Sometimes in the rush of moving on to the next stage in your life, it’s easy to forget to wrap up loose ends from the last stage. My position with the PAD finished over a month ago, but I suppose it’s never too late to post a farewell on this blog.
I couldn’t have had a better time during my year as an assistant. From the photos that I saw on Instagram, the tweets, and Facebook posts, many of my fellow assistants felt the same. For a couple of days, there was a stream of class pictures, photos of farewell gifts and parties, and general fondness as we all said goodbye to our schools, students, and friends. I, for one, felt many pangs at leaving my lovely flat and driving out of Göttingen.
If anyone is considering applying to the PAD, all I can say is: DO IT. My goal for the year was to improve my German to the point that I felt comfortable communicating in any situation, and I think I can say that I’ve made it. It’s often sprinkled with mistakes or missing the perfect words, but just in the past month, I’ve gone apartment hunting again and managed everything comfortably; shopped for new running shoes with proper arch support; talked politics, feminism, and history; and sorted out new health insurance at the Krankenkasse. I wouldn’t have dared to do those things ten months ago.
Not just the language, but the cultural experiences have been incredible. From Christmas with friends near Frankfurt to classes at the university to a choir retreat in the Harz mountains, my German friends and colleagues were kind and welcoming, and they gave me a real taste of life here. That’s not to mention the literal tastes – we just finished Spargelzeit. Asparagus season is the most delicious national celebration period ever.
The next stage is just beginning. A few weeks before the PAD assistantship ended, I was hired by a travel company to manage their day-to-day operations in central Europe, based out of Berlin. When I started German 101 at UVic almost four years ago, I had no clue that I would end up moving here long-term. I came to Germany hoping that some new direction would open up for me, and thankfully I was ready to seize the opportunity when it came. I’m now becoming an expert on all things ‘visa paperwork’, which is just as much fun as it sounds…
So this is ciao from me for now – viele Grüße aus Berlin! Bis dann!