Bye Bye Duesseldorf Digest

It’s crazy that we’ve already been back for 7 weeks. When I went to the first informational meeting about this trip and heard the former students talking about how life changing it was, I didn’t really believe them. It all sounded a little cheesy and cliche. But now that I’ve experienced it for myself, I can wholeheartedly say that they were SO RIGHT! This experience was nothing short of life changing. I really do feel like I’m a different person, for the better.

 First, I’m much more independent. Even though I’ve been an “adult” for three years, I’ve never had the same freedom that I’ve had when I was in Europe. I could pick up and travel to a different country every weekend, and no one could tell me no. Having this amount of freedom forced me to gain a new level of maturity. When something went wrong, I couldn’t immediately call my parents for help. I learned to think critically and problem solve both on my own and with others. Learning how to solve these problems gave me confidence that I’m capable of handling tough situations on my own. 

Second, I’m more sensitive to social and cultural differences. Immersing yourself in a totally different world for 6 weeks is a really great way to develop an appreciation for and learn from someone else’s way of life. Getting to live with a host family and adapt to their way of living taught me to be more flexible and open minded. I learned that just because something is different than what I’m used to doesn’t mean its bad or wrong, it’s just different. And a lot of times different can be good! 

I’m really having trouble putting my thoughts about this experience into words. It’s truly indescribable and one of the best decisions I have ever made. To any prospective students reading this, if you have even the slightest inkling of interest in this trip, GO. Don’t let fear keep you from the experience of a life time. I learned so much, grew as a person, made memories that I’ll have forever and met some really amazing people. I’m so grateful I had this opportunity and can’t recommend it highly enough to future students.