A Not-So Short Summary of Study Abroad
Christmastime is here in Berlin, meaning it’s almost time for me to depart the beautiful city of Berlin. It has been a semester full of adventures, travels, and of course, blogs. So for my final blog, it is only fitting to wrap up with an overview of my semester, including thoughts and takeaways to apply in the future. My ambitions were, well, ambitious for my semester here if I remember correctly, and I find it a little dispiriting looking back on what I have yet to accomplish. However, there are many things I can be proud of and many for which I can be thankful.
My German has improved immensely throughout the course of this semester. From my vocabulary vastly consisting of theological terms and the occasional “Bitte” or “Danke” to now being able to have a full-fledged (mostly one-sided) conversation with my host family every night, I’d say there have been major improvements. This may be thanks partly to my 3 hr German course Mon-Thur, but also because I was living in a German-speaking state. I do wish, however, that I had supplementary materials that I consulted to fine-tune my German-speaking skills. Most of my extracurricular experience with German was watching the latest series or movie on German Netflix or struggling through another episode of a fast-speaking German podcast. Both of these activities flexed my German listening and comprehension skills and, coupled with my daily chats with Fe and Rudi, polished my understanding of German to a smooth B3 or C1 Level. This is something I hope to maintain upon my return to America. Bilingualism is definitely a goal, but for now, comprehension and understanding of the German language are something I’ll cherish.
Cherishing the German language was not an unexpected feeling; however, what was unexpected was the friendships I forged along the way. I was aware of almost every one of them, now friends, then acquaintances, before coming to Germany, but with the experiences we shared, I am truly confident in calling them, friends. The first friends David and I met along the way were Logan and Louisa Pankow, and their hospitality carried us through the scary first weekend in a foreign country. To avoid repeating myself and for the sake of the length of this blog entry, I will spare the wild details of the stressful first weekend if I have not already blogged about them. Nevertheless, Logan and Louisa provided a great foundation to build the rest of the semester. We had known Logan from our first year at MLC together; likewise, we knew Phil Balge from our time at MLC and Prep. Phil, working as an au pair (or rather “bro pair”) in Bad Kreuznach, was able to link up with us on several occasions consisting of a trip to Hamburg, the WELS Heidelberg Retreat, a weekend in Dresden, and a weekend in Berlin with another yet to come this weekend. If you had told me that almost half of my weekends in Europe would be spent with Phil Balge, I probably would not have believed you. But the many memories made on those weekends will not soon be forgotten, mostly because they were memorable, but also because we took many pictures along the way. This is a habit I hope to maintain upon my return to America because, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
And I couldn’t write a thousand words about our friend Paul Hübener, the one person David and I had no previous contact with before coming to Germany. He is also a true German and, of course, a true friend who was David and I’s lifesaver in the tricky waters of what is an ELFK service. Privileged to attend the Paul Gerhardt Gemeinde in Berlin many times throughout the semester. Our first experience was a little confusing, from the commute to the service. Still, Paul was there to guide us through page by page, literally. He noticed our confusion and would show us the correct page number to be on or phrase to sing, sometimes resulting in several hymnal exchanges. Thankful and grateful to Paul for that, but also for the many times we meet after that, from the Jugendtreffen to organizing our weekend in Dresden. Paul allowed me to practice my German and indulged in my pride in the rudimentary little German phrases I tried to use every so often. Although Paul is a very good friend, I may not have the opportunity to see him shortly like my friend, Ella Brandt.
Ella came to Germany for a gap year to explore the culture, which David and I were vaguely aware of at the beginning of the semester. But we were reminded when we saw her in Dresden with the Drechsler family and thought, “wait, what?” After that initial and slight shock, we were able to meet up for the Heidelberg WELS retreat, a day trip in Berlin, and the now of legendary status, a weekend in Dresden. Throughout these weekends, we were able to joke about our incompetency in German, muse over the many differences between America and Germany, and bond over the independence we’ve gained throughout this semester. This independence was learned independence through booking travel, to managing time (and money) in a foreign country and environment. Despite the many pitfalls along the way, it is something I’ve grown accustomed to and want to utilize for years to come.
Having improved on German, gained certain independence, and maintained healthy relationships throughout my semester, I think my previously dispirited attitude toward my goals can be changed to one of satisfaction. Although there is certainly more I want to see, experience, and travel to, I know that this is only the beginning of my cultural and traveling adventures. However, I was never too far from my many relationships, the most important one being with God.
Living in a foreign land, which is one of the most atheist countries in the world, my initial outlook on maintaining a strong faith life looked grim. But with this semester coming to a close, I can confidently say this was not the case. Through fellowship at the ELFK churches in Berlin, Hartenstein, and Dresden, and the familiarity of the WELS Heidelberg, I was well-supported in my faith, and every one of the friends previously mentioned came from a strong Christian background. Regardless of whether I had these strong Christian friends, however, the connection to his Word was the most important lifeline throughout this semester. And this would be the most important suggestion for anyone wanting to study abroad in the future. Stay fast to the Word.
Apart from that most important suggestion, I would also allow you time to explore the culture and people of the city you’re in, which I regrettably did not do as much as I had hoped. These past few weekends have provided an opportunity to explore Berlin a little more, but many weekends were dedicated to inter-country travel. Another suggestion is to be open about new experiences, which might already describe you if you are studying abroad, and to take advantage of new experiences, especially if they are out of your comfort zone. This broadens your perspective and gives a holistic view of life, which I have found true in my experience. The friends I made along the way, my experiences, and the joy of learning I have found are all evidence of God’s hand throughout this semester and always. Tschüss, and see you in America soon!
