When can I go back?

I can’t believe that the summer has already come and gone. It truly went by so quickly and now I am thinking when can I go back to Germany. This experience was literally one of the best experiences of my life and it changed me for the better. I learned so many life lessons and gained/improved so many skills.

When I got home after being out of the country for 7 weeks, I had a new-found confidence in myself. I was not the only one who noticed either, my friends and family also made comments. Abroad, I learned how to be more independent, which allowed me to fully see that I am capable of doing things on my own. I have always been able to do things for myself but I could always count on my family to help whenever I needed. Abroad I was truly on my own, I was able to make my own choices and learn from my mistakes or be happy for my successes.

 I traveled most weekends and got to see multiple different cultures and cities. I learned how to adapt in an unusual environment especially in places where English was not the native language. I truly loved Germany, I loved hearing the language, I loved learning about the history not only from class but also from my amazing host family. I was so surprised how comfortable I ended up being in their home especially given how nervous I was at the beginning of the trip. They were so welcoming and treated my roommate and myself with compassion and like we were part of the family. I miss getting to sit out in their garden and have a glass of wine with them. We could sit out there for hours and talk. Looking back, I couldn’t imagine any other way to live on the trip. I’m so glad I didn’t get scared away from living with a host family because they were truly people to look up to and learn from.  

In addition to all the fun activities and excursions we went on, I also really enjoyed the lectures. I learned a lot of new things in both classes and both were very interesting. One of the best parts of the lectures and informational excursions, was how passionate Dr. Wasser was. I couldn’t imagine any other prof doing some of the things he did for us to make the experience more fun. Dr. Wasser was also so passionate about everything he taught and he knew so much. I so thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience I wish I could go again. The program was amazing and all I expected it to be and more. I hope it continues for a very long time so that people can experience the self-growth just like I believe everyone in the program did.