by Alexandra Shewmaker| Fall 2024 |
As I come to the end of my time here in Leipzig and the semester begins to close out, I am overwhelmed by everything that I have learned, every aspect that I have grown in, and all of the relationships that I cultivated here. As I reflect on how I have changed and grown, I would be remiss not to discuss all of the adventures that I have been so blessed to go on this semester. I got to visit Norway, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Greece, and France, as well as various places in Germany. Everywhere I went, I was overwhelmed with a sense of adventure, excitement, and curiosity. While I have always loved an adventure, this semester I learned that I thrive in the discomfort and newness that come with visiting a new place and navigating an unknown country or city. The joy that comes with learning and experiencing a new culture is indescribable.
Being in Germany gave me the experience of living in central Europe, making visiting and learning about other European countries so easy and accessible. All of these countries vary greatly in language and culture, but they are also interconnected and reminiscent of each other in a way that is so different from the different cities and states in the United States. I think of Paris or Rome, with neighborhoods full of old houses and others with new, modern skyscrapers. These famous cities, a hodge-podge of ancient and advanced. The Pantheon, across the street from a mobile phone carrier storefront. A bookstore right next door to the Eiffel Tower. Additionally, as I reflect on these countries’ connections, I think of when I was on a train and noticed that we had entered a new country, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic was nearly invisible, but stepping off the train and seeing a whole new language and history of people.
All of these places have their own past, culture, and language, but they are still connected by their forever-intertwined history and simultaneous transition from century to century. It is genuinely humbling to live in a city like Leipzig that has its own place in both German and European history, and I really felt myself fall into the magic of being a part of the legacy that this city has as I learned about the city in my global studies class. I have learned so much about the never-ending history of this continent and cannot wait to bring my newly discovered curious nature and love for adventure into my daily life back in Abilene.
As I prepare to leave Leipzig and settle back into my typical life in Abilene, I will take these new discoveries about myself and everything that Study Abroad has taken me into the rest of my time at ACU and my life. While these places that I have called home are incredibly different, they were created by the same Lord who has made everything for a particular and important purpose. It is because of this that I look fondly back at my semester abroad and anxiously into what comes next.
