....And you're stuck with me! *queue mad evil laughter* And by mad, I meant completely joyful, and by evil, I meant completely good. I have spent my abroad year with the Fröhner family and have so many stories to tell. There were hard rocky beginnings, but both sides put up a good fight, and it's nothing but smooth sailing ahead. So here comes clear skies, rainbows, and rising sun!
"But Myiah, we thought you would like things such as this..... Your application described you as a sporty student," my host mother said to me. I was sitting across from her at a café, body dead, head on the table, eyes out of focus. We'd Langlauf skied for what seemed like hours before the host fam decided to sit down for some grub. I was fighting back "metaphorical" tears. Me, sporty... Who dared to cross me! This is pretty much the staple of my exchange year. I, Myiah Smith, am not a "sporty or athletic" student. I have been cursed to love a thing I really, really, really do suck at. So I really, really, really got better.....
Bike rides, hiking, skiing, swimming; A marathon here, horse riding there; rollerblading, rowing, jogging. My family was athletic. Doctors for parents, a practically all-vegetarian diet aside from the occasional Durüm as a treat, or the once every two months "grillen." My host uncles, aunts, and grandparents kept up this trend. I stepped up and tried my best... Falling here, failing there, keeping up miles (in this case kilometers) behind. I can't help but say I've come to love it. I'm stronger, leaner, healthier... And I feel it. It's thanks to my family. I miss the lifestyle already, and I'm not even home yet!
I miss my family too, already. Of course, there were awkward moments in the beginning. The occasional misunderstanding was due to lack of communication... even though we all spoke perfect English. The fear of them kicking me out and not wanting me anymore, which I realized was always in my head. Things are good now. They had patients with me. They type of patients that deserve a reward. My biggest hope is that my host family was also able to take away from me as much as I learned from them. I hope that I bought insight into their lives, and they learned and became better, just as they have allowed me to grow. But I can't measure those things, just as they can't measure my own.
I'm gonna miss the random discussions I had with my host mom. She told me not to worry so much about my future, particularly money. The talks on culture. The things she missed from England when she lived there. I'll miss her beautiful smile and the way she'd throw her head back in laughter. How she'd boast about the joys of being physically active. Always telling me the important part isn't being good. It's to be out there and trying. I admired her drive; Her sternness and stability; Her confidence in a way. The way she lived life to her own agenda, mindset. But she loved her husband and children in a way that was culturally new. Hard to explain, but you could see the concern for the things that she loves. I always could feel when Sabine wasn't home for the weekend or the week. You can feel her presence was missed. A mother is very much like a thread... It holds things together. That's exactly what Sabine was for me.
I got to know the true country life through my host dad. I sucked corn, fed rabbits, chickens, and goats. Learned to build a fence and a dog enclosure, and yet to finish the task...... Steffan is quite the handyman, so it will get done before I leave. He loves his animals and his tractor. I recall riding that tiny thing to a tractor expo (just about as country as it gets). He would also be the one to keep the mood lite, making sure no one was taking things too seriously. He'd crack jokes all the time. The way his face glows a light red when laughing puts a smile on my own face every time. I liked when I heard his "Nah Myiah, wie war?" and I enjoyed it whenever he asked me to make breakfast, pancakes to be exact! He reminded me very much of my own father, too much so. Or maybe that's just men, or is that an unfair statement? Either way, he was a father to me, treated me like one of his own, taught me quite a lot, we shared sweet moments.
Siblings here are different from the states, or at least my entire extended host family's siblings are. They interact differently. They don't pick fights, quarrel, or fight like my own siblings would, and where there is one, it's solved quickly and moved on from. The love language is different. Yet, in a way, it's the same. Siblings frustrate one another, annoy one another, yet also care for one another. They love each other in the end. They forgive and move on. I feel I'm a sibling. The amount of frustration I know I pushed on Judith should have left me without her care, but it didn't. She never did completely give on me. That's something I truly do appreciate. I loved them like my own siblings. We did so much. I learned so many things from them too! And that's what siblings are. People who you can grow from and grow with.
Everything I learned was from my host family. Beyond who I live with but all the members I met. All showed kindness, love, and care. The same they would show to another member. I felt like another member. I feel like another member. That's a very special thing to feel. And like in the beginning, they're stuck with me! I plan to visit in the future. Maybe, I can redeem myself in skiing... Or maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Either way, we're family now! I will be expecting them to visit also! I'm looking forward to the last two months with them. I wonder what they hold!
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