Pre-Germany

As my departure draws nearer, I can’t help but feel a wide range of emotions. I have had to privilege of going out of the country before, the summer of 2014. My oldest sister, Alaina, was studying abroad in Spain and my middle sister, Alyssa, was in Beijing teaching English to young children. My mother, Alaina, and I had not seen Alyssa in over a year so my mom decided that we would go and visit her. And since my oldest sister, Alaina, was already in Spain my mom figured we’d make an extended vacation out of it. So my mom and I flew to Madrid and spent a week there with Alaina. Then the three of us went to Beijing and spent about a week and a half there, cherishing the time we had with Alyssa. Even though I have this traveling experience, going abroad feels a bit new still. One of the reasons I wanted to do this study abroad program was to see if I am as independent as I think I am. My mom raised us to be self-reliant and hard working. Leaving my hometown to go to college was my first big test to see if I could be successful with little help or dependence on my mom. My first year of school was tough and I did rely on my mom a lot but each year got progressively better. This whole experience is my next test. When I went to China and Spain, I had the luxury of being accompanied by family, being able to speak Spanish, having a sister who could speak Mandarin, and of course having my mom foot the bill for the whole trip. This time around I do not have my family with me, do not speak German, and am paying for the experience. This makes the experience feel daunting but I know in the end having studied abroad will be an incredible and once in a lifetime experience.