"A year abroad will change your life."

I used to hear this sentence  a lot before coming to the US.

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Back then I didn't believe that it would be like this for everyone. Maybe it isn't, but now I know that at least I can relate to it. Before coming here, I was wondering what people meant by "change your life". I knew that I would get to see new places, meet new people etc., but I had no idea what it would meant to me. I read and heard a lot that people would say that they became more independent through their Au Pair experience. After hearing this I thought "Well I'm very independent already, so these persons probably came here straight after school, after living with their parents, so an experience like this must be brand new to them."

Back then I had no idea. I thought because I lived an independent life already, the part about independence wouldn't be new to me. What I didn't think about was, that there are different kinds of independence. During my time here, I got the chance to experience and do new things by myself, without the opinions of others. 

Back in Germany I lived an independent life already, but living so far away from home, without people around you that you've known for a very long time and whose opinions you value is a different form of independency. It allows you to grow in a different way.

It allows you to find out more about yourself, about what YOU really want.

You get the chance to discover and learn more about yourself, about what you are capable of.

You get to know  new people with different views, lifestyles, opinions, which helps you grow.

But of course only if you allow these people in your life and if it's in your interest.

This year really changed my life in a significant way. I hope that many people get the chance to experience something similar, because  I believe that this is an important and amazing chance to grow as a person. I'm dearly grateful for this opportunity, for everything that I learn from it and for how it influences me.