I cannot believe that it has been nearly two months since I made the seventeen hour journey back to America. There hasn't been one day where I haven't thought about one of the places we visited or what my host family is doing, yet I still can't believe I was able to spend five weeks in Europe. I met a girl recently who was thinking of applying for the program and I couldn't help but go on and on about the historic sites, our side trips, and the great friendships that developed along the way.
When Joy talked to us about reverse culture shock, I was a little skeptical. How could I be shocked by the culture I grew up with for twenty years? Though I have yet to feel a need to move back to Europe permanently, I did notice a few things about America that surprised me. In the first few days of being back my family went out to eat quite a bit. My sister had just come back home after five weeks working at a summer camp, and we had to cram in some meals at our favorite Shreveport restaurants before returning to Aggieland. For less money, I could get a larger drink than I could in Europe and have as much as I wanted. I had forgotten how large and how icy drinks were and even though I expected free refills, they were still sort of unbelievable to me. Another difference I had always heard about Americans was our tendency to wear brighter colors. Though it was summer, I expected to see much more black in Germany than I did. It wasn't until I came back to Louisiana that I realized how brightly colored the clothes were here and how many women own "bedazzled" items. I also noticed how much more makeup women wore and how much more effort they put into their hair just for everyday chores and errands. These were the little things that I didn't really notice much of a difference while abroad, but they really jumped out once I was back in America.
I have loved being back home, but there are some things that I do miss. Most of all, I miss being so close to so many major cities and having access to so many historic landmarks. Though I love driving my car, I wouldn't mind having a train system as an additional mode of transportation. Weekend trips around Texas or back home would be made so much easier if we could travel by train. I miss the food, too. German food isn't the easiest to find and I can't eat whole fat dairy products in good conscious here. Finally, while I don't necessarily miss having to pay in cash for everything, I often still feel weird paying for lunch with my debit card or when I don't have cash.
I loved my time abroad, but there is no place like home. I did love all of the different cultures and languages that were so close together and that so many Europeans could speak multiple languages. Our time in Europe has made me realize how much more Spanish I should know as an American, living so close to Mexico. There is no question that I want to go back to Germany! Before it may not have ranked at the top of my list of places to visit, but now I can't wait to return. Even though I never thought I would live outside of the United States, I think I am now more open to the idea, at least for a short period of time. While working abroad may not actually happen, I know for sure that I will continue to travel and be less tied to the specifics of the plans for my life.
