Continent 2: Europa – My second home

Germany welcomed a butterfly whose only goal was to fly on its own without any help from anyone. However, it had no idea how its life would change and teach it life’s most valuable lessons. I’m the butterfly who never travelled alone or stayed away from her family not even for a day. I came to Germany with the aim to be independent and learn the culture and meet people from different parts of the world. The best part of the winter semester was that we got to attend some festivals of different cultures, such as Diwali (the festival of lights), Oktoberfest, Köln Karneval, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year.
During my 4 months in Europe, I had many ups and downs including homesickness, sleepless nights, managing personal finances, travelling and much more. It’s more like life lessons. Nevertheless, I met some amazing people from around the world who told me, "You are not the only one," which gave me the strength to grow and shine alone.

The life that I had in RAC has tremendously influenced my thought process. The courses that I have chosen have helped me think differently. The effect of a diverse classroom cannot be explained in words. In RAC I found that one hour of interactive class is far better than 10 hours of lecture. I have been a course assistant, HR manager, student intern, and group leader which helped me enhance my soft skills. When I look back at the time, I have spent in Germany it’s all about the development of life skills. I can classify my life before Germany and after Germany. This trip has transformed and moulded me into a better person who has no fear of living alone anymore. I’m happy to say that I have friends from 20 countries around the world. If people ask me about Europe, with a big smile on my face I’ll say that “It’s my second home”

Haritha Prakash
India