It is with a very sad heart that I must say goodbye to all of you!
It has been wonderful to be able to write about my experiences here, adjusting to the first few months of living in Germany! I hope that you have been able to gain some perspective as to what it is like to be a scientist, live in a new culture, and adjust to learning a new language!
From eating marzipan to celebrating the Tag der Deutschen Einheit and bringing my American traditions in the form of Thanksgiving to my new friends here, I have started to build a life here that is really beautiful!
As I made my own, personal Hanukkah celebration last week and am preparing to visit some distant relatives for the Christmas holidays (that I have never met before now!), I have come to understand how important it is to remember your traditions and be receptive to sharing experiences.
I hope that I can encourage you all to keep yourselves open to understanding and appreciating the stories of everything and everyone around you. These may be the stories of your fellow classmates, your grandparents, your neighbors, or even the rocks and earth around you! Everything has a story to share, to be told and to appreciate!
