A Trip In Review

July 26, 2010

It has been about one month since I got home from this trip, and I’ve had some time to reflect on the experience. During this trip I had the opportunity to learn and observe how veterinary schools in Europe teach students, how veterinarians in European zoos and wildlife centers practice medicine, and how important events in Germany’s history have shaped the country. The most valuable part of the program for me was the time we spent with fellow veterinary students. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to make connections and form friendships with people in other countries. What I learned and saw about veterinary medicine during this trip gave me new ideas that I will be able to use throughout my career, and I hope that I will continue to have opportunities to work with people from other countries in the future.
To be honest, there were a few things about life in Europe that I found difficult to get used to. The bathrooms are weird. Paying to enter public restrooms was very weird. No free ketchup packets or drink refills made eating in restaurants a little weird. Constantly relying on public transportation was also weird. Having spent my entire life in Texas, this trip to Europe was my first ever experience with riding trains, buses, and subways all day long everyday. While I appreciate the environmental benefits, I did not find it more convenient or pleasant than driving my own car. On the contrary, I found the lack of freedom hard to deal with. One can only travel from one place to the next at certain times by certain routes, and the trip takes a certain amount of time. I much prefer the freedom my car gives me to go wherever I want whenever I want, even if it means paying for gas. However, the benefits of experiencing a new and different culture far outweigh my little bit of culture shock.
Looking back on the entire program, I think this was a great way for me to get my feet wet. Before I went on this trip, I definitely would not have felt comfortable traveling in Europe and could not even have imagined it was a possibility for me. This program has made one of my dreams a reality, and I cannot wait to go back to Europe again! I love Germany!