On Saturday, my internship experience came full circle when I attended an IDF Europe Board Meeting at the offices. Throughout the meeting, my supervisor Lala kindly inquired as to whether or not I was learning from the experience, and if I felt that it was worthwhile. I assured her that I was truly grateful to be invited to attend. It was interesting to see such a diverse group of professionals represented on the Board, and to listen to their input on the issue of diabetes in relation to their specific field of expertise. There are 11 Board Members from fields ranging from Management Consulting to Internal Medicine. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce them to IDF Europe and to outline their duties as Board Members. I got a unique firsthand perspective of the brainpower behind IDF's ideas and actions.
At the conclusion of the meeting, I realized just how much this experience has meant to me as the bittersweet feeling sunk in. It was hard to say goodbye to Lala. She was so welcoming and eager to share information with me about the organization. It was wonderful to connect with her on a more personal level, as well, as we discussed everything from books and movies to women's rights. I feel so fortunate to have worked with someone so passionate about not only her work, but about the world as a whole.
It's surreal to think back on all that I've accomplished over the past four months. This study abroad adventure has undoubtedly been more rewarding and challenging than I ever could have anticipated. I navigated my way through European freedom, completed a Communications internship with an International Organization, attended meetings in the European Parliament, traveled to at least 7 different countries, written articles for a NGO's global newsletter...I could go on for while, but words can't really capture all the ways that I've grown from this journey.
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