11/14/2011

3 Months and about being an exchange student

Well, yes I have past the three months line for a few days now. I have to admit that I don't really realize how fast the time passes, I am just living moment for moment, trying to enjoy every second during my stay here, reaching the goals I have set for myself before I came, and wondering about how I am changing here, and feeling what important values I actually have in my little, little life :)
In Laura's Blog I found this text about exchange students. I think it describes perfectly how being away from home feels.
I can't believe that in 6 weeks Laura will go home. She made my time here incredible, I don't know how to be without her in school, we are doing like everything together...
She is so close to me.
But this experience here is also about saying good bye, I am sure we will stay in contact and we will meet each other again. Belgium is at least not on the other side of the world :)
I wish her the best for the time after the US (she is going to Guatemala for other half a year, brave isn't it? ;))
and afterwards she will begin college.
Wow, and I still have everything before me, finishing my year here and then school in Germany, coming back and readjust to my 'old' life..
But before I will try to use my time here, as I said I want to live my dream and after these three months I think I am already able to say to all the guys out there that are still thinking about doing an exchange program or not: DO IT! It is totally worth it! I couldn't imagine anymore how it would come out if I would have decide myself against going away.
Yes, you will miss your home, your family and friends, Yes, maybe you will have times when you ask yourself "Why the heck did I do this" but there are so many more moments when you are unbelievable happy that your were brave and said "I can do this, and I am proud of myself!"
Haha, this might sounds strange and I think you will never be able do fully describe  how it feels being an exchange student, you have to feel it by yourself.
Well after all this text below describes it pretty good. Thanks Laura :*
Enjoy reading ;)


How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one. How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one. How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears. How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying. How do you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world? How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn’t like it. How do you know what is autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course? How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it. How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said “ I am so far away”. How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends. How do you know what is patriotism, if you never shouted “ I love my country” holding a flag in your hands. How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one. How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one. How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished. How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast. How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones. How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally . How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours , to see what there was on the other side. How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home. How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student? I am an exchange student.

<3

2 comments:

  1. Ich darf doch auf deutsch schreiben oder?;) der link funktioniert leider nicht:(, aber der text ist wunderschön!:) Ich will nächstes jahr auch für ein jahr in die USA, lese mehrere austauschblogs, aber deinen schau ich mir am liebsten an;). Also schön weiterposten bitte;)
    LG
    Lina

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  2. Klar darfst du auf Deutsch schreiben, sorry ich hab nur manchmal meine Phasen, da faellt mir Englisch schreiben leichter... :)
    Aww, wie lieb von dir, ich wuensche dir so viel Erfolg fuer dein Jahr, ich bin mir sicher, es wird unvergesslich! Ich versuch wirklich regelmaessig zu posten. Hoffe es hilft dir! :)
    Liebe Gruesse aus America! ;D

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