Home again
I'm finally home again! Boy, does it feel good. Everything felt so familiar at home, it was like I never left. But then I thought about my last few days in the US before Europe, and it seemed so long ago. And of course, there are a few American things I have to get reacquainted with. Like twist ties, for instance. They don't have those in Germany. Or everything being in English. I spent some American money today, and it felt so foreign. I got one dollar bills in change; I was expecting coins. In Europe, their smallest bill is five euros.
So, I've asked myself a question all summer, swaying back and forth on the answer: was it worth it? There were definitely some difficult parts about studying abroad, like financial strain. I'm completely broke right now. It's a weird feeling. If I had stayed home and worked this summer, it would be the opposite. Another hard thing was being so lonely. I think a few of my posts have hinted at the lack of having anyone close with me. I went over to Germany almost completely on my own. I vaguely knew the other MSU guys from a few orientations we'd had back in the States, but that was it. Basically, I had to start a bunch of new relationships. And those of you who know me know that I'm not the fastest at making friends; I take a while to open up and come out of my shell. Sometimes I felt like I had a lot of acquaintances over there, but no friends.
Yet another thing that made me wonder if studying abroad was worth it was the fact that I was missing out on a summer at home. Summer is my favorite season; no school, warm weather, going up north with the family, hanging out with friends from home... Everything is so great, and going to Germany made me miss that. I actually had to go to class; this is my first experience with school in the summer. The weather was cooler; I didn't wear shorts very often and carried a sweatshirt everywhere. I knew my family was doing fun stuff without me. And even though Facebook keeps you connected, it makes you miss all your friends.
But then, I think about all the wonderful things about studying abroad. Think about all the people I met. I have so many memories from hanging out with all of them. And remember all the places I've traveled? I got to see a lot: Rome, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Maastricht, Valencia, Warsaw, Baden-Baden, Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, Dusseldorf, and of course, Aachen. My list of countries I've been to went from 2 to 10, when you count the Vatican.
And sure, I had to go to school in the summer--blah. But it was better than the alternative: work. Instead of a 40-hour-a-week internship, I had German class three times a week which was actually pretty fun, and I got to do some interesting research alongside graduate students. And having every Friday off was awesome. I had a pretty easy schedule I can't complain about.
I gained so much from being abroad. I think one of the biggest changes I saw in myself was an increase in independence. Travelling alone especially affected that. I had to be responsible enough to book my flight/train ticket/whatever and place to stay. And I had to navigate around a new city on my own to find my hostel and anything I wanted to see. I couldn't rely on someone with me to ask for directions; I had to speak to random strangers all the time, hoping they could help me.
I had a lot of fun in Europe. It was a very new experience, which made everything exciting.
So the final verdict is: yes, it was worth it. I gained so much and have so many amazing memories. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
So, I've asked myself a question all summer, swaying back and forth on the answer: was it worth it? There were definitely some difficult parts about studying abroad, like financial strain. I'm completely broke right now. It's a weird feeling. If I had stayed home and worked this summer, it would be the opposite. Another hard thing was being so lonely. I think a few of my posts have hinted at the lack of having anyone close with me. I went over to Germany almost completely on my own. I vaguely knew the other MSU guys from a few orientations we'd had back in the States, but that was it. Basically, I had to start a bunch of new relationships. And those of you who know me know that I'm not the fastest at making friends; I take a while to open up and come out of my shell. Sometimes I felt like I had a lot of acquaintances over there, but no friends.
Yet another thing that made me wonder if studying abroad was worth it was the fact that I was missing out on a summer at home. Summer is my favorite season; no school, warm weather, going up north with the family, hanging out with friends from home... Everything is so great, and going to Germany made me miss that. I actually had to go to class; this is my first experience with school in the summer. The weather was cooler; I didn't wear shorts very often and carried a sweatshirt everywhere. I knew my family was doing fun stuff without me. And even though Facebook keeps you connected, it makes you miss all your friends.
But then, I think about all the wonderful things about studying abroad. Think about all the people I met. I have so many memories from hanging out with all of them. And remember all the places I've traveled? I got to see a lot: Rome, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Maastricht, Valencia, Warsaw, Baden-Baden, Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, Dusseldorf, and of course, Aachen. My list of countries I've been to went from 2 to 10, when you count the Vatican.
And sure, I had to go to school in the summer--blah. But it was better than the alternative: work. Instead of a 40-hour-a-week internship, I had German class three times a week which was actually pretty fun, and I got to do some interesting research alongside graduate students. And having every Friday off was awesome. I had a pretty easy schedule I can't complain about.
I gained so much from being abroad. I think one of the biggest changes I saw in myself was an increase in independence. Travelling alone especially affected that. I had to be responsible enough to book my flight/train ticket/whatever and place to stay. And I had to navigate around a new city on my own to find my hostel and anything I wanted to see. I couldn't rely on someone with me to ask for directions; I had to speak to random strangers all the time, hoping they could help me.
I had a lot of fun in Europe. It was a very new experience, which made everything exciting.
So the final verdict is: yes, it was worth it. I gained so much and have so many amazing memories. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
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