Back Where It All Started

I am now back in the good ol' US of A! There were some tearful goodbyes, last-minute train connections and long airplane delays, but I made it. It's both comforting and odd returning home after these ten months or so. 

Check out my gorgeous dirndl given to me as a surprise going away gift from my amazing Big Band in town.

Ever since Berlin it's been a quick succession of goodbyes. There was the soccer Mädels Verabschiedung, fellow CBYXers farewell, school friends Tschüss and of course, my host family goodbyes. When I left Oregon last August I was both excited and sad about parting ways with the people I loved most. However, I think having a planned date when I'd return home softened the blow greatly. Plus, I knew I'd be going away last year anyways-- either college or Germany.

My very own personalized Lilyfee BTV jersey!

Sometimes I think it's better to stay in your own corner of the world surrounded by that handful of people you really, deeply care about. That way they're never far away and you don't have to go through these heartbreaks. You can always hug them and say goodnight and good morning and be there when they, or you, need a shoulder to cry on or to get something off your chest. Being present is so important to any kind of relationship, be it familial, romantic or platonic. 

Lapping up some of Aachen's summer sun with the host dad.

That said, it's not true that staying in one corner your whole life is the best way to go, at least from my experiences it isn't. The past few weeks of goodbyes have been truly painful, but I think that's a terribly beautiful problem to have-- too many people whom I love. 

Danke schön, Aachener bunch, for the irreplaceable Poesiealbum!

And although I am happily back in America, a part of my heart will now always be in Germany. When I was younger I'd traveled to Germany for a few weeks and afterwards would have Fernweh (travel-/wanderlust) for Berlin or Heidelberg or whichever place I'd been. Now, however, I'll never again have Fernweh for Germany, but rather Heimweh (homesickness). I'll always be 5,000 miles from home, whether in Salem or Aachen, and I find that comforting as well as remarkable the deep relationships that can blossom in only a few short months. 

I remember when this zippy little Cabrio felt so foreign.

Maybe I'll come back next summer for the Q1's Abiball, maybe I'll land an internship next door in the Netherlands, or who knows what I'll end up doing, but I do know I'll be hopping back over the pond in the very near future. As for now, though, I'll be keeping up this blog to let my German friends and family know what I'm up to back here in the US. I already miss Aachen and the wonderful community I had there, but I'm simultaneously psyched to return to my Salemites. They say it's always good to have something to look forward to, and I have "Return to Aachen" on the top of my list. Thank you everyone who made my exchange year so moving. Es ist nicht tschüss, sondern auf Wiedersehen!