Summer? Fall? What has been going on? I am excited to share another piece of my life story. The summer was great and the summer was short. Isn’t this always the case? I went home to Hungary and I spent mostly my entire summer engaging in one activity. Learning to drive. This had been something I probably should have done a while ago but eventually, I made up my mind and went through the notorious process of taking a theoretical exam, going to practice diving lessons almost every day, and passing a first aid exam. I was deadly scared at 7:30 on a Thursday morning somewhere at the end of July when I was taking my driving test. Quite frankly I was pretty confident that they were going to fail me. Miraculously I passed my exam and I got my driving license after about 2-3 intensive months. What else? Honestly, not much. Driving really took up most of my time.
However, I had some amazing moments. I got to celebrate my sister as she became a doctor and for the first time in the past 6 years, we got to spend time together during the summer without having to worry about exams or practical training. I cannot put into words how incredibly proud I am of her achievements. I also got to spend time with other family members and my really good friend. It was so magical to see her little boy grow, as he started to walk and talk. I really wish I could be present more with them. Beyond these wonderful memories, I also got to organize the UWC orientation camp with a fresh graduate. It was such a joyful experience. I have been more involved with the committee since I took over as the coordinator of the mentor program. It was great to meet all of the new students, answer their questions, and plan some activities for them that hopefully built them into a cohesive and supportive little group. Speaking of which, I got to meet up with another group of people. We celebrated our 5th year graduation anniversary with my classmates from Hungary. While hesitant and scared at first, I ended up really enjoying the reunion. It was interesting to hear from others about where they are in their lives and just share some great moments with them. They always impress me. So many people have gone through their journeys and become experts in fields I could never imagine exploring myself.
Then mid-August came around. I flew back to Iowa City. For a moment, I would like to exit from this fairy tale bubble and reflect on how that really was. I often say that the more I leave my family and Hungary behind the harder it gets. This time around I did not get my plane ticket until about a few weeks before the leave date. I was bawling my eyes out as I walked through the security doors of BUD airport. My heart broke to pieces and while I knew there were people who really waited for me in Iowa I could barely get on that plane. I think it is important to embrace and acknowledge the difficulty of leaving because I do not want to give people the false impression that living abroad is always rainbows and unicorns. Anyhow, I landed in Iowa and started orientation the following day or so. It was lovely to meet all the international students and hear how/why they chose the University of Iowa. Then I met my cohort at the psychology department. All 6 of them are such wonderful people and I could not be luckier that they are my grade mates. The same is true for all of the second-year clinical psychology students. My time at Iowa has been really rewarding. My classmates and professors make this journey extremely welcoming and warm regardless of how challenging it is to be away from my family. I got so much support from people I did not expect from. It was also incredible to see some of my friends from last year and to start a Ph.D. with one of them at the same time. We try to meet up each week and discuss the ins and outs of our classes, training, and assignments. Slowly I started growing and making sense of the chaos and load of information around me. I probably read well over a hundred pages every week but thanks to that by now I started to write my first-year project. I got to learn about statistics and the theory behind psychological treatment. I also started familiarizing myself with IQ and psychopathology assessments. (So much so that last Friday I had my first practice client. Practice clients are not actual clients but they act as if, and we go through a detailed assessment with them. I have spent endless hours preparing for this and I am so excited I have completed my first-ever assessment).
Other than just school this semester I got to meet a few other Hungarians in Iowa City, reconnect with Lucy and some other friends from college over Zoom, visit the Pictured Rocks National Park in Michigan and a wildlife refuge in Des Moines, collect colorful leaves (apparently fall is absolutely breathtaking here), connect with a local family, and explore multiple little coffee shops. It has been a really exciting and fun experience. Sometimes it is not easy but the community really makes it worth it and as of right now, I am excited for the weeks to come. With that I am also really ready for fall break and soon after that visiting my family in Hungary.
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