Next week, I will embark on a new professional challenge that is both exciting and a bit nerve wracking (if I'm honest). Exciting because traveling abroad to a beautiful foreign country sounds amazing! Frightening because I am stepping completely out of my comfort zone. I am NOT the expert on this topic. While I'll be leading a class of 13 students on a three week course to Spain, I very much feel like a student myself.
The course will explore two cities (Madrid and Valencia) which are often cited as two of the "healthiest" cities in the world. But why? What makes these locations unique and how does life in these locations compare to what we know in this modestly sized college town in the Midwestern region of the United States? These are the questions we will explore. My hope is that this class can explore these questions as a team.
I've asked my students to write a letter to themselves prior to departure. In the spirit of camaraderie (and to provide them an example for the assignment), I've decided to post my pre- Spain letter here.
What will I will learn in three weeks, what will I discover about me, and in what ways will what I discover influence my development as an individual and professional?
The scientist in me says it is ridiculous to think that I could predict the future. That said, I am hoping that over the next three weeks, I will learn at least one secret to leading a healthier lifestyle. I would like to take that lesson and apply it both to my personal lifestyle but also to my research which focuses on helping people improve their lifestyles for the purpose of improving their quality of life.
This trip will count as the longest period of time that I have spent away from my wife (of 15 years) and my kids (11 and 13 years). Prior to this trip, the longest time I've been separated from my family is four days. I anticipate feeling homesick at some point on this trip as I will miss a few important moments. My son's graduation from elementary school. My daughter's track meets and soccer matches. My 16th wedding anniversary. But I anticipate missing the ability to hug my family each day the most. One thing I'll discover is how I handle separation from the three most important people in my life.
I hope this experience is rewarding for me both personally and professionally. I anticipate the lessons learned from this experience will positively influence my professional career. Learning what makes the Spanish lifestyle a healthy model will inform the courses I teach and the research I lead. From a personal standpoint, I hope that I will learn some new social skills, both coping with separation and how to connect with new and interesting people. But if I had to guess, I'm anticipating the real lesson will be a reminder of what is most important in life. And in this area, we are all still students.
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