How Strange, How It Goes

That's a rather German title, I've realized.

I know I should start posting about my Osterferien, as so many things went on that I want to share with all of you, but this is more on my mind right now.

It's now been over a year since I was notified that I had received the Fulbright grant. On April 2nd, 2009, I had received a cryptic, yet obviously positive email from Fulbright about the grant authorization. I remember sitting in the Writing Center (I'm pretty sure I wasn't on duty, but was just hanging out because it was literally my second home) and showing Drew and Sheila the email, about telling my Philosophy instructor about it in the Honors Lounge, and forwarding the email to family and a professor or two for verification. On April 3rd, when I was in the car to Texarkana for Brittany and Adam's wedding, my professor and Fulbright mentor, Herr-Dr. Johnson, called me to share the good news. I was officially a Fulbright E.T.A.

Thinking back on it, so much has changed since those days. I'm still very much myself, and I would be pretentious if I said I have become a better person and all that rot. But, I will say that things have changed, and I'd like to think for the better; I know my capabilities as a person, and I find that it's pretty awesome being me. I figure now that if I can live in Germany with relative success, then making a living in the States is going to be a walk in the park.

...she says as she sees herself living in a ditch for the rest of her life. I do like parks, though.

Anyway, I've just been thinking about this for awhile now. It's odd to realize that I don't have that much more time here in Celle. And I know I'm going to be a wreck when it comes time to go back home. But, that's part of the experience, I suppose. And whoever says that this isn't part of real life or the "real world" may go right ahead and drink arsenic-laced tea, thank you.