Learning my own Strength

Spontaneous and craving the life of a global citizen, I set out on my study abroad to Germany. I am fortunate to have been on very many vacations, and I’ve loved every one of them, but have always felt I needed something more. Living abroad was the “more” I always needed.

Without knowing more than a sentence in German, my flight to a land I had never been took off. I slept in a bed I never had, in a house I had walked into for the first time, owned by a family I did not know would become my own.

I could tell you the amazing parts; almost everything was amazing. It shaped who I am today. Living one hour from my dream city of Berlin, making my best friends in the world who don’t speak my native language, experiencing a completely different culture, language, and foods... but living abroad does not come without its challenges. Being an american living in a foreign country, I had to find a balance between defending my country and explaining how we could do better. I lived through every single day trying to not have a panic attack when people got frustrated with me for having no idea what they were saying. I even went through a breakup while on exchange with nearly no friends at the time, feeling like no one understood me. I could’ve given up, but I didn’t.

I rose from my experiences. I challenged myself everyday to stop speaking English, and one day, I finally could. I overcame my incredible fear of being alone and vulnerable, and traveled alone hours many times a month to visit friends or explore new places. I found the strength inside of me I never knew was there. I gained so much responsibility, patience, and such a strong spirit of adventure that drove me to plan 3 vacations when I came back from exchange, which I am working everyday to pay for myself.

Through all the ups and downs, through my triumphs in school and with my host family to finally not missing my train, to solving problems in a language that was completely new to me, I did it. I did it and I would suffer again one million times to gain what I gained out of my incredible experience. An experience that shaped me entire life, myself as a person and my future.