I have just finished my first week of college. And it hasn't been easy. You see, when you're extremely close with your family and haven't been away from them for more than a few days, somehow moving over 400 miles away knowing that this is it doesn't go over too well. Crazy, I know. Do I regret my decision? Absolutely not. I love my university and the people I have met here already. But not a day goes by where I don't think about how much I miss my family. I miss the way things used to be. I miss family game nights and movie night. I miss shopping with my mom. I miss working on various home improvement projects with my dad. I even miss driving my brother to school. Moving out has been, by far, the most emotionally difficult time of my life. But for me it is now or never, there is no stopping it.

My visit to Munich changed a lot about me. First, it upped my confidence in my ability to adapt (I guess catapulting out of your comfort zone can do that to a person). But more so than that it challenged my definition of freedom. Things that were apparently normal in Munich would likely lead to arrests back home.

Home to wild cats, raccoons, snakes, and who knows what else.