Home, where the music's playing...

Hello all,
Germany was so awesome, I had to bring the best part of it back with me.
I was back in Texas for a month before classes started, with nothing to do, and wondering why exactly it was that I actually came back.
On June 1st, Tania, the German girl I had succeeded to convince to be my girlfriend while I was living in Bonn, came to visit for the Summer. Summer has been a lot better since. The experiences and points of view that changed inconceivably over the time we were there became suddenly noticeable. The American culture that had before showed no fallibility, started showing nonsensical aspects. Still, there were definitely some parts about America that I had missed. Tania made me notice these more. Whenever we go eat at a restaurant, she is amazed at how nice the waiters are.
What has been a rough transaction is the size of Texas compared even to the size of all Germany. In College Station, where I would feel at home and all-right having nowhere to go, now I feel the need to travel somewhere. With the pretext of showing Tania a good time, we've been traveling a bit. But this led me to a question to which I did not like the answer... What is there to see in Texas?
Nothing much is the answer. Especially in the Texas Summer heat. The question that had come up in Germany, "why don't I go out for walks like this in Texas" gave itself a harsh answer, "Because of the heat, you Idiot!"
The options of going anywhere in College Station were exhausted within a few days. Then we went to Austin, Houston, and Galveston. Then we went camping at Inks Lake which was actually really fun. Now we are going to San Antonio, which I believe is the best-looking city in Texas.

I would recomend the Germany trip to anyone and everyone,
Good luck,
Francisco Nunez

Können wir zurück?

According to the study abroad website, most people experience a reverse culture shock upon returning back to the States. It’s described as being an equally as emotional time as when we left for our trip. It was definitely weird the first few days, however, I felt like I picked up exactly where I left off before the trip. Nothing had changed at home and I barely had any time to relax before my busy schedule picked up again in College Station. I think being extremely busy made for an easier transition, but all in all, I was pleasantly surprised about adjusting back to my life back in the States.

Towards the end of our four month adventure, despite how much fun it was, I could not wait to get back home. I missed my family, my friends, life in College Station, driving, independence, and much more. But, of course, now that I’m back, I miss Bonn so much (especially the cold weather)! It feels like a dream or something when I look back at all my pictures. It was such a surreal experience and I’ve really enjoyed telling everybody about my excursions and life in Bonn. But at the same time, it’s frustrating because most people will never fully understand how it feels to live with a host family in a foreign country for an extended amount of time. I’m glad I still stay in contact with friends who went on the trip and we can reminisce together. Regardless, I will be telling stories to people from my semester for a long time to come.

My expectations for the trip were absolutely met. There were parts of it I wasn’t quite prepared for (nor could have been prepared for), but overall, I have no complaints. I feel like I’ve become a better-rounded person because of this trip. Socially, I have already found that travelling is a great way to connect with people and opens up numerous opportunities for developing relationships. It’s fun to share experiences with people who have been to places I have. Academically, I feel like I gained knowledge I would have never been able to in Texas. It was literally an out-of-classroom experience that provided real-world applications. I’m also a more confidant person in my abilities to basically manage on my own, whether through navigating, planning trips, or just adapting to changes. Culturally, I learned more German than I realized, was exposed to a lot of new foods, met some of the nicest (and most interesting) people, and learned a lot about European history and the history of medicine. My aspirations of entering the veterinary field are still strong and although there were not as many veterinary medicine aspects as I would have liked, it did not discourage my goals.

If I could financially afford to go back, I would in a heartbeat. I made some life-long friendships and definitely caught the travel bug. I would love to go back and explore northern parts of Europe and maybe one day, revisit the major cities I went too. But in the meantime, I’m content with having tons of fun this summer and enjoying my last month as an undergraduate at A&M!

Back in Tejas

The overall Germany Study Abroad experience was amazing. Not only were the sights and sounds we experienced great, but the friendships and bonds were unimaginable. This trip will probably be the only time in our lives where we had to grow close to people in a country we knew nothing about. Before we left way back in January, I saw the trip just as an excuse to go to Europe. Now, 6 months later, I see that was just the bait but the hook was the unforgettable experiences while we were there. Some of the greatest moments were being lost or not knowing what to do and having to take adventures and risks. This trip changed me by showing me how to think for myself and how to think on my feet. I now realize that I can make decisions in situations where decisions need to be made. As for my thoughts on my profession and the world in general, I now see that it is no longer fine to think about the world as just the tiny bubble we live in in College Station, or Texas, or even America for that matter. We live in a world where everything affects everyone. I now view my decisions and my future goals on how they impact the world and all of its citizens.

