The unboxing of the "American Dream"

A few years ago, when my friend Swastik and I first came across the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, we began searching for a program that matched our interests. That’s when we discovered Flood Risk Management (FRM). Not only did it align perfectly with our interests, but also the prospect of traveling to four different countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia) each semester and a two-week field trip to Florida, United States, made it even more exciting. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I went on a trip to Florida with my colleagues and two professors. The trip was filled with countless memories and valuable learning experiences. One of the highlights of the journey was a reunion with my friend, Swastik, in Orlando.

On April 27th, we had a flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Atlanta at 10:30 am. We departed from Delft early in the morning at 5 am. The anticipation for the trip was palpable, especially since it was the first time for many of us to visit the mighty United States. Despite the excitement buzzing through the chilly morning air, drowsiness from interrupted sleep overtook us, and we all drifted off during the slightly over one-hour bus journey from Delft to Amsterdam.

After reaching the airport and completing the check-in process, our class representative, Namrata, asked a friendly stranger to capture the moment before embarking on our exciting journey.

Long flights are typically exhausting and boring, but this time, I found it a bit easier, perhaps because I was traveling during the day. Moreover, I had the pleasure of encountering a kind middle-aged American woman who was returning from a business trip in France. We engaged in conversation, especially when we grew bored of watching movies on the screens in front of us. I distinctly remember a moment during turbulence when I felt slightly anxious, and she shared her own story of experiencing turbulence while traveling in Ireland to ease my mind.

After approximately 10 hours in the sky, we landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States. A few moments before landing, as I glanced outside through the plane window, I was astounded by the sheer number of cars in the city. When plane finally landed, I felt excited as I realized the “American Dream” had come true and gazed in awe at the immense size and splendor of the airport, a sight I had never seen before.

However, the excitement was short-lived, as physical exhaustion from the long flight and a subsequent long wait (approximately 4 hours) for the next flight to West Palm Beach, Florida, began to take its toll. We arrived at our hotel at midnight, and Professor Biswa and Ioana canceled all the morning activities to allow us sufficient time to recover. The following day, around noon, MaryBeth, our host, warmly welcomed us and provided us with the itinerary for the trip.