These next three months in Ireland are going to absolutely fly by, and everyone is constantly telling me to take advantage of all of the opportunities presented to me, especially the opportunity to travel. As Easter break began to approach I started to think about potential places to travel. I spoke with some of the other scholars and Deja and I agreed that Greece would be the perfect destination. Although rather spontaneous, we booked our flights and a place to stay and are going to spend a few days in Athens at the end of March. I am so excited for our adventure, and I am excited that I will have new adventure awaiting me at the end of April. My sister is taking Step 1 (the first round of her boards to become a doctor) at the end of April, and she is celebrating finishing her exam by taking a trip to Europe. We are spending a few days in Ireland while I have class, and then we are going to take a quick trip to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague. When I have completed my courses and the SCL program I decided that I wasn’t ready to go home just yet and I wanted to take advantage of being in Europe. My college roommate Meredith is going to meet me in Scotland and we are going to most likely travel to the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, France, and end in London.
I am excited to go home and start my career, but I have learned when an opportunity presents itself you have to seize the moment. Life is too short, and I often feel the importance of travel is underrated. My dad is actually the person who has always encouraged my sister and me to travel because there is no better to understand a country, its culture, and its people than actually going and learning first hand. When I had the opportunity to do an exchange in Spain my dad encouraged me to go, and although I was nervous to live with a Spanish family in Pamplona for a couple of weeks, the exchange was one of the most rewarding experiences. I am so appreciative that I have learned the Irish culture and been embraced in such a kind community, and I am so excited to travel throughout Europe and learn even more.
