10 Days to GO!!

My first post and I only have 10 days until I step on a plane for Argentina!! AHHHH!!! I can't believe it. I thought it would be a good idea to actually start my blog while I was here in the US for two reasons. One, I am home in good old Fairhaven, MA and BORED out of my mind. Two, I think its a good idea to start thinking about my trip and letting everyone know exactly what my plans are before leaving and I get extremely distracted.

I'm never sure exactly how to start a blog. I guess I should start this one somewhere around the beginning. I'm still not exactly sure what the Beginning is but here goes nothing.

Last summer I was lucky enough to go on a Dialogue of Civilizations through Northeastern University where I traveled to Singapore and Bali, Indonesia with two of my nursing professors and a group of Northeastern students who I am still friends with to this day. On this trip is where I got bit by the travel bug. I had never been outside of the US before and I was immediately hypnotized by the cultural differences I was experiencing in Asia. While on my trip to Asia is the first time I ever contemplated an International Co-op. (For those non-Northeastern readers, a co-op is sort of like an internship where students work for 4-6 months in a field of their choice instead of taking classes). I didn't actually take my thoughts about a co-op abroad seriously because quite frankly I think about a lot of things that never come to fruition. I put the idea out of mind.

In the Fall of 2010 while at a nursing open house the new dean of Northeastern's School of Nursing, Dr. Carole Kenner, approached me and began discussing the possibility of a co-op abroad. She asked what country I would like to go to and I just picked one. I actually said Chile and the dean informed me that Argentina would probably be the better choice. It was at this point that I actually began seriously contemplating living and working abroad for a semester. I met with the dean one more time about potential employers in Argentina and Chile, and ultimately began actively pursuing the opportunity.

I met with the international co-op adviser Cynthia Sweet at Northeastern University and she began to explain the logistics of an International Co-op in Argentina. After a few months of communicating with contacts in Argentina I ultimately came into contact with the program Connect-123. They are a fantastic organization that has actually helped find me an internship with an oncologist in Buenos Aires and helped me find an apartment in a different country, a task I thought nearly impossible when starting this process.

I've condensed the process and the logistics of setting this up because despite whatever anyone might tell you international co-ops are not as easy to set up as they seem. There's always a snafu or issue that seems to arise but luckily with all of the help I've gotten both at home and from Northeastern I am ready to go! Now its just a waiting game. 10 DAYS!!!!