4: Advice: Payten Jackson

 Post-travel Advice

    The trip was even better than I imagined. As I mentioned in my pre-departure post, I wasn't expecting to be going abroad this summer, but here I am. I am currently back in my hometown after spending a few days in Europe. The different countries I visited were absolutely beautiful, and they had such deep history, but even better was spending time with the people on the trip. I could not have asked for a more fun group. Nordeney was probably one of my favorite places to visit; it was absolutely beautiful, and the first time the group started to fully bond. I am so grateful that I was able to go on this trip, and I hope it will be the beginning of my connection to Europe.

    Now for the advice to past me. When going into this trip, I felt like I mostly did not know what to expect. I was not an experienced traveler and honestly was just hoping for the best. For past me, I would say to just make small itineraries or notes along the way, of course, I will not be able to do everything, but it gets a good start to a trip. I would also advise myself to go with the flow; sometimes the most beautiful things are found when you're not truly looking. Traveling should not be just about checking stuff off a bucket list, but letting yourself be as free as possible. Some of my best experiences were found in places that I did not plan on going. Such as when I went to Ireland and we found this small beach with the most beautiful rocks and clear water. If we had just continued hiking up to the mountain, we would have missed that beautiful little experience. 

    

    When it comes to stereotyping, I feel like most people just stereotype the part of being from Texas. Most of their concerns or assumptions were valid, because I have some of the same ideas myself. The best course is not to immediately become defensive of where you're from because many of us just so happened to be born there. Germany and Texas are very different, and I truly enjoyed being somewhere that could open my worldview. I have never been someone who's extremely proud of being Texan or American because I was simply born here. I am sure I would feel the same if I were born anywhere else. Part of my feelings come from the history of this country and the history of most other developed countries, and I would rather be proud of my people than a piece of land. Germans and other Europeans were pleasant when it came to meeting someone from the United States, so do not be afraid!

    I learned so much on this trip from Dr. Weber and Dr. Wasser, and it would not have been the same without them. Thank you, Rike, for all that you did to make this trip amazing as well. This experience was unforgettable, and I cannot wait to set foot on foreign soil again. See you back in College Station.

Payten