Love Letter to Tübingen

Dear Tübingen,

I had no plans to come here when I started my Freshman year of college.  In fact, my Roomie remembers me vehemently declaring that I would never go to Tübingen - that the was the dream of my parents and my parents' friends, not mine.


Luckily for me, Fate had other plans.  I was half strong-armed, half convinced to go.  The idea of a year in Europe was as terrifying as it was thrilling.  Leave my family and friends? For a whole year?  Live somewhere else, by myself?


Next thing I knew, I was being (unceremoniously) dropped on the curb in Tübingen with all my (overweight) luggage.  I'll be honest, I cried myself to sleep the first night. I was terrified out of mind and I desperately wanted to go home.


One year, many adventures, and over 3,000 photos later, I still can't wait to go home, but I'm also not ready to leave Tübingen.


This year in Tübingen has given me wonderful adventures and fantastic memories.  I have found new friends - from near and far - who I will never forget and many of whom are like brother and sisters to me now.

Tübingen has shown me so much.

I guess now would be the moment where I spout all the platitudes about how studying abroad as made me "culturally aware", "globally conscious", and whatever the new hip phraseology that American university use to say "Look at our students not being ignorant, annoying Americans anymore".  And part of that's true.  But that's not what I want to talk about.

I'm more independent and confident than ever.  Okay, I still can't cook and my laundry can be a hot mess at times.  But I can have a conversation with someone in an another language - I can talk politics, crack jokes, and express my emotions.  I can shop for myself and take care of myself.

I've taken the first steps to learning how to be a "grown-up", which is way more terrifying than living for a year in Germany.

Most importantly, Tübingen has shown me all the possibilities for my future.  And for that, I am forever grateful.


Leaving Tübingen and all of Germany is going to be bittersweet indeed.


But I know that I'm going to come back and hopefully soon! 


Auf Wiedersehen, liebe Tübingen! Ich will dich vermissen, aber ich denke wir werden einander bald weidersehen!


Lots of Love,
Your Humble Blogger
And Simba