Reflecting back on Iceland
After a month away from my life in New England, I am back. The time flew by and I had many amazing experiences learning about the Icelandic culture and traveling the country. I was able to discover more about myself and how much I missed home. Whether living in Connecticut or Boston, I found myself slowly getting into a routine after a while and miss going on adventures. Going to Iceland broke this routine and showed me the adventure I craved, but at the end of my study abroad, I found myself wanting to get back.
I have always had an interest and like taking classes in sustainability and the environment. Coming to Northeastern, I wanted a minor in Finance, but then I found the Sustainable Business Practices minor and thought it was a great way to combine those two interests. I had the space in my schedule for the classes and knew I would enjoy the classes, but didn’t know how I would apply it with my Bioengineering major. While I still don’t know how it will fit, I desperately want to find a way to incorporate it. The classes were different than what I was used to taking at Northeastern to fulfill my major requirements. I put aside my engineering mindset and focus on business courses. I thought about the bigger picture and was more creative than just working through a math problem.
Traveling alone to a new place and meeting new people wasn’t as tough for me as it was for others. I was a little nervous the day before but landing in Reykjavik, I knew there was no going back and I needed to immerse myself in the experience. I didn’t know anyone before going on the trip which others may have nerve-racking, but I found excitement in this. At school, the only people I hang out with are engineers, not because I’m not social but classes and dorms haven’t forced me to interact with those outside of engineering. I was ready to meet others with all different majors, from environmental studies to economics, and different mindsets, ideas, and backgrounds. Several of these people on the trip have become some of my closest friends and have helped me break free from my engineering mold.
One of my favorite experiences was when we were traveling the ring road. It was the last day and I was sitting in front with one of my professors, talking about our lives. One piece of advice I would give would be to take any opportunity to talk to the professors outside of the courses. I learned so much about who my professor was as a person and had great conversations about everything, politics, education, families, culture, etc. On this day, we stopped at a town to go swimming, but ended up playing soccer instead. Everyone was included and we had a competition between the two cars. Many hadn’t ever touched a soccer ball while a few had played for their varsity team, but everyone had so much fun running around and playing. It was a great way to get away from the courses, get some exercise, and get everyone involved together.
There is no question that I would study abroad again if I could. I have always dreamed of going to Australia to study as it is unlike any country I have ever visited and also offers great engineering classes. Unfortunately, due to the new Bioengineering major, many of the classes I have to take are not offered in other countries. Even though I may not be able to study abroad again, I will continue to travel the world.
