As I drive across the county for the second time in three years, I can’t help but feel grateful for my life as a veterinary student. Looking back, my life has changed so much over the course of three years, and for the better.
Before leaving Pennsylvania for vet school, I had never traveled much. I worked three jobs and was on the verge of burn out. The idea of taking time off to travel seemed silly and unrealistic. Vacation was a laughable idea, and I was lucky if I ever had a weekend off. I was a self-proclaimed workaholic and just never knew anything different. I certainly wasn’t happy with my choices, but I just didn’t know it yet.
Now, as a fourth-year veterinary student, I have made two cross-country road trips, visited multiple countries, and three different continents. My desire to work with animals has taken me all over the world and my veterinary education has been the catalyst.
My horizons have broadened immensely. I have been given the education and tools to create a successful career anywhere in the world. The freedom I now have is hard to conceive but I have taken full advantage of it. I have traveled all over the world to save animals and it is such an incredible feeling. Because of these travels, I have become a well-rounded person with so much more to offer the profession. I am so grateful for the opportunities that have presented themselves as a result of this career path.
