Each day I would ride my bicycle to the medical center in Dutch style, and work with scientists in an international setting. Although English was the standard language of communication, my skills learning Dutch in a language course made me feel more immersed in the culture.
The biggest highlight was of course getting to know the other girls in the program and hearing their takes on life and research abroad in Europe. It provided a chance for reflection upon the changes between America and Europe.
While in Leuven, I used Dutch to communicate everyday in the lab, and although it was a challenge at first to relearn the names of all the chemical compounds and terms, it was an interesting experience that I would not have been able to replicate anywhere else.
Crisp fall air & skies tinted with gray. Greet me on a lazy Sunday morning. Reminding me that I’m in a land many miles from home. But feeling more at home than I’ve ever felt, I wonder how it’s possible to be so enamored with a place that barely knows me.
What I truly enjoyed about studying in Europe was the fact that the people in my lab came from many different countries not only in Europe but around the world. Thus, each person contributed a unique perspective to the lab environment.
Overall, my experience in Munich with EuroScholars was amazing---it was full of not only academic but also cultural experiences and opportunities. My mentor and I are still in close contact and, perhaps someday, I will have the chance to return and pick up runic research once more.
