Final Reflection

        After living in Germany for four months, it has encouraged me to live in Europe for at least one year of my life! I have no idea at what point I will do this, nor what country I will move to but this is definitely a goal that I have added to my bucket list! This was my first time traveling outside of the United States for an extended period of time, so this was also the first time that I first-hand got to learn about and become accustomed to the sociocultural norms of another group of people, and this experience was eye-opening. Ultimately, this experience really made me question the values that America holds so close to our hearts. Through this, I realized that, for the most part, everything in America boils down to money. It is so crazy to me (in a good way) how in Germany institutions are put into place so that citizens do not have to pay crazy out-of-pocket costs or procure thousands of dollars worth of bills just to visit the doctor. In America, people will avoid seeking medical attention for as long as they can because they simply cannot afford to see a doctor. Also, it was INSANE how cheap grocery stores were in Germany even though foods were much more fresh and healthy than the foods in grocery stores in America comparatively. It was also incredibly insightful to learn about the values that Germans treasure. I LOVE how Sundays (but honestly the entire weekend) are dedicated to family time. It was a good reminder that sometimes you just need to slow down and be grateful for what you have. Just walking around Bonn on the weekends you could feel the sense of community and love in the air as everyone was outside enjoying themselves with the people they love. After about a month of living in Bonn, one day Katie and I were having a conversation about cultural differences between Americans and Europeans (in our experience) and our working hypothesis was that Europeans are more considerate and conscientious. From our perspective, it seemed like everyone in society was working together or at least towards a common goal. For example, the effort to help conserve Earth’s resources was practiced by nearly everyone! Even if it was just the little things like separating your trash correctly or returning reusable bottles for money, I like how policies were put in place to help heal the Earth; after all, we all live on it. I think about Europe every day both reminiscing on my trip and wondering when I will get to return next. This was a life-changing experience.