Why does time go by so quickly?

All right, it’s halfway through the semester, and I feel…amazing! Actually, I’m sad to think that my experience is already halfway over. The reason I wanted to study abroad was because I wanted to find peace with myself, and I really think that I have. With such a busy college life that I choose to live on MLC’s campus, I haven’t felt like myself in a while. I found it easy to get bogged down by homework, work, sports, meetings, etc. but here, in Berlin, I just see the beauty in every moment.

Besides school hours, barely any of my days are planned here, and I intended to do that. I’m learning to go with the flow over here, even though Germany is actually very punctual. I like the quiet dinners with my host family and journaling in my room at night. I like when we go out and see the sights of Berlin or explore a new city on the weekend. I like pausing for a movie and running to catch the train. I love every moment.

What I’m happiest about is that I’ve learned to be proud of trying things. The other day I ran a 5K just to see if I could do it; and I can! Also, my host loves table tennis, and although I’m not the best, I still go to practice with him. Let me tell you, learning the art of a new sport in a different language is such a unique experience! And I got to meet so many more amazing people over here. Trying new things has opened so many doors to me that I didn’t know I would be blessed with.

Another thing I really wanted to focus on was seeing the beauty of God in every moment. His creation is beautiful, and I’m so honored that I’ve gotten to see so much of it. Whenever I explore a new city, it’s all I think about. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.

I’ve also had so many laughs this semester so far. I was really nervous about not having a good time over here, and one of my goals was to laugh every day. I’m happy to say that usually I laugh before I even get off my morning bus. And if that doesn’t do it, I have quite a few class clowns in my German class.

Of course, there are always areas of improvement to be had. I know good relationships take time, but I hope to get a lot closer to my host family before moving stateside again. They truly are amazing people, but I often psych myself out of things. Sometimes, I stay in my room when I think time would be better spent talking to them.

I’ve also noticed a lull in my eagerness to get better at the German language. I often think to myself, ‘most people know English anyways.’ But if I’m ever going to grow this skill, this is the best place in the world to do it! I’ve heard kids’ TV shows can help with vocabulary, so I’ll  be giving SpongeBob Schwammkopf a try.

I also want to do a better job of reaching out to the people I have back home. Before leaving, I was so afraid that they would forget about me…turns out, I haven’t done the best at keeping up with them. A simple message goes a long way, and I want to send one when I think of someone.

Every time I think I know everything about the German culture, I get surprised with something new. It’s my host dad’s birthday this week, and when I mentioned getting him a card, I was informed they don’t really do that here in Germany. It’s more of a thing you say to the person.

I’m still in love with the transportation in Germany and the efficiency of its people. But when I got here, the rules weren’t written on a billboard you could just read somewhere, so they were very difficult for me to understand. However, through a lot of people-watching, I think I’ve figured out most of the social cues. 

Overall, I feel like I’m growing in all the ways I hoped I would! I’m learning to slow down, appreciate the moment, and be grateful for the beauty around me. The first half of this journey has been incredible, and I can’t wait to see what the second half brings!