There were church bells ringing as we threw open the heavy wooden doors, revealing a lifetime of blue sky. While the sun set behind the Pfälzerwald forest to my right and sent hues of blue, pink and green over the Black Forest to my left, I couldn’t help but understand the lyrics to a favorite song of mine that I have sung so often, but never truly felt: “I was sliding down the mountain, I was burning in the sun, I was crying with amazement at the view.” 

In my life I have known much beauty. Beauty in love, beauty in friendship, in nature. I see it everywhere, but nothing compared to the sheer perfection of that moment. I looked down the turret to the people sitting below me, casually talking, drinking and eating, not ignoring the glorious sight surrounding them but certainly not acknowledging it. I realized then that this, for them, is daily life. They get to wake up in a forest, by a castle, or on the Rhine every single day. Each morning, they wake up to begin another day of living what I so long thought was just a fantasy. At this moment, I realized that it was more than a dream, it was becoming a reality. Rather than merely a dream, those hopes I had been carrying my whole life were goals, and I am achieving them daily. 

I’ve always had a bit of a nomadic soul, never been happy in one place. I left Wisconsin for Iowa, Iowa for West Virginia, and now the U.S. for Germany. Growing up in Monroe the grandchild of German immigrants, Germany has always held such a special place in my heart. It felt like home to me before I ever arrived, and after my first trip to the country in 2014, I knew that there was no going back: I was going to live in Germany some day. 

While I’m not naive enough to believe that Germany doesn’t have its fair share of problems, the low unemployment rate, 3.2 percent infant mortality rate compared to America’s 5.8 percent, universal healthcare and nearly non-existent homicide rate make me realize how truly blessed I am to be spending the next year of my life in this nation.

I am reminded of how lucky I am to have this opportunity every time I look out of my window and see miles of vineyards. I am grateful for this experience each day when I understand a little bit more German and a little bit faster. Making friends here comes easy, as there are so many new people to meet and places to see. 

When people ask me if I miss home, I can’t help but smile. “I am home,” I say. 

— Shannon Rabotski is a 2016 graduate of Monroe High School and is a Drake College junior and is spending the year studying abroad in Tuebingen, Germany. She can be reached at shannon.rabotski@drake.edu.