Who says...

When you come to Germany, you might notice that majority of the commuters listen to their iPods and MP3 Players while in the train, tram, bus, etc. So a few weeks ago, I decided to do the same. After selecting the Shuffle option on my iPod, "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi started to play. (Here's the song in case you're not familiar with it.)

Just a cool claim-to-fame would have to be the fact that Bon Jovi's hometown is Sayreville, NJ, which borders my town. I found the basically the lyrics to be very accurate to my perspective of my adventures in Germany and my upcoming flight back to the States. I'll take the lyrics in stanzas to explain what I mean:

"Who Says You Can't Go Home"
by Bon Jovi
I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing I've ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold
I been there, done thatand I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,
Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home
When I was considering where to apply for college during my junior and senior years, I told myself that I didn't want to go to the same college as anyone else in my high school. I wanted a fresh start. I wasn't particularly looking to go to Alaska or some place extremely far away; "unique" was more of a goal for me. So I was looking for something that I couldn't put my finger on, although I could see (with or without my glasses) better than a blind dog. I wouldn't really call myself a "gyspy" either because when I heard about the CBYX program from my German teacher, I felt better suited for an exchange program rather than starting college directly. So you could consider when I received this scholarship at the beginning of March 2009, it was like I "crashed into a pot of gold". Moreover, after the year...or what I can now sum up as 8.5 months, I think it's become a sort of routine for me to see a new city or try something new or different. I've been there and done that. And I feel like I've gotten something (perhaps a new experience, a new German word, or I've thought that it wasn't so great) out of each "adventure". It seems like it's become the "norm" and yet still an adventure. And now thanks to the internet and Skype, I don't have to save up dimes to call Jersey up and report on my lastest endeavor...which I'm done at times too often.
[Chorus]
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright
But one thing that I really to miss after having spent so much time in Germany is that I'm an American living among Germans. It's a blast and fun and a cool and unique experience, but there are moments where I wish I didn't speak with an accent. And the only place that I can do that is at my home in the States. And as I quickly learned that throughout my year: An exchange year isn't always fun and games; there will be things you miss from home; and most things aren't like you imagine them to be. So when I get asked what I miss the most about home, I answer "I miss not being foreign." I've enjoyed it for the time being, but I doubt I'd like to be a foreigner for my entire life. So when the day in July comes, it'll be alright to go home.
I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road
With every step I take I know that I'm not alone
You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home
These are my streets, the only life I've ever known,
who says you can't go home
Germany was a rather distant place to fly to and spend a year there. Fortunately for me, I'm not in a remote village nor have a lack of buses and trams. But I do have to walk, bike, or drive a kilometer to that bus stop. I'd say I now know that street really well. But that road and bus stop were always the start of a "journey" that brought me to something new. And there isn't one memory that I'd like to erase. Because each memory or experiences has contributed to bringing me to the point where I am now. I've learned about myself, people, cultures, history, communication, etc. But I do think when I go home, I'll be looking at my hometown, friends and family with a shifted perspective...nothing extreme, but in order to live in the German culture, I had to adjust: You don't fit in (in my opinion) when you're completely American in a group of Germans. And some people have told me that I have "germanized" myself. Makes me glad to think I fit in. But I still notice the American in me.
[Chorus]
I been there, done thatand I ain't looking that
It's been a long long road
Feels like I never left, that's how the story goes

It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles aways or just a mile up the road
Take it in, take it with you when you go,
who says you can't go home
[Chorus]
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright
Who says you can't go home [x2]
I'm sure I can't really comment on this stanza because I haven't gotten home yet. Although I imagine I'll be welcomed home by my friends and family. And..."Who says you can't go home?"



Now I'd like to clarify more on my intentions for this blog post. I realize I could have potentially saved it for a later date, but I didn't have any other ideas for this one. Therefore I had the idea in my head and decided to write about it. Other exchange students have written on Facebook how they're not ready to go home or don't want to leave Germany. Others are counting down the days till our last orientation in Washington, D.C. Although I'd assume they don't want to go home either. And I'm sure when we have to go home, I'll wish that I could stay longer as well. However I think that ten months have been superb to learn a new language along with some many other things (that I can't keep track of how much I've actually learned). But I know have a second place that I can call home. And I consider my host family like family. Or to differentiate, my German family. I consider Domi and Marie-Claire my sisters and Barbara and Claude are my German parents...even though they didn't give birth to me, I feel just as comfortable with them as my real parents. So I will miss Germany a lot especially my family, friends, exchange students, and Germany, but at the same time I'm also starting to look forward to starting college and swimming again, as well as hanging out with my American friends and family; I'll have so much to share with them! As much as I'd miss and yearn to go back to Germany, life continues with new milestones (my next one is college). And I will certainly try to go back to Germany as soon as I can. So all-in-all, I will try to appreciate each moment for what it offers. (That's getting harder and harder in school.) I still have 1.5 months; so a lot can happen!

This weekend I'm going with AFS to Copenhagen, and on Tuesday, I'm going with my school to London for a day. I'll be sleeping in buses for the next couple days with these trips! So I'll try to keep you posted!

Bis dann!
Matt

P.S. "Who Says You Can't Go Home" is one of my favorite songs. But my current favorite song is "100 Years" by Five for Fighting.