And the journey begins!

Howdy! My name is Melissa Santos and I am a sophomore biomedical engineering major. In less than 48 hours, I will be on my way to Germany for an entire semester. That last statement has yet to sink in; I still can’t believe I will be living in Europe for the next four months. Even though so much about this coming semester is unknown, I know it’ll be an incredible and memorable experience!

As I sit here and contemplate the journey my classmates and I are about to embark on, I am filled with both excitement and nerves. There is so much to look forward to but I’m not going to lie, I do have some concerns. I have never been to Germany and I definitely don’t know German (the only things I know how to say currently are “do you speak English?” and “good afternoon” which probably won’t get me too far). The fact that I will be living in a country I don’t know much about without the ability to speak the native language is obviously intimidating. Add onto that living with a family I have only emailed once or twice (even though they seem awesome) for the next four months, and having to deal with the super cold winter in Germany. However, being out of my comfort zone is not only a hesitation but something I’m sort of looking forward to. I have lived in Texas for basically my entire life, and probably have gotten too comfortable with life here. Don’t get me wrong, I love Texas and I’m glad I grew up here, but I think I’ll gain a lot by being away from my comfort zone for a bit. Plus, I’ll get to experience a different culture first-hand which I am sure will be eye-opening. Also, how could I forget the other great things to look forward to like traveling to different places throughout Europe, trying the various foods in each country I go to, learning more about medicine, and getting to experience all of this with some of my closest friends and fellow Aggies! Obviously my excitement outweighs my fears.

In addition to the mixed emotions I’m experiencing, I do have some goals in mind for this trip. First of all, I want to do well in my classes. I have to remind myself that the reason I’m going on this trip is for school, and I won’t be able to go out and travel all the time. That being said, I want to take advantage of this experience and go see as many different places in Europe as possible (and maybe catch a soccer game while I’m there!). I also hope to learn enough German to get by and not be dependent on others to translate for me, although that may be a hefty goal considering how awful I am at learning languages. Furthermore, I want to spend time with my host family and hopefully grow close to them over the next few months. They are already doing so much for me by opening up their home, so I hope I can return the favor and prove that they did not make a mistake by signing up for this.

Although these past few days have been quite stressful and filled with packing and running millions of errands, there is no doubt in my mind that this journey is worth it. Of course I will miss my family, friends, and Aggieland so much while I’m gone but thanks to today’s technology I will be in touch! For now, I must put the finishing touches on my packing and enjoy the last full day I have in the states with my family. See you soon, Germany!!