So this is it; term finished on Friday and I’m going back to England in two days. I’m sat in my room and it looks almost as bare as when I arrived, I’m looking at my suitcase and it looks heavier than when I arrived, and I’m working out which shoes to leave behind… the dejavu I’m experiencing is so surreal. I remember doing this a year ago in England, and I can’t believe my time here is already over. I’m ridiculously excited about seeing my family and boyfriend again, but completely heartbroken about leaving everything here behind. I’ve fought so hard to forge a life here for myself, and I don’t want it all just to be over. When I left for Germany a year ago I was so scared of the unknown that I was coming to, yet now that I’m about to go back I’m even more scared of the familiar. What if nothing’s changed at home even though I have? I don’t want this experience to be reduced to three short sentences over small talk. How do you explain a whole year of your life to people?
I’m going to have to throw myself back into English life and fight just as hard to be happy there as I have here. Something tells me that, despite at the moment not wanting to go back, it might just end up being ok though. If I could do it in Germany I can do it anywhere.
I can’t stress enough how much I would recommend a year abroad to everyone. No matter how basic your language skills are, you will be able to gain from the experience in countless ways. Going abroad whilst you study is so much easier than waiting until you have a job, and so much cheaper than participating on a gap year program. Please do it! I can honestly say I have no regrets.
Things I’ve learned;
-Live life to the fullest. There is always more to learn no matter how hard you try, so sometimes you just have to let go and enjoy things through your limitations, rather than holding back until you feel ready.
-Home is not a place; it is the people you love.
