“The scariest thing about distance is you don’t know whether they’ll miss you or forget about you”
~The Notebook
5/20/2022
Today was somewhat bittersweet since we headed to the airport to go our separate ways. We had a very early start today since most of us were on the flight to Charlotte, NC, departing at 9 AM. The airport was surprisingly busy for that early in the morning on a weekday, but we were all able to make it through security and passport control with a bit of time to spare. Then, we had to take a super crowded bus from our gate to board the plane. The plane trip was relatively uneventful, and I slept through most of the 10-hour flight. After we got to the Charlotte Douglas Airport and went through customs, we all said tearful goodbyes before heading toward our respective gates. I spent my layover time playing games on my phone, and before I knew it, the plane was already boarding!
When I looked at my plane ticket, the departure time was 4:05 PM, and the arrival time was 4:23 PM, so I thought the plane ride was less than twenty minutes. However, thirty minutes into the plane ride, I realized I forgot to factor in the time change, so that plane ride was much longer. Thankfully, it still went by relatively fast, and before I knew it, I was reuniting with my parents! This trip was the best experience of my whole first year of college, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I met some of the most incredible people, and this trip changed my life for the better. I honestly had difficulty writing this because I’m still heartbroken that this whole experience is over. All the quotes I have started my blogs with are ones that I hadn’t heard previously.
However, there is one quote that I would love to share with you guys, even though I have heard it many times and quoted it myself. It’s a Dr. Seuss quote, and it goes like this: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” The first time I ever heard those words was when a friend said them to me when I was moving. Since then, I have found many instances in my life where this quote rings true, and I believe that this experience studying abroad is one of these times. While I am genuinely crushed that my time in Germany is over, I know that the experiences that I have gotten from this trip will reside in my heart forever.
The biggest thing I got out of the entire trip was the people I met. During my first year of college, I didn’t push myself to go to different activities or make new friends, so I spent most of my year isolated and hanging out in my dorm room. Being on the trip, I was surrounded by people twenty-four-seven, and each day, I could feel myself slowly open up more and more. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this experience with me.
Thank you to Professor Feick, Stephanie, and Korbinian for organizing everything and ensuring we were all safe and enjoying our time in Germany. If any of my fellow plus three group mates are reading this blog post, a special thanks to you! Also, please keep in touch. I know everyone has my number, but please use it! Even if we didn’t talk that much during the trip, I would still love to meet any of you guys for lunch or hang out next semester. Thank you for taking the time to read my final and last blog post! Until Next Time!