It has been a little over a month since I came back from Paris and life as resumed its regular rhythm and tempo. After what seemed like ages in Paris, the whole experience now just seems so distant. However, that is not to say that the experience hasn’t had a profound impact on my life
Before studying at Northwestern, I never expected myself to study abroad. Frankly, if studying abroad wasn’t a requirement to study Global Health I know I would not have done it. It just seemed to out of context, not career-oriented enough. Now having embarked on such a journey, I can say that it has been one of my most memorable, if not the most memorable, experience that I have ever had. It has taught me that not everything needs to be a means to an end. Investing in your life experiences and becoming a more interesting person are just as valid and worthwhile as getting a 4.0 GPA. Sure they may not help me get into medical school one day, but they are experiences that make you grow as a person.
Studying abroad has left me with a new set of friends and loving host family in Paris, it has left me with a photo album full of European escapades and a lifetime of memories, and it has left me with a newfound appreciation and admiration of the French culture and language. In fact, I am continuing to learn French here at Northwestern! So, although I never would have expected to study abroad before, I can’t express how impactful it has been in my life.