Is it easy?

Will it be easy? / Is it easy?

This question I asked myself, when I applied for this. I thought about it the whole last year until I came here. Now, I ask myself this question every morning when I stand up and face this adventure again. 

Sometimes I think ''what if I had gone to America?''. I could understand the language, and people would understand me. I could understand every little conversation my classmates have when I stand next to them. I could understand the news on TV. I could participate in the lessons, instead of just sitting in the classroom and reading in my Latvian-learning book. It would be easier to find afterschool-activities, firstly, because American schools offer a lot of them, and secondly because I would understand what I am visiting. Also, as far as I heard, the subjects in American schools are a lot cooler than here (e.g. photography, printmaking). In America, I could perfect language skills of a language which I will need in my life. Here, I can maybe learn a language which has only about 2 million speakers worldwide. It also won't help me when I'm back in german school. The America-exchange-students will probably get the best english-mark when they graduate in Germany. 

Here in Latvia, english is only the key to learn another language which is far more difficult.

Not only compared to America, but also compared to staying home, this whole thing is crazy. I face problems I wouldn't have at home. I spend a whole year in a latvian school just to repeat this year when I'm back in Germany. Some people say it's a waste of time. ''What do you get out of this whole thing?'', they ask. Why would anyone leave his family for one year, just to see a different culture? 

Why should someone spend one year trying to make friends that he will leave anyway? Why?

It's not easy, believe me. It's the craziest and hardest thing I did in my whole life. It's not easy to tell people that understand none of your languages what you need. It's not easy to have no idea what's going on 80% of the day. It's not easy to sit in school the whole day understanding one out of 100 words. It's also not easy to have the fear that you'll maybe never understand. And it's also not easy to have your family over 1300 kilometers away.

But to be honest: I knew it wouldn't be easy. Exchange isn't an easy year. But you'll gain the strenght to manage a difficult one. That's it. Exchange is about gaining new skills, new values, a new point of view on life. If this year would be easy, there wouldn't be any adventures. We wouldn't grow from this year. I don't regret coming here. 

This post mainly goes to all future exchange students. I can promise you, it won't be easy. But it will be worth it. 

I want to quote one of my favourite characters from one of my favourite books, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore: 

''We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.''

I hope you have a nice day!