Clear Eyes, Ful(bright) Hearts, Can't Lose
This is my 100th post! For the last six weeks, I have been working on a different post that I thought would be my 100th post. I haven't shared anything since the end of the last term because I was holding this centenary post to a much higher standard than I usually do. But, today is an anniversary that I cannot ignore and in light of it I would like to share a bit of a recap of the last six months.
One year ago, as the end of my final spring break loomed closer and closer, I opened an email that I immediately assumed was a joke or a mistake. I exclaimed excitedly and repeatedly from the living room while my mom was on a conference call and my dad listened to the radio at the end of the hall. Despite telling the interview panel that I would spend a hypothetical free day in London while on this cultural exchange mission by actually flying to Madrid, I was offered the opportunity to embark on a mission of academic and cultural enrichment with the Fulbright US-UK Commission and the Royal Veterinary College.
The past six months in London have been remarkable and eye-opening in more ways than one. While I have certainly had multiple "what am I doing with my life?!" crises, my time in London has felt like multiple puzzle pieces of my life coming together -- learning how to "adult" with bank accounts and taxes and groceries and responsibility; being introduced to the worlds of academia, global health, international development, etc.; facing vulnerability and fear; reading new and (hopefully) different perspectives. I've learned to say "yes" to as much as possible without planning to back out or bail before I have even committed to it. I'm beginning to be confident in my knowledge and expertise in this academic field that continues to show me how little I know. I've become more comfortable both with silence and with breaking that silence when necessary. Someone out there might say my life's slices of Swiss cheese are lining up swell.
While it is so easy to feel like this time is flying by and I'm not doing enough, I want to reflect a bit on some of the amazing times and laughs I've shared with the new communities around me.
One year ago, as the end of my final spring break loomed closer and closer, I opened an email that I immediately assumed was a joke or a mistake. I exclaimed excitedly and repeatedly from the living room while my mom was on a conference call and my dad listened to the radio at the end of the hall. Despite telling the interview panel that I would spend a hypothetical free day in London while on this cultural exchange mission by actually flying to Madrid, I was offered the opportunity to embark on a mission of academic and cultural enrichment with the Fulbright US-UK Commission and the Royal Veterinary College.
The past six months in London have been remarkable and eye-opening in more ways than one. While I have certainly had multiple "what am I doing with my life?!" crises, my time in London has felt like multiple puzzle pieces of my life coming together -- learning how to "adult" with bank accounts and taxes and groceries and responsibility; being introduced to the worlds of academia, global health, international development, etc.; facing vulnerability and fear; reading new and (hopefully) different perspectives. I've learned to say "yes" to as much as possible without planning to back out or bail before I have even committed to it. I'm beginning to be confident in my knowledge and expertise in this academic field that continues to show me how little I know. I've become more comfortable both with silence and with breaking that silence when necessary. Someone out there might say my life's slices of Swiss cheese are lining up swell.
These experiences have been eye-opening and clichely life-changing. From books that have told stories I couldn't believe to academic lectures that have completely changed my perspective on the field I aim to work in to places and cliffs that have had me question the meaning of the universe. Considering how much has happened in such a short period of time, I cannot imagine what else is in store for the next six months. In two days, I'll be on my first solo-trip in Spain (the country of my dreams, obviously I had to make good on that interview promise!). And in one month, I will be heading to Sierra Leone for 30 days to conduct fieldwork for my Masters dissertation!!! I am terrified and excited and terribly anxious for this experience that I have been anticipating for a long time -- much like how I felt before heading to the UK last September.
And while all these events and experiences have been significant in and of themselves, what has made them so remarkable has been the people surrounding me. The family I have gained through Fulbright (and the One Health cohort!) has been more valuable than any city-walk or symposium could ever be. These individuals challenge and inspire me every day with the work they do and their passion for education, politics, business, sustainability, disease control, and service for the greater good. And while I had every intention of being intimidated out of my mind by this cohort (and most days I really am), I am blessed with their humility and compassion and, of course, humor. Thank you, Fulbright Fam, for making this experience about more than going to class every day and reading scientific journals every night. Thank you for challenging me to travel solo and cheering me on through my fieldwork anxieties. Most importantly, thank you for six months of home-cooked dinners, rain-filled hikes, book clubs, birthday celebrations, couches to sleep on, and lively debates about capitalism or leprosy or gender equality. I am enthusiastic to continue to learn from you -- overseas or stateside or anywhere in between.
And while all these events and experiences have been significant in and of themselves, what has made them so remarkable has been the people surrounding me. The family I have gained through Fulbright (and the One Health cohort!) has been more valuable than any city-walk or symposium could ever be. These individuals challenge and inspire me every day with the work they do and their passion for education, politics, business, sustainability, disease control, and service for the greater good. And while I had every intention of being intimidated out of my mind by this cohort (and most days I really am), I am blessed with their humility and compassion and, of course, humor. Thank you, Fulbright Fam, for making this experience about more than going to class every day and reading scientific journals every night. Thank you for challenging me to travel solo and cheering me on through my fieldwork anxieties. Most importantly, thank you for six months of home-cooked dinners, rain-filled hikes, book clubs, birthday celebrations, couches to sleep on, and lively debates about capitalism or leprosy or gender equality. I am enthusiastic to continue to learn from you -- overseas or stateside or anywhere in between.
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