Auf Wiedersehen

27 February 2010 (Day of Arrival)

After a two hour train from Frankfurt International Airport I finally arrived at the Köln HBF (station). I remember writing earlier, in the first post of this blog, about how nervous and excited I was to meet my host family - but nothing about the other students. Once off the train and, before my host family arrived, I was greeted by the "older" exchange students. I really had no idea how life here would be, or how close I'd become with those people, and so didn't think much of it. A simple "hi" and an introduction was all that was in order.

Not long after that we became friends on Facebook, they all wanted to talk, wanted to meet, and I used to wonder why they wanted to hang out with us, the new ones. Didn't these guys have better things to do?

Nevertheless we started to meet, Dani threw a party, and slowly one by one we began to get to know each other. Our friendships grew faster than any of those with native Germans.

Time passed, snow melted, summer arrived.

I grew to love the City, I grew to love the culture and I grew to become proud of the Country. The thing now, is that the older exchange students have grown to be a part of the City I know, a part of the culture I know and a part of the Country as I know it.

Now they have to leave, it's going to be strange with them not around.

It's been just over 4 months 1 week since I arrived.

I remember my last few nights in New Zealand, and as cliche as it sounds, I remember them like it was yesterday.

I remember thinking: '10 months, man the fuck up. It's only 10 months. You can go 10 months without your best friends. You'll be back before you know it and they'll still be your best friends. You can do it.'

I stuck by that. I did it. I left my friends in NZ, my best friends, my family. But I knew one day we would meet once again.

It was a weird feeling starting over, but I before I knew it I had made these new friends.

And that's where the problem lies. These new friends weren't the same as the ones I left - because unfortunately I don't have the same feeling of reassurance that one day we truely will meet again.

I think it will the first time in my life saying goodbye to a friend, knowing there is a high possibility I might very seldom, or never see them again. Although they were not my closest friends, they are unforgettable ones.

Watching them say their goodbyes, and talk about their year, really makes me think about how fast the next six months will go, and how crucial it is to make the most of the time I do have here. Six months ago was new year. And that's not very long. Once I'm gone, I'm gone. I can visit, but I will no longer live here, at least like how I do now.





Are paths have crossed. But we've now come to the fork in the road, and it's time to say goodbye. The past 4 1/2 months have flown by so quickly, it seems unreal you're leaving already.



Sara


Fede


Raffa


Dani 


Luca



I wish you all the best for the future, I'm gonna miss you guys, and the times we've shared.





Köln, Deutschland
February - July 2010