Wanderlust

Hello fellow VIU students,

I am wanderlust. I always wanted to be rich to be able to afford traveling around the world. I thought this was the only way I could, but, man was I wrong!

While on my semester abroad, yes I lived in Germany, but every day through my interactions with other students I was able to feel as if I was in other places. Whether it was going to a Latin bar with the Spanish students, making crepes on Sundays with my French friends, or having a pizza/ board game nights with the Italians, every day I lived in a different culture.

I have heard of the term homesick many times, but as I have come back from my semester abroad I am experiencing something that I am not quite sure if there is a term for, but I would describe it as 'exchange-semester sick.'

Going to Germany was really challenging at first. The language gap was difficult. I definitely experienced cultural shocks;

"Why are people not so nice?"
"Why is my pillow squared?"
"Wait, you only take cash?"
"Entschuldigung, sprichst du Englisch?"
... me: "Enough sausages!!!"