This time tomorrow most of us will be over the Atlantic Ocean on the way to our hometowns. I am sad to be leaving, but it is definitely time to go home. I think the length of this program was perfect. If it was any shorter I could not have seen as much as I did. If it was any longer I would've been so worn out that I could not have appreciated the things I did see in a longer stay. I am so excited to fly home and have my family come pick me up at the Shreveport airport. I am nervous about flying by myself all the way home, but I feel like I have grown a lot on this trip and going through customs will be a piece of cake compared to navigating the Paris metro and regional train system. Not only have I learned so much about German history and culture, but I feel like I have gained so much more confidence in myself. At the beginning of this trip I felt like I was being given too much responsibility, but I really feel like I handled it all pretty well. They told us the first day of the program we would really mature during our five weeks here, and I found this to be very true.

I love being here in Europe, but I don't know if I could live here. I would love to visit or study abroad again, but I am ready to be back in America. I am proud of my country even though I feel like we get put down a lot here, and sometimes we put down ourselves. Yeah, we have our problems, but what country doesn't. Any nation has its bad times and its good times, and I think that's something the Germans can really understand. But that's just how I feel. I am anxious to see what it will be like when I get home. It has been a long time so far away from home. It has been such any amazing experience though, and I won't soon forget it, especially with my 500 pictures or so. So I hope everyone has a safe trip back home!! And I don't know about everyone else, but I am getting really excited about football season! Gig 'em Aggies!! Whoop!!