Natalia – Switzerland, France and Italy
Bonjour, Ciao, and Grüezi!
If you have not guessed by now, I am heading to Europe!!!
Hi, my name is Natalia Rodrigues, and I am currently a rising senior at ECU majoring in Public Health. I am fortunate enough to be traveling to France, Switzerland, and Italy where we will be learning all about global health. I cannot wait to learn about all the diversities of these countries.
This trip is super meaningful to me as I have never left the country before, I am so excited to be able to immerse myself in so many diverse cultures! Our main focus during this trip will be global health, and I cannot wait to see how other countries approach healthcare, public health policies, and overall community well-being. I am also eager to note the differences between these countries healthcare system but also how they differ from the U.S health system. I believe this experience will deepen my understanding of global health but also help set the tone public health professional I aspire to be. I am so thankful to share this wonderful experience with amazing faculty and peers who are just as eager to learn about global health as I am.
On my way!
We landed in Geneva, Switzerland today and then traveled by train to our hotel in Annemasse, France. Now all the learning and adventuring will soon begin, and I cannot wait for you to follow along this journey with me as I share more updates. I am so excited to share all the knowledge I will learn with you. Talk soon!
Bonjour, again! I am officially settling into my study abroad adventure. I have spent the past couple of days navigating public transportation, enjoying group dinners, and exploring two new cities. What I have enjoyed most so far is getting to know my professors and peers; it is so wonderful getting to share this experience with 25 other girls who have the same drive for public health as myself. Even after only being here for 2 days, we have already bonded, and it feels like we have known each other for much longer.
Adjusting to a new country has had its surprises! I am definitely getting used to not having free water at restaurants, no ice, and using all-gender restrooms. It’s the little differences like these that continue to remind me that I am somewhere new and allow me to reflect on how grateful I am for this experience. I must say I have enjoyed being able to utilize public transportation; it’s not often you can hop on a train and be in another country in 30 minutes. It has been refreshing and eye-opening to have these different experiences that I am not used to.
Getting to explore both Geneva and Annemasse has been such a wonderful experience so far. I have loved trying new food, learning, walking the streets, and spending time with new friends. Although I have only been here for two days, each day has felt like a new adventure, and I am soaking up every second of it. I cannot wait to step out of my comfort zone and explore more of these cities.
Overall, these first couple of days have been wonderful, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the trip has to hold. I am confident that this experience will be unique and leave a lasting impact on me. Stay tuned for my next post, as I will share more about my day-to-day life here, including site visits, adventures, and all things global health!
May 15th-20th
Bonjour, I’m back again to fill you in on my wonderful first week of study abroad! What a wonderful week it was, filled with so much learning, adventuring, and trying new things. We spent this week going on many site visits with our professors and taking a deeper dive into global health, how it works in different countries, along with the different outcomes.
Day 2, here we go now! We were fortunate enough to spend the day in Geneva, and our first site visit was spent at HUGS (Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneva), where we were able to hear from the wonderful Antoine Flahault, who is a professor at the university. We learned all about diseases, eradication, and prevention. It was so interesting to hear such an intelligent individual speak on such intriguing and important topics. I specifically enjoyed hearing about his concerns about misinformation and how it spreads. I feel like this is so important to know when dealing with public and global health, but it is not always well talked about. For our second site visit of the day, we went to the HUGS children’s psych ward, which is referred to as the Children and Adolescence House. I absolutely fell in love with this place as it felt so welcoming and not at all what you imagine as your stereotypical psych ward. The project manager told us all about the building and gave us reasoning about all the details and everything they do there. You could see how passionate he was about this project, and it was so refreshing to see such a different and positive take on a psych ward. After our site visits, I grabbed lunch with some friends, explored Geneva, rode the Ferris wheel, and enjoyed some wonderful gelato. We then took the train back to Annemasse and had an insightful debrief of our site visits with peers and professors. The perfect mix of study and adventure, if you ask me!
