I spent 2 years abroad in Scotland, which changed my life. I dropped out of med school and began prioritizing my free time.

• I'd been chasing my dream of becoming a doctor for 10 years and was feeling burned out.
• I moved to Scotland with my husband. It was supposed to be for two years and a welcome break for me.
• The experience transformed my life. When I returned to the US, I realized my dreams had changed.

In 2021, I bought a one-way ticket to a country I'd never been to, and nothing about this transatlantic move was part of my life's plan.

I was in the midst of medical school applications when my husband was named a Marshall Scholar, and set to study in the UK for the next two years.

Despite some initial hesitation, I decided to delay my dreams of becoming a physician to join him for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the weeks leading up to the move, friends and family increasingly inquired if we planned to stay, and my answer remained vehemently, no.

I had two years to fully embrace life abroad and press pause on an otherwise hectic and demanding schedule. When July 2023 arrived, it was back to the script, back to normal life — that was my plan.

That plan was further solidified when I was accepted to medical school after arriving in Edinburgh, and I deferred until 2023 when I'd be back in the US.

However, I returned irrevocably changed, a new person with new dreams.

I'd wanted to become a physician since I was a teenager

For years, I'd wanted to help reduce the prevalence of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and obesity.

The WHO estimates that non-communicable diseases are responsible for 75% of deaths globally and that an estimated 80% are preventable through lifestyle changes.

I believe the keys to a healthier population are reducing behavioral and environmental risk factors, addressing socioeconomic inequity, and investing in widespread preventive health measures.

My mission revolved around this. And for the first time, while living in Edinburgh, I got a taste of what this looked like.

The inherent walkable nature of living in a European city, combined with safe and reliable public transportation, led to us forgoing a car. Food was more affordable here, locally produced, and less processed.

Common additives found in many US products were banned, and food generally contained fewer preservatives, so we made daily trips to the market or grocery store. And Scotland's public universal healthcare system, although not perfect, offers high-quality, affordable medical care.

Meanwhile, my definition of success, honed in America's hustle culture, changed. Prestigious careers and high salaries became secondary to my increased quality of life and availability of time. Through learning to live intentionally and mindfully, my nervous system became more regulated, and I found the peace I had been searching for.

For over 10 years, I was chasing the dream. Yet, I began to ask myself if it was really mine anymore.

Shortly after returning to the US in 2023, I dropped out of medical school

Despite all of the reasons telling me to stay abroad, the only way I could know whether medical school was still the right next step for me was to try.

I returned to the US in 2023 to start medical school, but quickly confirmed that this was no longer a fit, leaving just a few months later.

I had been so deeply committed to the career path I'd chosen when I was younger — to the person I had decided to become — that I'd swiftly rejected anything that didn't align with that plan.

However, what I didn't consider was that as your worldview expands, as you learn and unlearn and change, your dreams can too. And mine did.

I was drawn to a new path

I no longer wanted to pursue a path that would involve treating patients through brief primary care appointments or prescription refills.

Rather, I was drawn to a new path that focused on the importance of nutrition and public health education, and I wanted — needed — to live in a place that aligned with the lifestyle I believe in, allowing me to flourish.

In 2024, three years after first moving to the UK, I bought another one-way ticket back to Scotland with my husband. This time though, I stepped foot on that plane as an entirely different person.

My professional path had changed, as I was now pursuing a PhD in nutrition in the UK, helping others to change their behavior and advocating for health literacy and policy. More importantly, I finally understood what it meant to be brave enough to find the life you want and courageous enough to chase it.

The best parts of life often happen while you're making other plans. It was only after I was forced to delay my plans, during a period of time where I had the least control, that I found the most freedom.