Retrospective Blog

Since being back in the US, I miss Europe, traveling and the people I met in Germany at least once a day. I keep in touch with Simone, who I already kept in touch with before the trip, Sebastian, Marcus, Svenja, some other friends and of course Karima, the best host mom ever. I talk to someone from Germany almost everyday. And they send me sentences in German and help me with words I don't know :) Marcus and I are pen pals and send letters to each other. It has probably been since 3rd grade since I have have a pen pal! It is really great and fun to get letters. I really want to get better at German so I can go back sometime soon! I invited everyone I know to come visit me in Texas until I can get back to Germany. Karima said that she would have to have anaesthesia to ever get on a plane for that long. Sebastian will be here as soon as possible, and Simone should be coming back in April!!

Although I miss Europe a lot, I hear Germany is having bad weather already with all of the rain so I am thankful for the sun. I made a pact with myself while in Germany that I would allow myself to miss Germany/Europe whenever but only be sad one day and other than that I must remember it fondly and enjoy my life here because I have it really great here as well. I kind of consider Germany as a break and a fresh start for me. I had a rough past couple of years but it was so refreshing to experience everything that we experienced on this study abroad. I really feel like I found myself again on this trip and am back to being the me that I like. I can say happily that I am having a great year so far and the best part has been looking forward to the future, making new friends, remembering great times in Europe, and making plans to travel again.

On that note, as of right now I am planning on working abroad for a year when I graduate then coming back and finishing up my masters or go to medical school, whatever life throws at me. For the first time since starting college, I have no concern about what I am going to do when I graduate. I am too young to decide right now and there are way too many options out there! All I know is that I want to travel so mine as well try and find a job abroad and see where it takes me. I would love to go back to Germany, but I would have to know German pretty well to work there. I was thinking about Australia and Sebastian told me that it is pretty easy to get a work visa in Australia and you can stay for a year, even up to two. I love Sebas, he is a pretty great friend and very schfunny :) I enjoy getting to talk to him and know him better even though we are a world apart. Hopefully he will come to Texas and be a farmer asap :D

I really miss our little group that went on the trip together. We really were an interesting group and a lot of fun, I think. I hope that we will have a reunion as soon as possible! It is really exciting to see someone on campus from the trip and it just brings back great memories :)

It really is hard to express how amazing this trip was and what it sparked in me. I didn't even realize how much it has changed me until I did the follow up questionnaire and it asked me questions like "do you think about traveling now; would you be comfortable moving to another place now; do you want to learn a new language now; do you follow foreign events now"...etc. And my answers were definitely yes. I also just see a new side of me. Some habits die hard but in general I am more care free (a good kind), fun, happy and positive (being negative is one of the habits that dies hard), and I have already started saving money again to travel! :). I feel confident that the opportunity will present itself again, and I will not hesitate to say no. Leaving my family would be the hardest part.

This trip was the time of my life and nothing compares so far. The experience I gained in the medical field was amazing and just the cultural experience alone will be something to remember forever. I will never forget it and the person it made me. I am so thankful to my family members that helped make this trip possible for me. My family is so amazing and I hope they know how much this trip meant to me and how it has truly changed my life. I can't express in a blog how grateful I am or how much I loved this trip or how much it really changed me. But believe me, it is a lot. I love you family, I love you Germany, I love you new friends!

ENDE :)