The Happy End

Here we go. It’s time for the way-overdue update and the final post on this blog. Kinda bittersweet, right?

But first, let’s travel back in time, let’s go 1096 days back, three years back to that warm summer day in August 2014, when a 16 year old German girl packed her entire life in one suitcase to travel roughly 5000 miles away from everything she ever knew. She was ready for her adventure on the other side of the world, ready to step outside, discover herself and live her life.

And she did. She made the most of her adventure, lived it to the fullest. She fell in love, not necessarily with a certain individual, but rather with a new place, one that couldn’t be more different from where she came from. Whenever her adventure was coming to an end she took everything she had learned with her, left behind whatever kept holding her back from chasing her dreams from now on.

Fast forward three years, back to the present this adventure and whatever she loved about it, learned from it and so on, still lies deep inside of her. I guess I don’t need to explain who this girl is. My exchange year, my adventure and everything I love about it is still kind of my spirit of life. And when I break things down for myself I come to realize that there’re so many things in my life I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for my adventure: Friendships, hobbies, passions and so on.

I was alway scared that the memories of my adventure or my passion for it, the friendships and bonds with people that I hold close to my heart will eventually fade. But sitting here on the couch in the living room of my American Family, watching paw patrol with my baby sister in my lap I come to realize that there are some things that might not ever change or fade. Of course I’m back in Oklahoma, visiting for the summer, and strangely it truly feels like nothing has ever changed. I still love sweet tea and Mac&Cheese, although I gotta admit that Chicken Express is not my favorite fast food place anymore. My once so called Host Family is more like actual family now and once we got through that awkwardness every exchange student goes through, our comfy-level has reached the highest stage.

So, here I am. Three years later. That 16 year old German girl grew up, matured and build her own life with her heart forever being a salad bowl, mixed ingredients, pieces of two different lives and worlds uniting her heart.

And I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m excited for a new chapter in life as I’m starting college this fall, majoring in secondary education for English, Chemistry and German as a foreign language. And while I know that college will keep me pretty busy I hope that I can still find the time to say hi to Oklahoma every once in a while until I might be able to call the U.S. my permanent home one day.

So, peace out world. Thanks for sticking with me these past three years. 🙂

Here’s to the happy ending, a new chapter and many more memories in the books of the place I learned to love. Thank you, Oklahoma.