Six weeks away from Germany feels both
long ago and just yesterday. It’s a strange feeling thinking back on all the
amazing things I experienced while abroad. One thing I didn’t expect from this
experience was the amount of growth that I had. I knew I would learn things,
but I had no idea how much I would learn about myself and life in general. The
semester was long, tiring, upsetting, lonely, and fun. More emphasis on the fun
because I learned to enjoy my struggles. That may have been one of the best
lessons I learned from all my experiences abroad. I have a history of having “bad
luck” whatever that really is. I got the nickname “Bad Luck Josh” because so
many little things happen to me that seem like their sole purpose is to try and
put me back in life. But from my experiences I learned to enjoy these instances
of “bad luck”; one thing is that they make for great stories! So, I try to stay
away from saying I have “bad luck” now. I was blessed to have experienced so
many crazy things and from them I grew with each experience. Even now, I look
at every day as a blessing and an opportunity. An opportunity that won’t be ruined
by a slight inconvenience. I don’t see any problem as something that I can’t
handle.
Before I go too far into my own
self growth, I want to talk about my initial thoughts of being back in the U.S.
We had landed in Houston, where we would later be connected to San Antonio, and
I felt uneasy. I wasn’t exactly relieved to be in America; in fact, I was more
upset to be here. However, I think it was mainly because I was in Houston of
all places. The last time I was in Houston was for someone very close to me
that was no longer close to me anymore. I think my emotions were getting the
better of me and making me not want to be there. Despite this initial
uneasiness, it was nice to be able to communicate with pretty much anyone I
came across. Seeing live basketball being played on TV was shocking to me. Being
deprived of basketball for four months was rough, and finally seeing a game on
TV was like seeing a long-lost friend. Once we landed in San Antonio, I was
only anxious to see my family. I was without my biggest support system for so
long; I couldn’t wait to finally see them again. Knowing my family, I knew
there was going to be a big ole sign that says, “WELCOME HOME JOSH”. And lo and
behold that’s exactly what they had! They even printed out pictures of my face
and put them on sticks and were waving them all around. If I wasn’t so happy to
see them, I would have been extremely embarrassed by them. When I stepped out
of the airport, I felt like I was in a swamp! I was spoiled by the cool and relatively
dry air that was in Europe. San Antonio was, like always, hot AND humid. My
least favorite part of this city. My first meal back was some wonderful bean
and cheese tacos from the BEST Mexican restaurant in the WORLD…taco cabana!
That’s a joke by the way. I ate about six and a half tacos and my belly was very
thankful. However, being back in San Antonio, I didn’t feel safe anymore. When
I got to taco cabana, I witnessed a drug deal. While I was eating there, I saw
two people outside sneak off behind a dumpster. Something I never saw while in
Germany. It only took on hour in San Antonio to see that.
I didn’t realize how busy I was in
Germany until I got to San Antonio. Suddenly, I had nothing to do. No responsibilities,
no obligations, and no plans. I got restless very quickly and I was determined
to do big things for the summer. I moved back to College Station to try and
work in a lab and get a job in the university. Unfortunately, neither happened.
I did get a chance to do some research, but it started a month after I had been
accepted into the lab. All job interviews and BMEN lab interviews didn’t turn
up with anything. At this point I’ve been rejected so many times I can’t even
keep count. But this has still been one of the best summers I’ve ever had. It’s
all because of what I learned abroad. I’m no longer phased by my failures. I
failed a heck of a lot while abroad, and I’m only going to continue to fail. So,
I just keep trying to move towards my goals and I know that something big is
coming my way. I just need to be patient. Patience is something I gained a lot of.
You must be patient when you take so many tours, bus rides, train rides, plane
rides, and lectures. Being patient lets you appreciate all the wonderful things
that you are going to see. That’s another thing I’ve learned. To be more
appreciative of the things around myself. I have learned to take everything I experience
as a blessing. I am blessed to be where I am. No matter how often I fail, or
bad things happen to me, I am blessed. I’m going to continue to be blessed as
long as I appreciate what I have. I’m thankful for everything I experienced in Europe.
I wouldn’t change it in any way. Dankeschön Deutschland!
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