On to Day 3 we go, as it was filled with so much learning and laughter. We first visited the World Health Organization, where we were able to hear 3 different lectures from such intelligent individuals. We were fortunate enough to share this experience with Kennesaw State University graduate students as they sat in on these lectures with us as well. Each lecture brought something new to the table as they covered funding, finances, bridging the gap, polio eradication, and the pandemic agreement. I specifically enjoyed learning about the pandemic agreement as it was going to be discussed at the World Health Assembly. After lunch at the WHO, we headed over to the United Nations to have our guided tour. The tour was incredibly insightful, and it felt so surreal being in such an iconic and influential place. I loved learning about all the details of the building and different rooms and what the purpose was. After an eye-opening day full of learning, we headed back to Annemasse for the night.
Day 4 was filled with lots of adventure as we traveled to Evian, France! And yes, this is where the infamous Evian Water originated (how cool!). We explored the beautiful town as there were so many sites to see with such beautiful views. We enjoyed a group lunch together and even took turns getting water from the stunning Evian water fountain. Later in the day, some friends and I decided to explore Old Town, Geneva. The architecture was amazing, and it was so cool being in such a historic place.
Day 5 held lots of rich history and learning! Our day started out by touring the Red Cross Museum. I was so interested to learn how much more they do besides blood donations. It truly is a wonderful organization, and I was amazed by all the work they have done, such as humanitarian support and disaster relief. We then attended the World Health Assembly kickoff event at the Geneva Grad Institute, where we discussed and broke down what would be addressed at the World Health Assembly this year. In the evening, we then took a trip to Mount Salève for stunning views, followed by dinner with friends!
Day 6 was filled with inspiring thoughts and ideas as we first attended a WHA side event that addressed how we can amplify youth voices in global health. It was so empowering to be surrounded by such a diverse and intelligent group of people who care deeply about some of the same health issues as myself. Later, we sat in on a panel discussing geopolitics along with financing at the WHO. This panel was incredible, and the knowledge they brought to the table about current topics was unmatched. To end the day, we went to what was possibly my favorite site visit, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Learning about the direct support they provide to refugees and how intentional and impactful their ground operations have been has left a solid impression on me. We then wrapped up the night with another debrief and wonderful dinner with our peers.
How have we been here for a week already?! Although it was a rainy day, day 7 was nothing short of amazing. Despite the gloomy weather, this day was filled with lots of learning and finding ways to make meaningful differences in the world. We first visited the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), where we listened to an interesting presentation that mainly spoke about their current global development goals and priorities. For our second visit of the day, we went to MSF (Doctors Without Borders); this was another favorite visit of mine. The speakers were well versed and told us all about their mission. I loved seeing how passionate they were, and they also took time to engage with us, which was meaningful as you could tell they valued our thoughts and opinions. For our last site visit of the day and final site visit of the trip, we went to another WHA side event that was titled “Reshaping UHC.” I also really enjoyed this event, as it had another diverse panel of very intelligent speakers. It was fascinating and interesting learning about different UHC systems, such as Taiwan. The discussions held at this event really opened my eyes and allowed me to learn so much more about healthcare all over the world.
Day 8 came fast, and we traveled to a new city! We traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland. This city was so charming and full of beautiful views as it was set upon the lake. We first visited the cathedral, which took my breath away with its stunning stained glass and architecture. There were so many beautiful details, and truly it was a work of art. We then explored the town a bit and had lunch with our lovely group. Our final stop in Lausanne was the wonderful Olympic Museum. As an avid Olympic Games watcher, I really enjoyed touring the museum and seeing all the rich history the games hold. We then headed back and spent our last night soaking up every second left in Geneva and then headed back to our hotel to pack up and prepare for the next day of travel!
This past week has been everything I have imagined and more. I feel honored to be around such intelligent and passionate people who have such a desire to make a change in the world. This week has been full of learning, trying new things, sharing ideas, making new friends, and personal growth. This week has challenged me, inspired me, and motivated me all at the same time. I cannot wait to see what these next few days and weeks hold, so until next time!
May 21st-26th
Hello again! Or should I say Gruezi or Ciao? Today we are leaving France and trading it in for the beautiful Zermatt, Switzerland! I am extremely excited to explore a new city. We are traveling by train over to Zermatt and will spend 4 days there, and then for our final stop of the trip, we will head to Stresa, Italy. I am super pumped to explore a new part of Switzerland and to also be able to go to not only a city but also a new country as we travel to Italy. I can’t wait to share all of my adventures from these two countries.
