during meals, my parents and my Little Guy (of course there's a mention of my kitty), and my car and the freedom it provides. I have happily shifted back to regular life in suburbia. My mom says seem more appreciative of our way of life at home than I was before I left. I’m definitely more appreciative of the way we eat and the options we have, but I am very thankful that my parents allowed me this opportunity. I have so many memories that I can look back on for the rest of my life. I will miss all the adventures of traveling, but I am very glad to be home.