After six months of living in Germany, I sometimes cannot believe that I am here. When I first said to myself, “It would be so cool to live in Germany,” while sitting in my first German class sophomore year of high school, I never could have imagined the journey that thought would take me on. It has been such a joy and honor to share some of my adventures with you and wanted to share some reflections on my time here.
Living in Germany has presented multiple challenges for me: homesickness, making new friends, insecurities, culture shock and the German bureaucracy. Through this experience, I have also gained a greater appreciation for the struggles of settling into a new community. I can’t imagine what it would be like to permanently move to Germany without a return date home. When I return home, I will make sure not to take the time I have with family for granted and appreciate the little things like being able to confidently navigate the logistics of life without having to first fight through a language barrier.
Throughout my time in Germany, I’ve also discovered parts of myself I didn’t even know existed. I’ve learned to be more spontaneous, and this has allowed me to experience things I never would have imagined.
