As I turn 41 today, I do so from a beautiful beachside hotel in Arembepe, Brazil. Our Study Abroad trip is coming to an end, and our group was given a wonderful trip to recharge, relax, and reflect on our experiences.
Recharge
On this trip, I saw how populations find ways to recharge themselves even while suffering a lack of institutional empowerment, from Eder Muniz’s painting of beauty on the streets of his community to the collective expressions of dance, play, celebration, and worship. I saw kids that live in favelas share their joy of play by inviting us to do capoeira with them. Seeing tens of thousands of people excited to cheer on their football team in hopes of a win but at least not a loss. The buffet and family-style dinners that are common here invite people to connect around the table as they replenish their bodies and nurture their souls. Many of the threads are common for us as a species and remind me that despite cultural differences, we share more in common than we have differences in our shared human needs.
Relax
Putting my feet in the pool of water created by the receding tide, I looked up to see waves crashing into rocks not too far ahead of me and spilling over the jagged shelves of coral. Between us in the calm pools of water, fathers carried their kids out so they could find enjoyment in the calmer waters. During this trip, I found relaxation to often be accompanied by community. I enjoyed breathing in the ocean air, relaxing in a hammock in front of my room, taking a dip in the pool, and enjoying a wonderful dinner with our cohort. The meals at the beachside hotel were my favorite of the trip. It was my birthday, and my fellow students and professors wished me happy birthday all day and sang me happy birthday in multiple languages. The cake they brought out after dinner was made by the hotel chef and was as beautiful as it was delicious. This trip was definitely one of the top most relaxing birthdays I have had the privilege to experience. After spending 2 weeks of intensive learning and experiences, this trip was quite a gift to us all, and there was a collective relishing of the gift we had been given.
Reflect
Reflecting on my study abroad experience connected me to what I love about public health and opened my understanding of the benefits of a collective health approach. The mission of public health, defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans. What I found in Brazil was a call to a similar mission ratified in their constitution that health is a right to be enjoyed by all. I found two countries with different healthcare system models working toward resolving the gaps between them and their mission being fully realized. I also found that those working to fix those gaps are dedicated to caring about people and want to improve their quality of life as a primary driver for what they find good, fulfilling work. Despite the systemic challenges that create the gaps, their mission remains, and so do the people that are steadfast in working toward its realization, incrementally moving forward. The shared value of the love of life and the common experiences of caring for your community and loved ones felt universal. While both countries still have oppressive systems that work to try and keep disenfranchised populations in their place, they also experience people’s resilience in their connection to universal desires of health, well-being, and community. We all want this, regardless of our social status, economic mobility, or country of residence. Learning from the communities of practice that work toward empowering the quality of life for all was such a gift and inspiration. We learned of so many ways the helpers are making strides to care for and empower their community. It is an honor to be a co-laborer in this effort, and I am excited to take the lessons I learned from them home and seek to apply them in my public health career efforts.
