As I sit here amongst my luggage, which I have now packed and repacked multiple times, the thought that’s on my mind is this - “this doesn’t feel real.” In less than 24 hours I will be boarding a plane and heading across the world to spend the next six weeks of my summer living in Germany. I say living because this isn’t like my previous trips abroad that were jam packed with site seeing tours and hotel/hostel hopping. While I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that as well, (hellooooo travel weekends!!) this time I will be taking up residence with a host family, commuting to and from town, and taking classes with some fellow ags. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I would also be lying if I said I wasn’t beyond excited.
So, how did I get here?
As a freshman I remember sitting in my dorm blown away by all of the adjustments I had been forced to make by moving from the small town where I was born and raised to College Station. My eyes had been opened to a whole new world and (thanks to the increasing popularity of travel vloggers) I was thirsty for more. That’s when I came across the amazing opportunity to spend two weeks traveling throughout Italy and Greece, which I immediately jumped on and I had the time of my life. So much so I think I spent the first 30 minutes of my 12 hour flight home in tears over not wanting to leave. That’s when I realized I had to travel again. It was not a want, but a need.
Okay that’s a little dramatic but the love of traveling that was spurred by the independence of flying alone, the vulnerability of being in a new place with a tour group composed of complete strangers, the beauty of the foreign cultures, and the feeling of accomplishment after it was all over, lead me to seek more information once I had received an email from the Study Abroad Programs Office regarding a BIMS summer study abroad. After attending an informational, applying for the program, and ultimately getting accepted, it was official - I was going to Germany! My first steps were to look at a map of Germany to see where in the world I was actually going in Germany and then downloading DuoLingo to learn as much German as I could before leaving, which unfortunately was placed on the back burner due to the stress of spring semester and organic chemistry. Yet here I am now, done with my sophomore year of college, only two hours away from earning my Aggie Ring (which should be accomplished after taking six hours abroad - whoop!) and about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.
Overall, I wouldn’t say I have any “expectations” going into this adventure other than the expectation that things will be new and will require adjustment, but they will ultimately be worth it. Instead I have hopes. I hope that I can learn to speak even a little bit of German. I hope that I can form strong relationships with my classmates and host family. I hope that I don’t get lost using the public transportation. I hope that I come away with memories to last a lifetime. I hope that I get to eat amazing food. I hope that I make the most of my time abroad. Finally, I hope for safe travels. Suddenly this all feels real, and with that it’s off to Bonn!
Bis bald!
Sarah Bohac
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