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
