Bidding farewell to Munich

A farewell rarely feels like it’s coming at the right time. Also my upcoming departure from Munich feels like it’s arriving way too soon – right at the moment when I’ve finally settled into the city. Three months ago I arranged myself a subtenant, held my birthday party only a couple days before my departure and carefully packed up my suitcase and duffel bag for the summer. I had asked my university assigned buddy about Munich’s weather conditions and she had assured me that I wouldn’t have to pack anything heavier than a denim jacket as the temperature definitely wouldn’t drop under 17°C anymore – the reality offered by Munich’s April snowstorms was a surprise to us both!

                      Before my exchange I purposefully didn’t have specific expectations for the period. I only wanted to practice my German and be open to all the experiences that the semester might offer me. I was somewhat confident that I’d succeed in making friendships, though I was expecting to mostly small-talk and party my way through the summer with sufficiently pleasant half-friends. To my surprise, I’ve made deep, genuine connections that I know will last me a long time.

                      A defining feature of the exchange experience, one which I constantly talk about with my exchange friends, is how much of an alternate dimension life on exchange is. Life here is so intense and exciting and begins with a fully blank slate, but it still feels like life with its own daily routines and grievances. Therefore, after an acclimation period, it seems to replace life at home rather than be a continuation of it. With my exchange friends we’ve bonded over the guilt of not missing people at home the same way that they seem to miss us. It would honestly be quite difficult: they’re continuing their lives with the absence of us, whereas we’re like a dog in its new home soon forgetting to miss its old owners – there’s new places to discover and a whole new circle of friends to get to know. Still, every now and then I get a flash of homesickness, wanting to sleep in my own Helsinki bed or introduce my friends here and back home to each other, connecting the dimensions somehow. That’s when I remember that there might be a sweet side to returning home soon as well, although the end of the exchange now seems brutal and final.

                      I know I will return to Germany someday, maybe even for a longer time period. Though I love the life I’ve built back home, Munich and the relationships I’ve made here have a piece of my heart. Until we meet again,

Bis bald!

Aino