It's strange the way four months can change you. You may have goals for every month, what you want to learn, who you want to meet, where you want to travel,  but the changes you undergo as a person can not be expected. I think back on the past four months and am immensely proud of the challenges I have overcome and how I have grown from these hardships. These first four months really proved  how much of a challenge it is to go on exchange, but also proved how these challenges can transform me into a person I really wanted to be.
The past month, December along with a bit of January, has been one of those months where I feel like I have finally made it. I feel like I have finally overcome the majority of the awkwardness, homesickness, cluelessness, and nervousness that comes with being an exchange student. Sometimes I wish I could start from here and have ten months more in my exchange. But like I said in my other post, the reason exchange evokes such a powerful change inside you, is because there is the pressure of time lingering on every single day.
This month included the transformation. The transformation of my entity, my goals, my outlook, my priorities, and my view of myself.
One of my trips to Hamburg at the beginning of January really proved to me that I had transformed. In Hamburg, I was visiting a fellow American AFSer, who I had not seen since we said goodbye to each other on that first day in Frankfurt Airport. We realized that in reality, we had really only known eachother for 24 hours, yet the power of exchange and the similar experiences we endure, made us feel like we had known each other for the entire duration of our lives.
My time in Hamburg was spent indulging in all of the American food we could find, discovering the city night life, and having one of the best times with one of my best friends. We went to the docks on die Elbe, saw Altona as well as the Innenstadt. Spending time with my American friend made me realize that although we were very American, we had really integrated into an entirely new culture since the day we arrived.
At the end of this month I will begin my 2- week internship at an Elementary school. I am very lucky to have this opportunity and it will also be a nice break from school. School is really starting to pick up at this point, so I have actually been pretty busy with work. I am living a pretty normal lifestyle here and I am really starting to love Germany more than I ever have before. All the culture shock is gone and the language is really starting to get very good. I am so excited for the time ahead of me and look forward to the changes that are to come.