A few days before leaving New Zealand, I felt a strange pain in my left calf. I decided to see a doctor and after some tests, found out that I had a blood clot in my leg. Instead of meeting my mom in Australia as planned, I was not able to fly for two more days while I waited for my medicine to start working. Navigating the medical system in a foreign country alone was really scary and stressful, but thankfully the doctors at my University were so kind and helpful and made sure I got all the right treatment. I was able to book a later flight to Australia and my mom and I still had a great trip together!
This was probably the biggest obstacle I had to face in my entire time abroad and even though it cost me some time and money in Australia, I was so glad I listened to my body and went to see a doctor before my condition became dangerous. I was forced to do a lot of adulting in a few short days, but this is just one example of how travel can make you stronger and change your perspective.