We took our final bus ride early this morning and arrived at the airport. Earlier in the trip, I mentioned that the Munich airport felt smaller and quieter than I expected. This time, however, it was the complete opposite. From the moment we arrived, there were lines and crowds everywhere.

I had to pull out my passport at what felt like every step of the process. We stood in line to receive our checked luggage tags, then again to drop off our suitcases. After that, we waited in customs for about an hour, where my passport was checked and stamped once again. It was even checked before entering our gate! I have never had to show my passport so many times in one airport, and at one point, I started worrying that I might lose it because I needed it so often.

After making it through everything, we hurried to our gate and boarded for our nine-hour flight. I wasn’t seated near anyone from our group, so the flight felt especially long. However, after watching three movies and getting some sleep, we finally landed at Dulles Airport.

Once we arrived, we found ourselves in another customs line that lasted nearly three hours. Since I had a three-hour layover, I originally thought I would have plenty of time, but after finally getting through customs, I had to run to my gate. Thankfully, I made it onto my flight to Buffalo and was finally home after a short hour-and-a-half flight.

It felt great to be back home and in a familiar, comfortable place, but it was also sad knowing such an incredible experience had come to an end. At the same time, it had been a very busy and tiring trip, and I felt ready to return home and prepare for my summer jobs.

I will miss spending every day with such amazing people and having the energy to explore new places together. I will also miss all the incredible food and the new friendships I made along the way. Hopefully, I can stay in touch with some of the German students and continue seeing the new Pitt friends I made once we are back on campus in the fall.