New Beginnings

I graduated this year with the class of 2023. I was supposed to jump straight into college, but my plans suddenly shifted after being admitted into CBYX. Now, I’m spending a year abroad in Germany, but as a super senior. I told my friends about my future plans and when they heard that I was to attend a high school in Germany, they found it hilarious. I agree, these are some strange circumstances, but it’s an opportunity I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. That’s why I’m enthusiastic about my upcoming year abroad. Though I’m leaving behind all that I am familiar and comfortable with, I’ll be immersed in a world where everything is new and different. I look forward to living a life in a foreign country where the people, food, culture, environment, and lifestyles differ from my American life. 

Up till now, my American life was all that I have known. I grew up in a suburban city, relying on cars to transport me to places, playing and attending sports games through my schools, and drinking water with ice. All of those aspects of my life will change, but I’d say I’m ready for a change of scenery. But an element in my life that I won’t adjust to so easily would be the change of language. Within the past few months, I’ve been practicing my German skills by listening to German songs, reading German books, and reading German media. As of now, I have an impression in my head of how fluent my German is, but I’m sure once I arrive in Germany, the difference between applying German in life and learning it will deflate my bubble. But nevertheless, my time in Germany will be valuable in teaching me that experiences cannot fully be conveyed through mouth or stories, but must be lived through, to deliver all of its depth.