Greetings loved ones- Let's take a Journey!

A wise one once said, "Greetings loved ones- Let's take a Journey!" 

Hello, hello! My name is Emma and I am so excited to take you along with me as I embark on this international journey! I am from Denver, Colorado and I currently live in Washington DC. In college, I studied biology and philosophy and I just recently graduated with my Master of Science in Biomedical Science Policy and Advocacy. I hope to someday work in migrant health as a physician, but in the meantime, I have fallen in love with traveling over the past few years. I am so grateful to have had the pleasure of experiencing travel abroad with my parents (the proof is in the pudding, aka the attached images).

My family’s roots can be traced back to Spain, and though I have frequented Western Europe in the past, I have never been to Spain. Unironically, it has always been my dream to live abroad for an extended period of time. When I think about my time abroad and what I hope to gain, I think about one of my favorite quotes from a former secretary of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld,: “If only I may grow, firmer, simpler, quieter, warmer.” Yes. Everything. All of the above. 

I have always been one to trust in the power of timing and this program happened to fall in my lap at the perfect time. Though I feel I am quite used to moving to new places, I am not naïve to the fact that this will be challenging in unpredictable ways. I am most nervous about adapting to  the language barrier, but I know that growth happens in moments of vulnerability and uncertainty. When I think about this opportunity, I feel a sense of peace and gratitude, reinforcing the connection to this present moment and, if I may be so lucky, to my hopes to grow, “firmer, simpler, quieter, and warmer” in my time abroad and beyond.