What would you do if you could go back to any time in your life and change something? It’s a hard question. I live my life with a wealth of gratitude, so there are few things I would change.
However, one thing sticks out in my life as a suggestion for future generations.
If I could go back to high school to when I first started viewing medicine as a complete system of human, environmental, and animal health, I would change one thing. I would spend time in a third world country before college. I would go as soon as possible. Gaining firsthand insight about the role of veterinary medicine in other countries has been invaluable to me, and it makes me excited to think about what I would have done if I had gained this knowledge at a younger age. However, I do not think of this with any sense of regret; I use it as motivation to encourage others to travel and gain an international perspective on their own interests. It also excites me to know I still have many years to travel to other countries for professional work and for my own personal enjoyment. I learned so much about myself during my time abroad in southern Africa, and I want to continue to have more experiences like that as I continue to develop into a man and a practitioner.
If you are thinking about traveling, let this blog post be a confirmation that your thoughts are leading you in the right direction.
