Howdy,
Being back at school and back in a consistent predictable routine is definitely something that I had missed. Moving forward from my time abroad, I feel like I do not often see things that remind me of Europe or Germany. However, everytime I see Nutella or a train (even in a movie) I am always transferred back to my time abroad. In regards to my native culture, especially that of Texas A&M, I cannot help but feel even more prideful about my school and my home. When abroad, majority of the people we had interacted with were enamored with the idea of America. Whether they loved or hated it, they were always talking about it. The younger children we had interacted with would bring up our culture that seemed so normal to me but were only a dream for them. Traveling abroad 100% made me more appreciative of what I have and what I get to enjoy on the daily. The changes I have noticed are definitely miniscule but they are there. I am more interested in traveling and educating people on what else is out there. People can be so close minded and I think it is important to venture out beyond what you know to test the foundation of your beliefs and morals. Like I had stated earlier, I had a conversation with some younger girls from Germany and they were telling me how much they wished they could have grown up in America. They expressed excitement over the idea of homecoming, football games, big colleges, and pop stars. Their excitement over the mundane subjects of my life made me take a step back and think about all that I take for granted. My time abroad taught me SO MUCH about problem solving and just figuring it out. I cannot express how many times we went somewhere with zero plan on where we are going or where we are staying. I learned to definitely roll with the punches and find joy in those around me. Very often we had more than 10 people in a tiny hotel room in a random country and yet it was still one of my favorite times spent with my friends. I think it is imperative that people go and study abroad somewhere they have never been. It is important to try new things and get out of your comofort zone. Words can never convey how thankful I am for my time spent with my friends in these crazy countries.
Thanks & Gig'em,
Victoria Gomez
Hi Victoria! That is so funny that Nutella reminds you of Germany. I am finding a pattern in these blog posts that many people back in Germany are enamored with American highschools, which is interesting to me. I hope you have a wonderful semester.
ReplyDeleteI agree that American high school is just so different from everywhere else in the world. I loved being apart of band and experiencing my childhood here, but sometimes I wish I also got a glimpse into how other education systems worked. I'm so glad that studying abroad made you fall in love with your home all over again.
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