Where to next?

To say that my semester abroad was an awesome experience is an understatement. I can type until my laptop no longer has keys, but I will have not said enough words to describe how unbelievable the past semester was. I guess I should start out with a few of my favorite parts. First, my host family was such a blessing. They had a great sense of humor, and we connected so well. My host mom is as sweet as can be and my host dad was always quick with a joke or a fun fact. Getting to party with my host brothers was so much fun. At our last dinner together, they told me that I became part of the family more than any other student that they had hosted. Having them as my host family set me up for the semester of a lifetime.

My German friends that I made were another huge part of my experience. When Kyle and I introduced ourselves to a group of local peers at a bar, we had no idea it would completely change our experience for the better. From then on we hung out with them, and they helped us experience an awesome nightlife. For any future study-abroad students that might be reading this, I would encourage you to make friends with the locals. They can totally change your perspective, and show you many cool places to hang out. Sitting here now, two months later, I miss hanging out with them a lot.

A third part of my experience that made it phenomenal were the excursions that the program took us on. I have certainly realized that at no other time in my life will I get to experience the knowledge-enhancing trips to and tours of so many museums, churches, research facilities, hospitals, historical sites, etc. One of my favorite parts of an excursion was attending a concert of the Vienna Symphony. To be able to hear such beautiful music in such a beautiful setting was so surreal. As a person who is very cognizant of music, and has studied classical music, experiencing this was a huge part of my trip. But it wasn't just the organized trips that were awesome. Spring break in Barcelona and weekend trips to places such as Munich and Amsterdam, as well as the semester-end trip to Budapest that some of us took provided us with seeing so many cultures. I will always have memories of good times in these cities.

Needless to say, my expectations of the past semester were far beyond met. I have spoken of a few things that made it a life-altering experience, but there is so much more. I've never appreciated day-to-day life like I did while living in Bonn. Just walking down the street with so many sounds and sights going on around me made every day a new anecdote to what could be a boring time.

I would say that I have certainly grown as a person during and since the trip. I would say what I have learned most is the importance of people in our lives. From my host family to the other students to  my German friends to complete strangers in a bar, I have learned to never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone just a little bit more with each conversation. Because let's be real, in this life, all we really have is other people.