Studying abroad is an experience, and it’s one that has its ups and downs. Upon arrival, the airline lost all of my luggage. I came to Germany for the summer and had barely any personal belongings. Right from the get-go, I had to adapt to every possible scenario and situation. So far, every possible thing that could go wrong, has. But you learn to adapt and laugh at the chaos that surrounds you. I’ll be the first one to admit that studying abroad can be a challenge. You put in all of this work to get there, and even more, work once you get there and you feel discouraged if something goes wrong because you’re so far away. But I wouldn’t trade being here in Germany for the entire world. Being here and studying here is the greatest experience I’ve had in my life thus far, I absolutely love it here.
My favorite place while living and studying in Berlin has been Mitte, central Berlin. I feel like every day when I go to class and explore on my way home, I find something new and obscure that makes me fall in love with the city even more. Humboldt University is incredible, I feel very lucky to be here, learn from incredible professors and my classmates. While it is very different from Alabama, it feels like home already.
Locals here have been very welcoming, at least to me. I know some friends here haven’t had the same experience. I find that those who are loud and obnoxious, are not well received here, as it can be similar in the US. I tend to be more reserved and am always respectful wherever I go, and I have always been greeted and received with warmth and kindness.
While here, I’ve done a fair amount of traveling. My favorite place that I’ve traveled so far has to be Interlaken, Switzerland. I’ve always dreamed of going there up into the mountain villages of the Alps to hike. My dreams finally came true!! It was very very scenic and beautiful, I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything in the world.
I’ve been noticing that the longer I’m here and the more German I use when I’m out and about, the better my German has gotten. This is to be expected, but I didn’t think I would see as much of an improvement as I have. It makes me feel very happy and proud to know that my hard work is paying off. There’s something incredibly special about being in a new place, speaking another language and having it feel like home.
Leaving Germany will be incredibly hard.
