Memory of Germany

Minji Lee

It was last winter vacation. Accurately one year ago, I was spending my winter vacation doing nothing special. All of a sudden, I realized I was wasting my youth and began to search for an opportunity which would make me refreshed in poor boring days. I found "International Work Camp Program" on a website. It is one of volunteer activities focused on group life with other friends from various countries and giving those people chance to experience international exchange. It is progressed for 2 to 3 weeks in 60 countries all over the world. Decisively, the entry fee was only 300 dollars! It suited to me perfectly. Even though I had to cover the airline ticket for myself, the total fee was much cheaper than normal 2 weeks-journey. In addition, what I really wanted was actually not just going somewhere else, but confirming the fact that I am alive in such this wide world. Finally, I picked one program held in Germany, and went to Germany.

The everything I underwent including buying airline tickets, going to the airport, boarding into airplane, sleeping and eating was super exciting! I can not forget the moment that airplane departed from runway. I can not forget the evening scenery I saw over the window. And the first step on Frankfurt airport, the smell of sandwiches arranged on kiosk, the people who helped me to reach the place where I need to go, I can still remember all of that.

For 2 weeks, I stayed with 11 friends from Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, Finland, France, Japan, and Germany. This communication with the whole world was what I really wanted! Through this, I could share and discuss about our belief and principle together and compare the differences between us. Even though I was in only Germany, I could learn about various things of various countries during having conversation with them. I can sure it would be good fertilizer for me, maybe also for them to develop.

Everyday We made our meals together. Only at that time, we exceptionally could be the kindred spirit because everybody tried to seek the only genuine taste. And we talked all day long, worked, studied, went on picnics and laughed together. For me, Everything was just super fantastic. My 2 weeks flew by in a flash.

This experience might be not such tremendous for someone. But I know I got many genuine enlightenment and wisdom of life enjoying this travel. I realized the world is really vast, and the people with whom we can be friends are so numerous as well. Before leaving Korea, I felt little hesitance about spending such a lot of money for this travel. But after coming back to Korea, the remaining little suspicion was totally disappeared. 

Now I am spending the golden time neither in Korea nor in Germany, but in United States!
I am not sure whether I can achieve the goal I set before I came here, but I am pretty sure that I am already having gorgeous time with lovey new friends. I hope that I will write about this life in United States as blissfully just as I wrote about Germany!

Lastly, does anyone wanna visit Germany here? Please take me too!!!!