Best six weeks

It's been almost two months since I left Germany. It honestly feels like it was last summer. The first thing anyone asks me when I see them is "how was being abroad?" They can see by all my pictures that it was the best six weeks of my life. I tell them in great detail about my adventures in Amsterdam, Brussels, Florence, Vienna, Berlin, Norderney, Paris, Zurich, and of course my second home, Bonn. It's insane to think that a place that'-s miles and miles away once felt like home. The people I was surrounded with made my trip perfect. It's sad to hear my friends talk about their study abroad groups because they didn't get along. I was truly blessed to meet 26 amazing people.

My expectations were completely blown out of the water. My boyfriend and friends had studied abroad summers before and their experiences were different. At first I was upset because having host families meant that all of us students wouldn't get to spend a lot of time together in Bonn. Wow was I wrong. Yes, we didn't really hang out once we were back home for the night; however, we hung out after class, on holidays, and bonded on weekends. Bonn was like a small home to a lot of us. We got a hang of the transportation systems, found our favorite restaurants, and truly felt like locals. Washing some of my laundry in the shower and living without air conditioning probably doesn't seem ideal to most college students, but I embraced the whole experience. It was a one of a kind summer. I loved living with my host mom and learned so much from her. We are friends on Facebook and instagram so we can stay in touch (:

I was honestly surprised that I wasn't homesick much at all. I got homesick a little at the beginning but that's of course because it was a new, strange environment. But, the people I met slowly became my friends then my family. It felt normal to wake up and take the bus to school then have crazy adventures on the weekend. I'm not gonna lie, I started feeling ready to go home around week 4 or 5. It's not that I wasn't enjoying myself, living abroad is expensive and you miss the people you love the most. Even though I was excited to get back, it never really felt like it would end. Our last night was filled with tears, on my end, of course. I was crying because those past 6 weeks were nothing I could've dreamt of. They were perfect to say the least.

Now I'm back in America about to start my senior year. College has flown by but I wouldn't change a single moment. I'm so glad I took a chance and stepped out of my comfort zone to go abroad. It's a story I will have forever. It's a story I will tell my children. Those past 6 weeks made me thankful for everything I have and the amazing opportunity I had. The experiences made me realize my goal is 100% vet school and at some point I really would love to study abroad again. I came back with a strength in remembering to never let the little things get me down. There are way bigger problems in the world and this trip opened my eyes wider to that.

To the people I met, the places I explored, and the memories I could never forget, thank you for making me the person I am today.

Until next time Europe,
Sarah