Auf Wiedersehen

No, it's not quite time for me to leave (I still have about 6 days), but my blogging has been so poorly kept that I figured I'd take advantage of this bit of time I have at the moment to post my last blog.

Lots of things have happened since I last posted. Unfortunately it would take me far too long to recount everything. In a nutshell, I've since traveled to Prague, Innsbrook, and Padova. 

While everyone is quite sad about leaving, I would be a big fat liar if I said that I agreed with them. No, I'm not sad--I'm very excited to be going home. This study abroad experience hasn't been the greatest one for me, and there are people back home whose absence in my life this semester has left me figuring out who I really am and which relationships I hold most valuable.

I'll miss hearing and speaking German--many of you are probably going to be victim to my bursts of rambling auf Deutsch, and many of you will feel comfortable enough with me to tell me to shut up. Well, I already know to expect this, so that's good... I suppose. Honestly I'm really curious to know how much reverse culture shock I'm going to be experiencing. Judging from my trip and how much I want to go home, I wonder how severe my dose could possibly be.

Though my plane ride is going to be way too long, I can't wait to board my flight at the Munich airport. That first flight will be 11 hours!! That will make my second flight feel like pie: Atlanta to Raleigh will last about an hour and a half. 

Applications to graduate schools will be awaiting me, but that's just the way it is. Doing that from abroad has been pretty tough and, unfortunately, I haven't gotten as far into them as I'd hoped. 

I can't wait to see all of my friends, family, professors, and even people I don't know but who I see all the time at school. I can't wait to wear my class ring again! And I can't wait to live at Meredith College for one final semester. The "final" part makes me sad, but I'm glad that I at least have the opportunity. Oh, and I cannot wait to see my wonderful boyfriend. As a wise friend of mine told me before my departure, "Distance is like wind to a fire: extinguishing the weak and empowering the strong." 

So, auf wiedersehen--which is finally true! "Auf wiedersehen" means "until we see each other again." 

Auch, für alle wer Deutsch lesen können, wir müssen Deutsch reden wann ich züruck komme! Ich vermisse besonders mein Freund, meine beste Freundinnen, und meine Schwestern. Endlich werde ich froh sein, wann ich diese Leute wieder sehe. Bis dann, werde ich sehr traurig sein. österreich hat bei mir gut gewesen. Aber, ohne alle wer ich liebe, mein Leben ist unvollständig.  

I look forward to seeing you all again. Until then...

Hillary