The Finale

So after putting this final post off for a couple days, I think it's time for me to address it. I've always been bad at saying goodbyes, and this is no different. So to end it, I'd like to cite the pages from my journal the day I left...

Just as I thought my trip to Germany wouldn't hit me until I was on the plane, my departure hasn't hit until I'm thousands of miles in the sky and halfway home. My last day in Germany couldn't have gone better. I took the somewhat gloomy weather as Germany's sadness for my eventual flight back home. Seeing my Dad's old stomping grounds rounded up one of the main reasons I went on this trip: to understand the unknown (almost mysterious) side of my family. To finally know if certain characteristics was "the German" in my Dad. Now I've realized...

...my Dad is just weird :)

All jokes aside, I really had the best time ever. I learned so much and accomplished some of my personal goals, such as...

1) change the American stereotype
2) eat all "German" food
3) improve my German
4) see a Hummer (although I did even better, stretch Hummer!!)

During my trip, there were so many surprising differences in our culture, more than I think I could write. The food, driving, tipping, guylighting (ew.), dress (no lederhosen sighting), etc. But despite all the strange culture differences, I realized we are all the same. To steal a line from the wise words of Beate, "They are as we are."

So after eating my final German Fruhstuck and saying goodbye to Uli and Caroline (who I don't think I could ever thank enough for their hospitality), I make the long travel back home to the good ol' US of A. Although Germany will always have a large chunk of my heart, the US is my home. And home is where the heart is.

Plus, my adventures don't stop here. This will be my first summer in Richmond and I start a new nannying job the second I get back (at 8:30 AM, yikes!) And I'm sure more will come my way.

As a special request, I will finish my blog auf Deutsch.

Vielen vielen vielen Danke fuer jeder. Ich will nie diese Reisen vergessen. Ich haette viel Spass und ich hoffe frueh zurueckzukommen. Naturlich, ich will Broetchen, Kaese, der Zug, und Fussball vermissen. Aber ich will mehr die Leuten vermissen, wen habe ich angetroffen.

Liebe Gruesse,
Frauline Caroline

So that's the end of my journey and I hope you all enjoyed reading, I know I enjoyed writing. Frauline, over and out.