Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Nos vamos para Alemania !! pre-departure blog

The time has come and I am finally back in the States after spending two weeks in my native Piedras Negras, Mexico with my mom, dad, and siblings.  I didn't do much that is worth noting in Piedras Negras due to conditions Mexico finds itself in.  It is kind of scary to observe an armor vehicle drive by very slowly in front of your house with a 50 .cal machine gun mounted turret, but nothing happen and everything is well and I got to enjoy many of the Mexican dishes I will never get to enjoy in Germany or U.S.

 I am still having a hard time grasping the idea that I will soon be in Germany considering all the little obstacles I had to deal with and to think I was about half of inch of backing out from the program and now here I am and ready to learn and explore.  The least of my worries for the trip is being in a culturally different environment I am extremely adaptable as I myself was a foreigner who came to the U.S not being able to speak English and everything turned out well. I will probably will feel right at home amongst the German people.

The biggest concern I have as far this whole study abroad program is the whole travel idea, nobody in my family has been in Europe or even been on a plane. I don't have much advice to go on then more what the study abroad advisors have given me and what a few distant relatives have mention, I am relying on my adaptability, and my fellow classmates travel experience to get me by on this trip.

My mom is still kind of shock I will soon be exploring far off lands on my own and at the same time I feel she is not considering she sort of experience the same situation since I am her only child to go to a university far away from home and only be allowed limited contact.  For me this study abroad opportunity is more then a chance to explore Europe, get ahead in classes, and have fun for me this trip is about learning a little bit more about who I am and to grow as a person.

Now being so close to the beginning of the trip the only thing that keeps popping into my head was when I was having a conversation with my relative as far as traveling to Europe.

 My cousin said, "so your traveling to Europe are you paying for it or the school ?".

 "I am paying in loans that's why I am stuck in a bind to go or not ," I said.

Then he said those words that made up my mind about going on this trip " Don't think of it as a financial burden think of it as an investment, an investment on yourself to help you grow as person and as a professional".

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