SEATTLE — I have been fortunate enough to travel to more than 25 countries in five continents since I was 2 months old. I have lived in California, Washington, abroad for a few years in Mumbai, India and recently in Switzerland where I studied global health and development policy. I quickly realized that I was learning more about global health outside the classroom, while traveling to eight countries, than I was inside. Here are some examples of what global health means to me.
Activity
Mont Blanc
Zermatt, Switzerland
Community
Myself with Keely Dennis, Emily Huesgen, Anna Bury, Safia Abdinur, Emily Kirk, Divya Giyanani, Ashley Ifeadike, Laura Pugh and others from the program and local community planting trees
Ferraha, Morocco
Culture
Tajines and other types of pottery sold in Moroccan Souks
Rabat, Morocco
Development
View of the city from a gondola
Barcelona, Spain
Diplomacy
View of the Palace of Versailles from the back courtyard
Versailles, France
Expression
A part of the East Side Gallery
Berlin, Germany
Faith
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Vienna, Austria
Family
My host mother and one of her daughters
Ferraha, Morocco
Governance
The Parliament building
Bern, Switzerland
History
Myself and Travis Tran standing in front of the Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany
Infrastructure
Colosseum
Rome, Italy
International Engagement
United Nations Headquarters
Geneva, Switzerland
Money
The Royal Family’s castle
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Nature
Field and home near a dairy farm
Borex, Switzerland
Resources
Cheese making room at the Gruyeres Cheese Factory
Gruyeres, Switzerland
Water
Lake Geneva with swans and the mountains in France behind
Nyon, Switzerland
These travels have only further catalyzed my interest in global health in a multitude of ways. I cannot be more grateful for all of the amazing experiences I have had throughout my life and this trip, which have helped me grow as a person and as an academic. I highly encourage everyone to travel if possible; you will learn more about the world and in return, will learn more about yourself.
Photos taken by Nicole Advani