Thanks Germany,

Zach

Back In Texas

Well after nearly four months of Germany's chilly weather this year it was been the complete opposite here back home. We did not see 60 degrees till almost two weeks before we the end of the semester and I do not think it has been under 60 degrees any day since we have been back. Getting used to the Texas heat was not bad for me and it did not take me long to get back out on the water! It was not even a full day back home before I took the boat out with my brother and dad. A fishing trip was long overdue. Looking back on my trip abroad it truly is remarkable everything that I got to experience and learn. It was definably a once in a life time trip that I will never forget. I can remember towards the end of the semester there was a few of us that were ready to be home with our family, friends, and everything we were accustomed to, but now looking back I have realized just how much fun I had overseas. I even mentioned it to Zach the other day after class and he agreed. There are so many memories and friends that I made that I will never forget. Thinking back to this last semester never fails to make me smile. I could not of asked for a better roommate in Zachary Stone overseas and we really did make the most of our trip and I feel as though we fully embraced the experience and had a blast with it. From the "God Blessed Texas" music video we made, to the Dude Perfect marshmallow video,  or to sledding in Zurich, Switzerland. Not to mention all the unbelievable cities I got to visit or all the medical things we had the opportunity to do. The list goes on.

Post Program Blog

After arriving back in the States and getting re-acclimated to the College Station life, I can finally evaluate the semester abroad experience as a whole.  Upon first arriving in Germany, I wasn't sure what to expect.  My host parents quickly helped me to become comfortable with the area by showing me around the town and introducing me to some of the cultural subtleties.  As I grew more confident in my navigational abilities, I began to explore the town and its surrounding areas.  The city of Bonn has a lot to offer in terms of food and socialization if you know where to go and the neighboring city of Koln, Germany's college town, is just a short train ride away and also proved to be a great place to socialize and meet new people.  The program excursions were a great opportunity to experience some of the culture Europe has to offer and, more importantly to me, provided supple opportunities for academic growth.  As a pre-med biomedical engineer, I found the trips to the medizinche hotschule (hospital), the biomedical research facility, and Ottobock to be extremely relevant and interesting.  All in all, I found the semester abroad experience to be completely worthwhile and I believe it helped me to grow as a person both socially and academically.

Return to Texas

It's said that you don't truly appreciate something until it's taken away from you.  This summer I've been discovering the other side of that phrase: you appreciate things a lot once you have them back.  I will never look either public transportation or driving around the same again, and always get a huge burst of happiness when the Texas sun hits my face.  I've even learned to appreciate things that Germany does better than the US.  Both when I left and returned, there were things that improved and things that got worse.  But in either case I've realized something else, even if I prefer a detail or two more in Europe, Texas is my home.  I hope to travel again in the future to share that experience with more people, but at the end of the day this is where I belong.

Back to Reality

So I've been back in Texas for about a month now and this heat is terrible! It's been nice seeing all the friends that I left back in January but summer school is not my cup of tea.
I experienced so much while I was over in Germany and I'm so thankful for all the people that I met who made a lasting impression on me. It's crazy how I was gone for all those months and nothing has changed here at all. It's definitely been a harsh reality check that I wasn't expecting. I knew that it would be strange coming home although I didn't think that I would experience so many emotions running through me. I've had to reevaluate different aspects of how I lived before I left and it's been tough adjusting.
I'm still getting into the swing of things with summer and catching up on all the things that I've missed.
But one thing is for sure, I seriously miss Bonn. That city will always have a special place in my heart.
I'll definitely have to make a trip back soon and visit some other countries that I never made it to.

I feel content for the time being here in Texas. But I know that I'll have the urge to travel again and get out of this state that I call home.
I saw a quote recently that I agree with that says, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I still have a lot of discovering to do for myself before I start getting serious with my career after college (whatever that may be). Hopefully I won't forget this and I'll start off on the right foot to achieve this for myself.

Welp, that's all for now because I've got some more studying to do.
Adios ya'll.