Being Back

Going on this study abroad trip was the best adventure I could have ever asked for. One day I decided that I wanted to fly half-way around the world with a group of strangers and live in a foreign country for a month. I went into the experience hoping that it would meet my expectations and to my surprise it exceeded them. I enjoyed the classes and was able to learn from the most incredible professors. Getting to explore new places with new friends was something that I will never forget. I have so many happy memories of our times wandering lost around cities, trying to find our airbnb's and hopping on and off trains. The people that I met and the friendships we created have blown me away. I have made friendships on this trip that I believe will last a lifetime. For the time we were there, it seemed like we were living in our own little bubble.

There are so many things about being in Europe that I miss. I miss the beautiful scenery and the excitement of planning where we were going to go that weekend. I miss being able to spend time with my host parents. I still live with Kylie- so I get to see her all the time, but I miss our walks to the bus station and having to find our way back home at night. I miss seeing the friends that I made every day and meeting up with them in the Hofgarten at night to pass a bottle of wine and listen to music. I met people who are loving, adventurous, caring, loyal and honest. The kind of people who always have my back and will hop off with me when I need them. Now that we are back in College Station I get to see them in class and on the weekends- but those initial weeks after being back in the US were tough. I was definitely in a slightly depressed mood and one of the hardest parts was being away from this group that I had become used to. I no longer saw them every day and every night as I was used to. Germany was amazing, but the group of people I was there with is what made it so amazing.

Adjusting back to being in the United States did not take very long. After the jet lag and a very long nap, it seemed normal. I was back to the land of air conditioning and free water. I was with my family again and I was about to dive into my responsibilities that I had for the rest of the summer. I was a busy bee and very busy and in no time I was onto another task. However, I did see things in a different light. There are many things about the United States that I love. It is a country I am proud of and one that I am thankful to belong to, but with all the things that are great about it, it is very flawed. There are certain things that I saw in Germany and other European countries that I wish was more prevalent here. An example is the comradery that the German people share.  They have a love for their country and their culture that in many ways is stronger than the Patriotism that American's have. The German people are aware of what is going on in the world around them and make an effort to stay well informed about events going on outside of their own country. From them, I have learned that it is important for me to care about what is going on in the world, not just within the United States. I have become more aware of recycling and hope that as a country, we can become more progressive about being sustainable.

Overall, the HOM trip has helped make this the best summer ever. I have created memories that I will treasure forever: Swimming in the North Sea, face planting in Prague, nights in the Hofgarten, spending the day at the sauna, biking around Norderney, looking like members of a band, crying when the Eiffel tower lit up, seeing Bryan crying because of the cowbells, getting Kylie home in the pouring rain, the night in the Untergrund, learning that we really liked Sausalito's and that we did not like nights in Cologne. We lived in our own little European bubble, detached from our normal world.
I saw the most incredible places and had conversations that I will never forget.
We laughed, cried, danced, and learned a lot about life and a little about ourselves along the way.
I will forever be thankful for this experience.

So... Europe trip round 2 anyone? I'm ready for the reunion.

Cass