The Story of My Life

To travel is to take a journey into yourself

When I was eight years old, my favorite aunt gave me a postcard to my birthday with the popular

quote of J.W.Goethe “There are two things we should give to our hildren: ROOTS and WINGS” on

it. I can remember that I asked her what it meant and why she gave it to me, because she always

has a reason for gifts and she makes presents that fit the best for a person. The only thing she

answered was that I would understand it after a little time when I would be ready for it. It might be

because she is a psychologist, but now as I know what the meaning was, it scares me that she

knows me that well and that she knew my dreams and fears a long time before I did.

As some years were gone, the next important turning point in my life should be my exchange in

Paris. Before that I travelled a lot with my family in Europe, saw different cultures, different religions

and especially different people in more than ten countries. But I slowly began to recognize that

even though I visited these countries, I didn't know anything about them. The people treated us like

tourists, we didn't experience how they live or what kind of people they are.

I started having the desire to dunk into a culture and to get to know all the differences between

Germany and the others countries. That's why decided to make an exchange in France.

I thought I wouldn't be that interested in living at different places, wouldn't feel restless and not at

home in my actual home anymore after it. I have no idea why I've always been wanting to leave my

house, I had a good childhood, loving friends and family.

But I was wrong. After those three months, where I experienced everything besides the things I

knew, it was even harder for me to go back home. At this time, I had three homes and I was only

14 years old. It is difficult to describe but everybody who moved once in his life knows the feelings

and so they can imagine how it would be if you had two families instead of one as well.

As a result, I did not experience France as a tourist or stranger, I was a part of it. I fell in love with

going abroad and in other words I realized that the life is not meant to live at only one place.