This is my final blog post from my year abroad blog, for the near future anyway. I left Trier 21 days ago, and due to various things I haven't got round to writing this final post. I had planned to continue the blog regularly over the summer, but my internship in France fell through due to bureaucratic reasons I won't go into, so until I am working abroad for a decent period of time (looking for internships in Germany after graduating in July 2014 - fingers crossed!) I will leave this blog to sit peacefully in the internet.
My final week in Trier was horrifically fast, good fun and yet so, so painful. I have never been happier than I was in Trier, and I met some of my favourite people ever, so it was not fun saying goodbye to all that! I was presented with some beautiful and/or hilarious gifts, ranging from the 10 commandments in Saarlandisch (still can't translate all of them on my own!), to a school t-shirt, some awesome gammelhose (lounging trousers) and a brilliant book of memories from my housemates, which made me sob, struck by an unusual mixture of intense happiness for the good times we had and regret that I had to leave.
Below are just a few photos from some of the lovely things I did before leaving Trier :)
Hiking around Burg Rammstein
Another hike to a viewing point above Trier (bit out of puff by the top!)
Nights out with my girls
FINALLY went to the Kaiserthermen in Trier, the ancient Roman baths.
And much more, including a games night with my second lot of flatmates, which basically being involved being in stitches of laugher all evening.
I cannot explain how much the year meant to me, and I won't bore you with any more soppy stuff. Just look back through my blog posts to see all the cool things I saw, learnt and experienced.
If you are reading this and thinking about doing a language degree, preparing for your year abroad, considering moving abroad, anything like that all I can say is DO IT. In terms of increased confidence, independence, meeting great people, learning new skills (I am the speediest shopping bag packer EVER now) and just having fun nothing can rival living abroad.
Thanks for reading everyone! Whilst writing this my blog tells me it has been viewed nearly 6,500 times in the space of 11 months. Woo! Its no Perez Hilton, but I am deeply flattered that you took the time to catch up on my odd adventures and rambling prose.
I'll leave you with a few unexpected effects of coming HOME from your year abroad, which, whilst not being serious, have caused a few awkward moments. (Mostly supermarket-orientated).
1. Having a moment of panic about which side of the road cars should be on, either whilst being a passenger or a pedestrian (pleased to report, however, that the natural driving instinct has kept me on the left at all times).
2. Getting impatient in shopping queues when people faff around.
3. Handing cashiers the correct change to the penny and getting funny looks, because in Britain its acceptable to just hand them a note. Ditto apologising for not having correct change.
4. Marvelling at how stylish British supermarkets are in comparison with German warehouse-style ones, yet simultaneously thinking they could have saved money by keeping it less swish and kept food prices lower...
5. Constantly forgetting the English word for things, meaning your conversation is littered with "that thing....der Schrank...der...can't remember the English word, sorry" (cupboard)
6. Going out to clubs at 10/11 pm and finding it freakishly early, ditto when it closes at 2/3 having the beans left to carry on dancing a lot longer.
7. Talking to yourself in German when you think no one can hear.
8. Talking to your cat in German, and being convinced he understands it better than English.
9. Being surprised that beer is no longer cheaper than a soft drink when eating out.
10. Getting over-excited when you hear ANY German spoken at all, and wishing it was the norm again.
11. You become the annoying person who starts every sentence with "It's different/better/worse/the same in Germany..."
Auf wiedersehen!!!
Beth
