Wrapping it All Up
So, I'm back in the States again! It's been a huge, life-changing journey, but I have weathered the storm.
As the exchange year was coming to an end in Germany, the heartfelt and tear-filled goodbye's began. Nearly every other day we lost another kid to the dreadful final trip to Frankfurt Airport. The Asian contingents went first, then the Latinos... finally the Americans. Peter and Nick flew back together, Kati the next day, and the other Nick just days afterward. I was one of the last left, excluding Pedro who was staying until like August. But, I had no such bad luck to be flying home so soon.
On the 21st of June I picked up my parents and brother from the airport to begin our own German Adventure. We rented a car and toured through my town and surrounding area for a few days, then went down to Munich. After experiencing what a real youth hostel was like for ONE night, we checked into (our favorite) the Best Western in downtown Munich. My family and I did all the touristy things that we could think of; going to the Hofbraeuhaus, the English Garden, walking the "Old" Town etc... The next stop on our trip was way down in the South of Germany, in Bayern (the Texas of Deutschland). The town we stayed in was called Marktoberdorf. Most of the reason we went so far south was because the people who owned the hotel we were sleeping in were somehow and very convolutely related to us (Grandpa's good friend Marty's cousin was the housekeeper). Very sweet people. There we went and saw the fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein and its smaller sister castle as well. Throughout the whole tour my parents were drawn unconsciously to every single church we passed on the way. We drove back to my town, Neustadt to my goodbye party. All most host families were there, as well as my club president (Kurt) and my club counselor (Petra). The next day we made our own trip to Frankfurt, just this time, not so dreary or sad.
The pictures from the trip will be online soon!
---
Today is the 21st of August. I've been back for seven weeks and am finally getting back into the groove a little bit. In two short weeks school will begin again and I am definitely looking forward to that. The college search is looming over my head as well as all the responsibilities of being a senior.
My exchange has changed me. This has been one of the most important things I've done in my life and I will use every single thing I have learned from it to better myself.
I want to recommend to everyone; do an exchange! It will show you how big and how small the world really is.