I never thought that I would be an expat...
It’s not every day that one just becomes an expat in Germany, and this move did not happen in a day.
The very moment in which I decided to move back to Europe was in August 2016. Approaching Newark airport on my way back from my year abroad, I saw the Statue of Liberty welcoming me back to my beautiful country.
However, I realized that the tears in my eyes were for the country I left behind.
For a moment, I wondered how immigrants welcomed by that very same statue felt when they arrived in the States. This excitement of a new country spurred a tingling sensation my belly. The first time I felt that happened when I arrived in Germany. Although I was happy to be back in the US of A, a part of me stayed in Heidelberg.
That piece of me remained there, and I wanted to get it back.
The Decision
At that very moment, I resolved to return. I set my deadline for a year after touching down in Newark. Between that decision and the deadline, I had to complete my degree, work through the summer, and save up the funds for another transatlantic move.
Honestly, I probably made my family sick from how often I talked about moving back to Germany. Germany this. Germany that. If there is anything you should know about me, I am a goal-setter with the pertinacity of a workhorse. When I want something, you bet that I will not settle until what I want is literally not possible…and even then, I think you can bargain. Most people call this “being stubborn.”
They’re right, but it’s gotten me this far.
As the year passed, I searched for every opportunity to get back to Heidelberg. Unexpectedly, a friend sent me a link at 6 a.m. on a random Saturday morning. She attended a convention about scholarship opportunities. We were eager to return to Germany. On August 20, 2016, she told me to check out the German Academic Exchange (DAAD) website.
The deadline was around the corner, but I knew I needed to apply for this internship at the German Bundestag. In a hurry, I wrote everything in about a week (because I had to).
I drafted my motivational letter six times in English and in German before I finally produced a version that felt presentable. On the day of the deadline, I printed, stapled, and sent my application per mail. Simultaneously, I faced a decision: be rudely late to the first History of Ideas class of the year or turn in this application on time.
Needless to say, I arrived late to class. I apologized for the tardiness, but in the back of my mind, I made the right choice. A few weeks later, I interviewed with a DAAD professor to confirm that I was “intern material.”
After the interview centered around German politics and news (which interrupted my History of Ideas course again), I waited for their response. I sent out applications to graduate schools and kept my options open.
I did not complete this internship application alone. Luckily, I had a group of close friends and family supporting me through that process.
The Results
November 22, 2016. My phone dinged, and I read the e-mail that little ol’ me was nominated for the EMGIP Bundestag Internship! I could not believe it! Finally, I could travel back to Germany and had this awesome internship in Berlin, in the hustle and bustle of German politics. In relief, I cried, and I did not stand still for about three days after receiving the news.
Support and determination encouraged me to save up enough money to make this opportunity a reality. I worked at a bar full-time serving drinks, tolerating every kind of drunk possible, and working the grind that all us servers know, hate, and love. The job was stressful, but I woke up every day and knew exactly why I do what I do. Every hour wiping down tables brought me twelve more dollars closer to my ten-thousand-dollar goal.
When I boarded my plane in Chicago one year and twenty-two days after returning from my year abroad, I had a big dream, a college degree, an opportunity, and $10,100 in my bank account. I took the risk of a lifetime and packed everything I owned into three suitcases and a backpack. I have always had a bit of a sassy, adventurous spirit.