The White Rabbit Goes on Exchange! (english version)

I spent four days struggling with the suitcases. Not that they give me a hard time, but I could not convince myself to fill them.

How can it be? After a lifetime dreaming, after all this time of anxiety, after all the effort to  finally travel, how is it possible that I can´t fill the suitcases?

The thing is that suddenly, from one day to another, the dream becomes tangible, it becomes true ... and although it gives me the impression that I´ve been processing this for months, the truth is that you actually get it only when you face the suitcase.

Imagine yourself using your clothes, but in another place ... think about the things you'll need on the trip, thinking that you´re not going on vacation, you´re really going to live half a year...half a world away ...

The good news is that after I understood it, I found myself smiling alone, with butterflies in my stomach, and all the energy to assemble these bags as quickly as possible!

The last hours flies ... the farewell to the family should be emotional, but they are the most emotional ones, I´m just thinking "OMG, OMG, OMG!" all the time (The brain freezes the minute I close the suitcases) ... and .... then ...

POOMM §% &! @ §% / () CLASHHH ¡!!!! 0 "§% BANG! Booom!!

Suddenly, the brain in working again ...

"I'm in Germany. Geez, I'm in Germany .... Look, it´s so funny, this guy speaks in German!  hehehe ... look at that little girl also speaks German, it sounds so cute! Mmm ... how should I say "I want some chewing gum" in German? "

One begins to think ridiculous stuff, but be patient, the brain is a little bit shocked because it´s surrounded by too many new things, it´s processing everything as fast as he can ... better ideas  will come eventually =)

Around 15 minutes later, I was thinking "The German must have the record for longest words from all languages, look at that, that one surely has like 25 letters..." when suddently a slim, blond, tall guy with a huge German flag interrupted my train of thought ... I first thought "obviously you're German, the flag is redundant..." and then I got it ... "He's my buddy! It's my first friendly person in Germany! Nice! ... "

All I have to say from that point on, is that in almost a month I spent in Karlsruhe, I partied more often than the whole year that preceded it, that people are super friendly, the people on the street, the people in the stores, the people at work ... and of course, all  the AIESECers from LC Karlsruhe received me the best way and I never missed an invitation to be a part in all  their activities ...

I have not spent a day completely alone since I arrived! My roommates are really funny, and received me with chocolate muffins with cherries (accompanied by my first German beer, of course), and in addition, the LC girls and boys are always there  for whatever you may need, and also there are many other trainees (some work with me, some not) but they are all very close  to each other and even without an AIESEC activity, there is always a plan to share =)

Well, if I tell you in detail everything I've been doing so far this post is going to be eternal ... but in short ...

- First Night: Cool Reception at the tram station & at my flat + bar with AIESECers (2 first German beers hehe)

- I´ve been in several bars, discos, and also some student parties =)

- MotiWo (Weekend motivational workshops + games + = Latin Party!) In France!

- Introductory week at the office! Workshops, Games, Teambuilding

- TWIN (International Conference: People from 25 countries! Participate in all evening activities and the Global Village!)

- Travel to Frankfurt (with TWIN delegates, visited the European Central Bank and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange)

- Next weekend: Prague! "The Latin Girls" trainees with a group of Germans too

- The other weekend: Berlin! All trainees together (organized by the LC)

 It's been an incredible month in which I had the opportunity to meet people and cultures that I never imagined it would get to know, work every day with guys from 8 different nationalities and have a really good dynamic, and all this added to a great learning atmosphere at work, where they encourage our creativity and our freedom to work the way we think it´s more productive ...

In conclusion ... IT´S WORTH IT! All the effort that meant for me and my family, IT´S WORTH IT! I think there is no better way to learn than learning by "playing", so "Work Hard, Play Harder!" ... Go on eXchange!!

This White Rabbit will tell you about it´s adventures in future posts... keep reading! =)