No More Bad Luck Josh!

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!