To be quite honest, I’ve been avoiding writing this blog post. However, now that holiday distractions have come and gone, and the start of the spring semester is still two weeks off, I’ve quickly ran out of poor excuses to delay it any longer.
Why have I been avoiding this post? Well, despite the fact that I’ve been home for nearly three weeks, I’m still not ready to really close the door on my abroad experience.
Four and a half months ago, I had no idea where I was going, or what would come of this magnificent and unknown adventure that I was about to embark on.
Now, I’m on the other side. I’ve lived that adventure.
The problem is, I’m still not ready to put it behind me.
As I sit in my apartment back at Butler University, looking back on what feels like a dream that I have no real way of describing to strangers, I’m realizing that I really don’t have to put my experience behind me.
I can say with certainty that my time abroad transformed the way I look at things, the way I interact with others, and the way I interpret my surroundings. It truly molded who I am, and who I will become in the future.
During my four months in Berlin, I was forced to do more growing up, practice more patience, and experience more joy than I ever have. Without a doubt, these are things that I will never forget as I continue to go about my life.
And because of this, Berlin will always be with me.
It is this realization that brings me comfort when I feel “home”-sick for the view of the distant treetops of the Tiergartens from my room in Berlin. Or when I wake up from a dream that took place in Potsdamer Platz, disoriented and confused when I realize I’m in Indianapolis. Or when I simply wish I could hang out with one of my friends that resides 5,000 miles away from where I am now.
No, I’ll never put Berlin behind me. One day, I’ll be back.