We were fortunate enough to spend the 21st-24th in Zermatt, Switzerland. We traveled there on the 21st, and once we arrived around lunchtime, we decided to make the most of our day. We walked and explored the town before having dinner all together at the hotel. After dinner we decided to all hang out on the deck and take in the stunning views of the Matterhorn. The view from our hotel was unreal, and it seriously felt like we were in a picture-perfect postcard. The next day we went into town again to explore, enjoyed stunning views from trails by our hotel, spent some time relaxing at the spa, and then enjoyed another wonderful dinner together. For our final day in Zermatt, we took the funicular train up to the Sunnegga, where we were greeted by the most stunning view of the Matterhorn. I still cannot get over all the beauty one mountain possessed. After we took in the amazing view from atop the Sunnegga, we then hiked down, where we were greeted by more gorgeous views. We finished off the rest of our day relaxing at the spa, eating dinner together, and packing up to prepare for travel tomorrow. I cherished every moment we had in Zermatt as I felt so at peace and mesmerized by all the beauty and charm it held.
As I thought the trip couldn’t get any more magical, we then arrived in Stresa, Italy. This charming town sat on Lake Maggiore, and it was so picturesque. Once we arrived, we immediately changed and set out for town to see everything it had to offer. We, of course, first tried authentic Italian food, and it was nothing short of amazing. We explored the town for a bit and enjoyed the waterfront views it had to offer. Later we shared a group dinner together and settled into our hotel. For our second day in Italy and final day of our trip, we set out on a boat excursion. We visited two lovely islands on Lake Maggiore; we were first able to take a tour around Palazzo Borromeo, where I was stunned by all the beauty and detail of the place. We then went to the other island, where we had lunch and shopped around. This excursion was so fun, and we soaked up every second of it. We then headed back to the mainland, where we relaxed before our final group dinner, which, of course, was filled with amazing food, great conversations, and lots of laughter. I seriously am going to miss being able to share meals and trade conversations with these wonderful people so often. We then headed back to the hotel to pack up and prepare for the early travel day ahead. Until next time, Europe!
Hello, from America this time! As I sit down to write this final blog post, I must say I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and reflection, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I already miss it. As this wonderful journey has come to an end, it’s hard to put into words what this trip has meant to me. Over these past two weeks I have been able to explore new cities, eat amazing food, engage with global health leaders from all around the world, learn from amazing people, and make connections with others that will last a lifetime.
My main take away from the trip was how valuable it is to step out of your comfort zone. These past weeks were filled with things that I have never even thought about doing but now I am grateful to say that I am filled with memories I will cherish forever. I was constantly learning and growing this whole trip. Going into this, I knew I would have to adjust to a new way of life and routine over the time I spent in these countries. Throughout this trip and experiencing cultural differences, I learned the value and importance of having an open mind. I went on this trip with an open mind, and I think that’s one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself as it helps you adapt to these changes a lot more easily.
To anyone preparing for their own study abroad journey, I do have a few tips and tricks I would
recommend.
- Don’t Overpack! This is so important as I definitely brought too many clothes. You honestly don’t need as many clothes as you think and you also don’t want to go from city
to city while dragging really heavy luggage along. You can still bring a variety of clothes without overpacking! - Always be prepared and don’t be afraid to ask questions. When going to site visits, I think it is really important to be prepared and knowledgeable about where you’re going. Also coming up with some questions to ask beforehand doesn’t hurt either or can help you engage with others.
- Say yes to new things. I know sometimes it can be hard to say yes and step out of your comfort zone, but it’s so important and can open up so many new opportunities. My friends and I said yes to pretty much everything, and we explored each city as much as possible in our free time. We made sure to soak up every second of it all to get the most out of this trip.
Overall, I have gained so much from this trip, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. This trip has left such a meaningful impact on me both academically and personally. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I would urge anyone to go on a study abroad trip. I am most thankful that I got to come home with 28 new friends, I seriously could not imagine a better study abroad group. I will always cherish these memories and hold them close to my heart. I would recommend this experience to anyone and now I cannot imagine my life without it! Thank you, ECU Abroad, for such a wonderful experience led by such amazing staff!