All Great Things Must Come to an End

My time in Brazil is quickly coming to an end and I’m soon to be thrown out of my fairytale life in Brazil and thrown back into reality. I approach this moment with a mix of excitement and anxiety, but I also approach with confidence as well. I had no expectations of entering my time in Brazil, but what I’ve been left with is so much more than I could’ve asked for. When I arrived in June I was just happy to be in Brazil and gaining valuable experience, but as time went on I was I surprised at every turn. This program leaves me with confidence when I return because I have gained so many valuable lessons that I can take back and apply to my life back at home. MHIRT and Brazil surpassed any expectations I could’ve ever had. Throughout my time here I did not expect to meet as many great people as I did and to get as close to them as I did, but for that, I am extremely grateful. I did not expect to face so many challenges every day, small and big, and to overcome each one, but for that, I am extremely grateful. Last I did not expect to learn so much about myself as a person and grow so much while I was here, but for that, I am the most grateful. It is so cliche to say that this program changed my life, but at this moment I think cliche is the way to go. This program has changed my life for the better and taught me valuable lessons that I would not have been able to learn unless I experienced them the way I did in this program. For that, I dedicate this blog post to everyone who made this possible. For everyone who believed in me, helped me to get this point, and who continue to push me to be better in all aspects of my life, Thank you. Without all the people behind the scenes, none of these opportunities would have been possibilities. So thank you, thank you, thank you, and until next time Brazil. Tchau!!

This is a piece of art from the Oscar Neymeyer Museum in Curitiba and I have not rights to this artwork.

Saying See You Later, Not Goodbye

Realizing that my final day in Floripa has come seems almost like a dream. Two months seemed to slip away so fast, yet it also feels like we have been here forever.

I will always be thankful to the people in my lab for welcoming me even with my nonexistent Portuguese.

In the past two months, I can not help but feel so fortunate to have met some amazing people that took us in and pushed us into new experiences.

While exploring Curitiba, I had a chance to stop at their Japanese garden and reflect on the beauty of Brazil and how each new place led to more adventures. I can't wait to visit again in the future!

Before we knew it, we were stepping on the plane off to Rio de Janeiro. While I am sad to go, I will always remember the experiences we made, the people we met, and the places we went.

Some fond memories

This is a photo of me in the apartment in Curitiba. I was getting ready to go watch a World Cup soccer game on a screen in the soccer stadium in Curitiba. I was incredibly excited when I took this photo, probably due to the fact that I did not know Brazil would be out of the tournament after this game.

During my last few weeks in Brazil, I went to various art galleries in different cities. This "gallery" was by far my favorite. In Batman's alley, they encourage graffiti artists to come and display their craft. These two photos were both taken there. It is a beautiful alleyway with hardly an empty spot on the wall. A popular spot for tourists in São Paulo, and according to a friend of mine, even more popular for wedding photos.

 The photo to the right is me and my closest Brazilian friend, Ester, visiting the town of Porto Alegre. I met her two years ago in Rio. The last time I saw her was in Atlanta one year ago before she went to Nicaragua on a mission trip. She lived in Nicaragua but had to go to Costa Rica because of political unrest. I was incredibly excited that I caught her during her brief stay in Brazil before she left on her next adventure to Uruguay. She is a funny and kind-hearted person and we always have a great time together!

Last but not least, one of the photos most near and dear to my heart. This is the heater that I borrowed from someone that I worked with. Our apartment did not have any heat, and there were a few nights where it got down into the upper 30's. It was a very cheap heater, but it got the job done. Remembering the orange glow makes me feel warm inside even now. I wish that I could tell it how much it means to me.

Time to say goodbye

I've been back in the states for three days now and I can't believe my time in Uganda is over. It seemed like just yesterday, I was anxious as we got off the plane and made our way through customs in Entebbe. On the way home, I was filled with excitement to be back, but also a little anxiety about what's to come considering the fact I have to move across the country in 7 days.

In spite of my worries, while reflecting, I developed a sense of peace, because I accomplished my goals for my summer in Uganda. Our research was successful, we've successfully analyzed our data, and almost completed our paper (yes, be jealous). At the same, time, we were also able to have a little fun, and explore the natural beauties in the "Pearl of Africa".

On a personal note, I'm extremely grateful for MHIRT. Aside from the professional preparation that the experience provided me, the opportunity to travel abroad helped me to expand my perspective. Now, for graduate school I'll have another lens to approach the questions I have.

The kindness and generosity of the people of Uganda will always be embedded into my heart. In fact, they encouraged me to try to increase the ways in which I am kind to others as I embark on this new phase of my life. I have to admit, saying goodbye to some was quite difficult, but I have the memories to carry me until we meet again.

Reflections on my Last Summer

As my time in Lima draws to a close, I’ve continuously been struck by moments where I’ve
realized how much I’ve changed in the past two months.

As a person, I’ve learned to be cautious but not to the point that I stop exploring. My last
experience in South America ended on a rough note and so, when I first came to this huge city
(there are over 10 million people!!), I was hesitant to go anywhere after the sun went down
(which is pretty early because it’s wintertime here). After weekend after weekend of wanting to
travel but having it fall through for some reason or another, I took a weekend trip by myself to a
beach town called Paracas 4 hours south of Lima! I was able to meet lovely new people, read on
the beach, and see lots of sea lions. Yay for not letting fear get in the way of living life!

And I was able to see sunshine and blue skies!!

As a student, I have rediscovered my love for learning. At the end of last semester, I was
incredibly burned out and was chasing a grade, not knowledge. School had lost some of its joy
and I felt like my entire life revolved around studying. This time away has allowed me to focus on
myself and activities outside learning which, strangely enough, made me appreciate it more. This
experience has also been the first time that I’ve felt so excited about research. I’ve known that
learning about the human condition is what brought me to medicine but I’ve never been able to
study it this way. Learning about the utility and process of qualitative research has given me a
new means of expressing my academic creativity.

This week, Josh and I presented our results to the office!

Finally, this summer has been full of gratitude. Again, being stuck in the med school bubble, my life really did revolve around myself and my woe-is-me attitude. I feel like I’ve finally taken the time to reflect and realize what incredible opportunities I’ve been given and what wonderful people I’ve been surrounded by. I am so thankful for my family and friends who helped carry me through my first year of med school and who have called and chatted with me when I felt homesick. To Julia, Daryl, and Dr. Fitz, thank you for going the extra mile and looking out for me. To Dr. Valerie Paz-Soldan, Ted, and the members of the Tulane Health Office for Latin America, thank you for welcoming me with open arms and for being incredible mentors. Josh and Ana, thank you both for being great friends and teammates. Ok, now that I feel like Elle at the end of Legally Blonde, I’m going to end with a quote that I heard at the beginning of the summer that has resonated through the past two months:

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time.

But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

-Lilla Watson

So much love for the HOLA Office!! I'm going to miss you guys!