I hope that through this Global Citizen Portfolio you have gained some insight not only into my abroad experience, but to the beautiful and nuanced cultures that these cities carry. The opportunity to be fully immersed within these cultures for an extended period of time has also afforded me incredible insight into the effects of culture and health beliefs on international health and global burden of disease at large. This study abroad experience has allowed me to grow in ways that I never thought imaginable. Although I had previously traveled outside of the country, I had always traveled with family. This means that this was my first experience really traveling alone at all, but especially traveling alone internationally.  Going into this experience, I was nervous about cultural differences, taking public transport in an unfamiliar city, and adapting to new cultural behaviors and ways of life. Leaving this experience, I feel as though I am a changed person. I feel exponentially more confident in my ability to be alone and to be independent, as well as to adequately navigate new and unfamiliar spaces both navigationally and culturally.

 

I feel confident in approaching any type of scenario by myself no matter how complex or foreign. If I am able to navigate a completely different city in a completely different country that speak a different language or different dialect of language than I am familiar with, then I really can get through anything. At first, I felt sad to end my study abroad experience and to leave the country I called home for the past four weeks. However, I now see that although I am leaving Europe, I do not have to leave behind all of the valuable lessons I learned throughout this journey.

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I feel as though this experience will change how I interact with the world for the rest of my life moving forward because it truly was such an extraordinarily life changing experience. For example, in London you would think that because England does speak English natively that there should not really be any major cultural differences. However, there were indeed many. Some come down to basic linguistic differences, such as calling fries “chips”, potato chips “crisps”, sneakers “trainers”, and elevators “lifts”. The largest differences though did not come down to language, but instead in deeply embedded cultural differences and social cues. This includes asking “Are you okay?” instead of “How are you?”, and really expecting a meaningful answer instead of a polite “Good, and you?”. It includes standing on the right side of the escalator so that the people rushing to work can run upwards on the left side. Speaking soft and listening more thoughtfully, sparking up conversation with strangers on the bar, giving up your seat on the tube for a woman traveling with children, and going to the pub with coworkers after a long day are all normal occurrences yet had to be something I grew accustomed to. Paris naturally had much more foreseeable differences, with language being the most obvious one. What surprised me though, is that what felt the most different was not in fact the language but rather the cultural and behavioral norms. I noticed the nightly routine of going to happy hour from four to eight, ordering a few drinks and smoking quite a few cigarettes, but most of all being fully present in the moment and enjoying your company rather than spending the evening at the table with your head buried in your phone. Having long four hours dinners in which you are truly present in the moment and enjoying the company you are with and the space you are in is a practice that we rarely see in the United States, but one that I think greatly lends itself to increased quality of life. We are so accustomed to a dining experience in which waiters are trying to rush you out so they can fill the next table, that taking a moment to appreciate the people you are with, the space you are in, and the food you are eating feels like such a foreign concept. Embracing this unfamiliarity and completely giving myself over to the experience has allowed me to grow so much from this study abroad, whereas if I would have shied away from what was uncomfortable I would not have learned nearly as much. 

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In the United States, if you open your GPS and the place that you are traveling to is a half mile away you would instinctively reach for your car keys. In Europe, you would likely just think to yourself that that destination is just a brief walk away. Armed with this mentality, I noticed myself wanting to walk everywhere. As much as I loved the ease and accessibility of the metro, I noticed that when I walked I was able to take in so much more of the city.  I felt as though I discovered a new corner of the city every time I walked anywhere, even if I had walked to that place ten times before. Whether it be a new restaurant, store, or park I felt as though I was constantly making new discoveries. I think that is another unintended consequence of going abroad: having more open eyes, ears, heart and mind. Spending more time in the company of the people I love and more time in the presence of nature such as soaking up the sun in local park instead of scrolling on TikTok taught me so much about culture and truly taking a moment to slow down and appreciate and cultural space you are in. These were some of the most notable areas of growth in my abroad experience. This sentiment of being open to new cultures and new experiences is something that I think needs to be brought over into the healthcare system in the United States. Having an open mind helps to foster both inclusivity and diversity. 

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Throughout my collegiate career, I have changed ideas of what I want to do professionally numerous times. At first, I wanted to be a doctor, and then I thought I wanted to be a nurse. Now, although I am studying Health Education, I find myself not quite sure. However, one thing that has remained constant is my overwhelming desire to care for others and to help them to achieve the best possible health outcomes. I believe that health is unalienable human right that should be afforded to everyone and restricted by none. In both London and Paris, they follow a universal healthcare system. This is in sharp contrast to the United States, in which healthcare is completely privatized. In the era of privatized healthcare, companies like big pharma rule the not only the medical industry but the world. I fear that the business of healthcare has become more of a business than people actually looking out for your best interest. Most American families are one medical emergency away from the poverty line. We face issues such as the opioid epidemic and antibiotic resistance due to issues of dangerous yet profitable over prescription. This phenomenon is left up to the current generation of health professionals and health educators to attempt to remedy, and what I want to do is make a difference. Despite all of these issues, both England and France are slowly beginning to turn towards privatization of healthcare. Going into their country and going into the emergency room, I was able to see the benefits of free healthcare. However, I can also see its drawbacks like six hour waiting times and the NHS going on strike from being underpaid.  Perhaps if people from these countries received medical care in the United States, they might feel differently about privatization. Although it is impossible to know the outcome, my point is that the exposure to different ways of doing things and differing ways of life can allow you to have a more holistic and comprehensive outlook regarding health and healthcare. It can expose you to different behaviors and ways of thinking that may directly or indirectly impact health that you may have never otherwise considered.

 

People deserve to understand what ailments they are suffering from and are entitled to prompt and affordable treatment. Healthcare should include being able to explain how you are feeling to your provider, understanding what your condition means, and receiving a thorough explanation of what medication you should be taking and how it will help you. I want people to feel safe, protected, and heard instead of simply being passed around the healthcare system like a ball in a pinball machine. The first step in creating a more positive healthcare experience for all is create a collaborative environment for cultural diversity and understanding. Each culture has their own beliefs and practices about health, and by learning from each other we able able to create a more accepting and more effective healthcare system. By becoming global citizens and practicing cultural competence, we are making the world a better, more unfiied, and healthier place for all.