Final Blog: Post-program Reflection (Caroline Readinger)

Reflection

     Being back home, I honestly did not really expect to see much of a change in the way I interacted with people or just in my own persona. I expected I would know more about Germany (and Europe in general) and have some more cultural capital, but I think my experience there changed me in subtle ways a lot more than I could have expected. I have traveled a lot with my family, but the difference this summer was doing things on our own. Our group made all the plans and a lot of the times that would be me making plans, researching where to go, where to stay, how to make it the cheapest possible, etc. It was an experience where I got to be completely an adult abroad like never before. It also meant that I was free to choose where I wanted to go and see the places I personally felt like I could not miss out on. Coming back to the United States, I feel like I am more confident to go out on my own or do things that perhaps my parents would not necessarily intend for us to do. I also definitely still have the travel bug, but with the intent to travel the way we did this past summer. I want to explore the world, being a traveler and not a tourist (to the greatest extent possible), probably staying in some jank places, but living it up with people that I wouldn't trade for the world. I want to bring my friends to see the world this way. I hope they can see that we only get this one life and that there is so much to see and do, so you have to jump in head first without fear otherwise you could let it pass you by. Even if they can't always come with me or are perhaps scared to, I hope that my spark and adventures can show them something about how beautiful our world is.