As I am sitting here, awaiting time to leave for the airport, I am both nervous and excited to see what the next week will hold. As a non-traditional student in a graduate program, I was not aware that studying abroad was even an option when I initially applied for graduate school.
I think it is amazing that this opportunity is available to a variety of types of students from all different aspects of life and am looking forward to also serving as a “mentor” for the undergraduate nursing students during this experience. Since I am one of the older non-traditional students, I have a spouse and children. I will miss my family during this trip, but I hope to set a positive example for them by helping others in need from different cultures than our own. In my current role as a nurse, I work with underserved patient populations by helping them find resources in the community post-hospital admission, so this trip aligned with my current career goals and interests.
Saying goodbye to my family is bittersweet; I have never been away from my children for this amount of time. I have explained the purpose of trip to them, and they are looking forward to hearing about the experience as well. I have even showed my daughter where I will be travelling on a map of the world. We have recently gotten their passports and are planning a future family trip since hearing about my trip and watching me prepare for the journey has piqued their interest in international travel. I look forward to sharing my journey with you!