Back to Business as Usual

      It is really hard to imagine that only a month and a half ago I was standing in Europe. It seems like years ago that first I stepped off the plane into the Frankfort airport. Those weeks spent in Germany feel almost as though they are part of another life. It could be the vast cultural differences experienced, or maybe it’s just the mind’s way of distinguishing two places separated by over five thousand miles. In any case, my timeline is entirely in disarray. 

      The experience reinforced the notion that customs vary, but people are the same everywhere. The times when I was struggling with the language barrier, I could see myself back in America trying to overcome the challenges of conversing with a non-English speaker. It was an educational experience to take on the role of a foreigner, and many times it difficult. I can only imagine what it would be like not to have a group of Americans that I could retreat to when culture-shock became too much.

     Now that I'm back in the land of fast-food and free bathrooms, I can look at the trip from a vantage point. I can visualize my time in Germany as a unit, rather than an overwhelming blur. As I sit here in the library writing this final blog, surrounded by other Americans who speak my language and have my customs, I can say its great to be back. However the personal development that I have achieved by putting myself in the shoes of an outsider, along with all great times I had and great people I met, I can also say it was worth every cent.