Before making the journey halfway across the world from the United States to Qatar, I was a little anxious about what was going to happen to me. For the first time in my life, I was going to be far away from the reach of any family or friends. However, once our group arrived at the Doha International Airport after our 14-hour flight, I knew immediately that I was in for an adventure of a lifetime.
My first impressions of Qatar upon arrival were that it was a futuristic, organized, and beautiful country to live in. Right as we had stepped out of the airport, my group members and I began discussing the perfect weather, tall palm trees, and the cleanliness of the streets and buildings around us. The wonderful LED lighting alongside the main roads and the positive atmosphere I could feel emitting around education city made one fact perfectly clear to me. I was going to forget about any of the third-world country delusions about Qatar, and make the most out of my study-abroad experience.
From endless walks through the expensive malls of Qatar to camping out in the middle of a desert for a whole day, I have had the chance to make some truly unforgettable memories over this trip. I learned how to drive a dune buggy, ride a camel, ski down huge sand dunes, and even try out some delicious fruits from the local Qatari markets. I have crossed out so many activities from my bucket list and transformed into a much more confident, fun-loving, and energetic version of myself.
More than my experiences, the relationships I have made with people in Qatar are what have been the truly rewarding part of my trip. In terms of the 7 peers and my professor that I had arrived with, I got to understand a lot more about them and their personal lives. This helped me continue to broaden my view of the world and understand other people?s perspectives better, while also giving me the chance to build long-lasting, impactful friendships with other Aggies. Additionally, The people in Doha have been extremely welcoming, always helpful, and always face me the comfort of feeling at home. From the hotel workers, I will run into every day, to even the safari driver of our group who drove us through the enormous sand dunes of Qatar?s deserts, for whom I had to translate entire conversations from Hindi to English and vice versa.
Overall, this study-abroad trip has given me the chance to grow as a person, build strong bonds with those around me, and give me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and try something completely new once in a while. I cannot thank the CIBS program enough for not only changing my first impressions of Qatar as a poor, old-fashioned third-world country but also for giving me the chance to come on this life-changing adventure with an amazing group of people. I cannot wait to get back and begin researching my next study-abroad trip.
