Why Germany?

I have never been to Germany before. In fact, I have never been overseas at all. I love to travel and it is unfortunate that I have not had a chance to go on a trip like this until now. This said, I am extremely excited to go overseas for the first time this winter. I took French in high school and the school offered a multitude of places to choose from, France included, so why did I choose Germany?

For as long as I can remember Germany has fascinated me. The history and the culture is very interesting to me. I have also had many friends visit Germany and they have brought back great stories. My friends told me stories of night clubs, soccer games, architecture, concentration camps, and beautiful gardens, and beautiful people. Their experiences became experiences that I decided I wanted to have one day. Because of this it has been a place I have wanted to travel to for a long time. However, it did not make it to the top of my list until about two years ago when two of my high school friends took in two German exchange students. Their names were Christina and Julia. Christina and Julia are some of the most amazing people I know. During their time here they molded to our culture very well, while also teaching us some wonderful things about Germany. Any of the language I know, I credit to them. They became my best friends while they were here. We spent almost every day with them exploring the area I live in, introducing them to as much as we could. It was some of the greatest times I've ever had with friends. It was so upsetting when they left to go back to Germany. These two girls changed me forever and made me have such a strong desire to go to Germany to experience the amazing things they told us about.

While in Germany, I hope to experience a lot of what my friends have told me about. I am looking forward to meeting some wonderful people who are proud of the country they live in, while also seeing the amazing buildings and sites of important historical events. Overall, I am ready to learn about every aspect of Germany, from the culture to the history and beyond. This learning experience is extremely important to me because I believe it will help shape me into a better and more well-rounded person. Visiting places, such as Germany, with deep history and rich culture help us learn how we fit into the world and how to truly love and appreciate all people and their cultures. I cannot wait to go on this trip so that I can experience these things in my life and gain a great understanding and appreciation for Germany.

Julia is now back in my hometown visiting and she is just as fun as ever. She shared even more stories of Germany, making me even more excited to make this trip over D-Term. She has been helping me understand some important things about Germany before I go and I appreciate it so much. Even more than that I am very thankful to Christina and Julia for sparking a serious interest in making a trip to Germany. Now that I am I could not be more happy to be going to the place I have been hearing so much about!

Left: Christina and Julia being silly at my house in Spring 2009.