My IES Abroad Experience

Hallo Alle,

Its with very heavy heart that I type up this post. It has been a very eventful 4 1/2 months, pack full of crazy events, beautiful people, amazing trips, and a wonderful stay in my host country. Writing this post with teary eyes, it is very emotional to be thinking of my time in Germany. Very emotional to bring back all of the great memories that I made in Freiburg. Very emotional... to be saying goodbye. This is more than likely going to be my last blog post with IES Abroad. My last moment to share my experience with you prospective students. My last post to remind you how great of a program, an opportunity, this is.

To quote from an IES Abroad alumni, "Study abroad changed my life. Period." (Anthony G.). This simple sentence could not be any more true. I returned to the U.S. a very different person. I returned having been outside of the U.S. bubble. I returned from a different world, culture, and people. I returned with a new insight, with a new passion for Germany and its culture. All I want to do is find German speakers in the U.S. now. I long for hearing German being spoken around me. I long to return.

To say this experience was the best time of my life is to greatly underrate my time abroad. It is to unappreciate all of the people I met, all of the help I received, and all of the beautiful memories I created. 

I just want to say thank you to IES Abroad for being a great program to get students abroad. A great program to provide the opportunity to experience a totally different country. An amazing program to give students amazing memories and an experience they will never, ever forget. Thank you.

To all of my new friends, my new lasting friendships, my family abroad... Thank you. You all have truly made this experience a memorable one. One that'll remain with me forever. Thank you for giving me the best study abroad experience anyone could have ever asked for. Thank you.

The video I made for this post is a little different that the ones I have made before. It won't include special fancy edits, nor major cutting. It won't include music, intro, or anything. The reason why is because I feel that, when talking about an emotional experience, filming it and having little to no edit, gives a more real understanding of the subject. This video's only edits are sound, color correction, and cutting between interruptions. All that you'll see is a pure, real, and honest summary of my time abroad.

This is my IES Abroad experience. 

Till next time,

-Juan