Final Entry: Post-Germany Reflections

Hallo everyone! Or should I say "hello!" I am back in the US of A and it is nice to be home! We didn't sleep at all before our flights, so we stayed up and worked on homework before catching a taxi to the airport at 3:30 am. We somehow made it to the airport (with our million suitcases) and figured out which terminals to go to. We also managed to switch our luggage around so that Anna and Paula could check 2 suitcases each (their airline allowed that), while I would only have to check one. It worked out well!

So, after waiting around for a bit, I got on the plane and slept the couple of hours to London. The seats were pretty comfortable and I was tired! I found my way around Heathrow (grabbed a sandwich with the extra pounds I had left over from our previous trip to London) and hung out for a bit. After another couple hours of waiting (and an hour delay on the runway), the plane took off. When the panel said that we had seven hours to go, I was a bit antsy and just wanting to see my mom and dad! But somehow, I managed to keep my mind occupied by switching between reading, sleeping, and watching romantic comedies. I think I watched just about five movies that happened to all do with love and marriage. It was quite humorous!

So, when we landed and they announced "Welcome to New York!" I burst into tears. I don't know if I was over-tired or just happy to be home. The line for baggage claim and customs wasn't too bad, so before long, we were all reunited! I found myself even then saying "Danke" instead of "Thank you!" Speaking English all of the time might take some getting used to! It was nice to see my parents and the drive back to Connecticut went by quickly. It was neat to have the chance to talk about the term and hear more about all that I had missed. We picked my brother up and then I was finally home! I was so happy to take a shower, do some real laundry, pet two very cute cats, and sleep in my own bed! I went to bed kind of late just so that I could get back onto CT time. And I actually woke up at a reasonable hour, too. Today (Sunday) was nice. I had the chance to sort of unpack (but not really). It was nice to just sit for a bit and I finally had the chance to drive a car again! We saw some family friends and had a nice evening! It was so wonderful to see all of the familiar sights and speak English without feeling guilty. Now it is Wednesady. Monday was Memorial Day and Tuesday I headed up to Union for a visit. It is great to be reunited with my friends and family. I am glad to be home! It is really interesting how the past two months seem almost surreal to me!

So, now time for some final reflections. I started this post the day after I got home and am now just finishing it on Wednesday, back at Union. And I will keep this quick because I don't even know if everything has completely sunk in yet. This term has just been amazing. It's had it's ups and downs. Its times that I was missing home and fed up with things. Time that were awkward and embarrassing. And times where the cultural barrier just made things so much more difficult. But this spring also shown me some amazing experiences. Those hiking trips in the Black Forest. The conversations with people from all over the world. Finally finding some good friends. I am very fortunate to have this opportunity. And I am glad that I took advantage of it. Looking back on the past couple of months, my adventures have almost a dreamlike feeling to them. But I know that they all really happened and that the memories will last forever. I am glad to be home now. But I think it takes going away and being out of your "comfort zone" to really understand how much the familiar means to you. I am glad to be reunited with my family, friends, language, country, and culture, but I am very appreciative that I was able to experience what it means to live abroad. I hope to some day return to Germany, to see again the cities I've visited and explore those places I did not have the chance to see. But for now, I will reflect back on all that I have done and the ways that I have changed. I look forward to using my experiences to guide me in decisions and life choices in the future.

Well, I guess that's it. It is strange for me to think that this is my last blog entry. Perhaps, I will make appearance on another blog some time in the future. But for now, my loyal readers, thank you for tuning in to my term abroad blog. I have posted all of my projects from the term on the right in case you are interested. So, thank you very much for your love and support over the past two months. I look exchanging stories about the spring. Alright, I will sign this the same way I always do because there always is a next time. Signing off from Schenectady, New York, this is Erica Fugger of Union College. 'Til next time...Tschuess!!!!