Sorry for not updating in a while, things came up and I
never got to finish the post I was writing. Just a quick summary of things that
happened, first, I went to Frankfurt and had Chipotle!! It was soo good, the
best burrito I had in a while (I really miss queso though). Then, I changed
host families. I have to be honest and say that my last host family just was
not a good fit for me. There weren’t anything wrong with them or me, but there
are billions of people on earth, of course we’re going to meet people that we
don’t get along well with. It would be impossible to like everyone you meet.
But I just want to impress that communication is super important, one of the
reasons we didn’t work out is because when I try to communicate, they misunderstand,
and they either don’t communicate with me or I don’t understand what they are
trying to tell me (they would say it in a way that is not clear because they
don’t want to hurt my feelings or sound critical).
But I have to say that I still learn a lot from them and am
very grateful that they were willing to host me for the time that they did. And
without them, I would never have met my host family now, so it really was a
blessing in disguise. I ended up living with my local coordinator for almost
two weeks before moving to my new host family, and I just want to say that
having a great local coordinator makes life so much easier. So for future
participants, I would recommend that you establish good communication with your
local coordinator as soon as you get to your host family.
Now that I’m at my new host family, I feel more at home in a
week than I did at my last host family in two months. And even though I am
learning much more German and enjoying myself more, I wouldn’t trade the time I
spent with my old host family for anything, because it was that experience that
made me a better person, and helps me better appreciate my new host family.
This couple of months had been hard for me, but again, I wouldn’t trade them
for anything in the world, because they made me a stronger, more appreciative,
and open-minded person. My mom always used to tell me that we wouldn’t be able
to really appreciate the good things in life without the hard things that help
us grow, and that’s why we have stumbling blocks that slows us down so we can
really look around and be grateful for what we have, and not always focus on
what we want or are missing.
I’m only 4 months into this exchange year and I’ve already
learned so much and met so many wonderful people. I cannot imagine what else I
could learn and how many other people I can meet because the possibilities are
limitless. And that’s why, if you’re hesitating about whether or not to apply
to the CBYX program, I would tell you straight up that you’re missing a
once-in-a-life-time opportunity if you don’t even apply. You never know what
life could bring. I didn’t know that I would be in Germany and having the time
of my life now at this exact time last year, but I had hope then that I would
be, so I took the time to apply to the CBYX program, and I have not yet regretted
where I ended up being. So act now!
Hi Sara! I just found out about your blog from your Mom! I agree so completely with this--that the bitter must exist for the sweet to be experienced. I also have felt in my own life the the most difficult relationships can sweeten over time, and because of the lessons we learn from them become precious parts of our memories. I think it is one way the atonement works in our lives. Miss you! Sis Shumway
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