Since yesterday, I have been in Germany for 6 months. Technically, I've been on an exchange for 6 months. Today would be my official 6 month of being in Germany, considering my plane didn't arrive into Germany until August 17, 2010. Oh my goodness, isn't that quite a bit of time? I think so. I left everything I knew 6 months ago: my family, my friends, my home, every sense of familiarity I had for something completely new in the sense of adventure... and an "adventure" has it been.
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I must say, I am a member of a cult. This is the most selective cult out there, going worldwide. Truthfully, once you're in, there really is no going back no matter where you go or even if you lose the purpose of the cult. The cult is always still behind you. When it seems like no one really can even begin to understand what you're going through or those things that you just can't seem to get out in the open with anyone else: a member of the cult will always be a great confidant. Although you should be warned, once one person has been told, there has been evidence that the stories tend to spread within the cult quite a bit. Now this cult operates under a couple names, but the most easily identified with is known as CBYXers (for the exchange year of '09-'10).
I have asked my sisters if their years were like this, and I don't think they honestly were. I don't know if they can understand exactly the extent to which our bond is at. Back on the first day of my "adventure," I sat in an airport in Washington DC, meeting these other exchange students from the southwestern part of America for the first time. Even 6 months later, I can tell you exactly who I was sitting next to in the beginning: Jordan, Alan, Lyle, Dylan, Billy, Katelyn, Kate, Nick, and Tiffany. Tiffany, Katelyn, and I had made it through the Washington DC airport together as we had all gotten on the same plane and Dallas and recognized each other as teenagers with tons of suitcases, saying 'goodbye' to family and friends. The story just began... Now (6 months later), I can honestly say that I have gotten crying phone calls from other exchange students about what is going on and the situation, and I can even honestly say that I have called other exchange students bawling about what is going on with me and my situation. I found myself on the phone yesterday afternoon, coming up with bad metaphors about the American government and the new exchange legislation (the exchange students cost school districts money, so they are trying to minimize exchange thus save money)
"If your arm hurts, do you cut off your leg?"
"... What?"
"Okay, let's say the American government has a porn problem, and it is making them broke. They are going to cut their bill $2 every month and stop buying vitamins instead of stopping buying porn, which when they stop buying the vitamins, they might have cost themselves more money because they'll have to go to the doctor later in the end! Exchange is a piece of peace and understanding that will help in the future!"
"... Lissa, how long have you been waiting to use porn problems in a metaphor about our government?"
"I don't know, the inspiration just came to me!"
I know that when I was in Köln once again with all the other exchange students, (although we are missing 6 students now for various reasons!) I felt so entirely comfortable being with them again and hearing about their stories that no one would have been able to guess at something that I had pointed out to a couple exchange students: I had missed them longer than I had known them. After only knowing each other for a month, then going off on our separate ways for 4 months before seeing most of each other again. More proof: In October, me and two other exchange girls living in the area met up and had a slumber party. None of us had been friends in language camp, but after a month apart, we spent the night together happily and talked to each other when things weren't going the way we planned or if the stress felt like a little too much sometimes. Trust circle.
I am sorry that I am not a good person with my blog and don't talk about the German traditions too much or elaborate on the meanings of Karneval and the Karneval celebrations, but these are the thoughts that have been swirling around my head lately: my little exchange cult.
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