I arrived in Germany on August 26th, 2022, and that was an eye-opening experience. Getting from the airport in Frankfurt, Germany to Mannheim, Germany, and then to my respective dorm was extremely difficult and confusing, but looking back now I laugh at what tripped me up. Coming to the airport for my flight home I gave myself a lot of extra time and had a plan A, B and C for getting to the airport, since I've learned that the trains aren't always reliable.
My time in Germany was spent surrounded by friends I made along the way, and I fully plan on traveling to see them once I'm rested up and ready for the next journey. Saying goodbye to my friends here consisted of several small affairs, including dinners, Kaffee und Kuchen, and last adventures at the Mannheim Christmas Market.
Once I get home, the first thing I'm going to do is get ice cream from my favorite place (Vanderwende's!), but then I'll go to bed and adjust to the six-hour time difference. The time difference was the hardest part of being away from home. You're away from your family, significant other and friends, and on top of that, you are six hours ahead of them, so by the time they wake up you're halfway through your day!
