Wow. To say that we are finally heading home after two weeks in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires is insane, as it feels like we were just sleeping on the floors of the Atlanta Airport just minutes ago. This entire trip was one of the best experiences of my entire life, and it would not be the same without the people who came along with me. I am so thankful for the true friendships that were formed while abroad, and it fills me with so much joy to know that I now have so many more people to call friends and say hello to on campus in the fall. It has been such an amazing experience to learn about the Argentine healthcare system through the lens of some very high profile figures, and navigate through each sector every day. With this being my first time abroad, and first time truly using my Spanish skills, I would not change anything at all, as I woke up every day with a smile on my face ready to explore Argentina. The locals we interacted with made us feel so welcomed, and also appreciated how we were learning so much about their culture.

If I had to summarize the most important thing I learned on this trip, it would be the importance of surrounding yourself with others and building connections. While on this trip, I became very close with a lot of the other people, and formed lasting friendships that I am very excited to continue in the future. I put a lot of value in my friendships and relationships with others, and received the same energy and love back from this group. One of the things that is stressed in Argentina is also their solidarity among others. They have a common gesture that involves the touching of cheeks while making a kissing noise that everyone does with each other. This human connection is something that I found super valuable and important to their culture, and is also something that just shows they all care about each other. When shopping in one store, the owner told us about the dynamics among society. He explained how in America, a doctor is seen as a prestigious figure among the population, whereas in Argentina, a doctor is treated just like another person. There are no real social hierarchies that are established, and I think this also just shows the difference in our cultures.

The hospital workers also explained how much work they put into their patients, especially in the public sector, and it showed how even if these two people are strangers that there is still a connection and appreciation between them. This is something that I think is lost often in our healthcare system, where we forget that the people we are treating are actually human beings, and deserve the same respect and treatment that we would like to receive as well. There are so many people, not just in healthcare, who just completely disregard others, and this is something that is detrimental to our society as a whole. This trip really allowed me to take away the importance of developing relationships and connections with others, as well as surrounding yourself with people who truly care the same about you.