A Journey like a Roller Coaster Ride!

Have you ever had a dream in which everything felt surreal and scenic as if you’re inside a moving painting? Well, my time in RheinAhrCampus (RAC) can be summed up like that mesmerizing dream come true. From the beginning till the end the journey was like a roller coaster ride with no two days being the same. Setup in the historic town of Remagen with the Rhine flowing 100 yards away from my house, the learning I got from Uni (as we dearly call it) was also unparalleled. As a city-person with the long-awaited dream of living in a rustic setting without compromising on all modern facilities, this semester abroad couldn’t have been better. This was my first trip outside the Asian continent and obviously, I was psyched. It started with me landing at Frankfurt International airport. It was a tiring flight of 9 hours, yet all my fatigue and jet lag vanished the moment cold German breeze hit my face. I took the train to Koblenz and enjoyed the scenic valley of Rhine River to RAC. On the first day, I met tons of people from all around the globe and the international experience started from that moment. This was just the beginning of the epic experiences I was about to have. From learning Ich bin Akshay to clearing misconceptions about India, I felt pride in representing my Nation on the international stage. I was able to deal with the cultural shock and Homesickness very well because of the support Sprachen/International Team and the students of RAC throughout my time there and they helped me from understanding German know-hows to importance of punctuality, from working hard throughout the week in the university to partying together with students on the weekend in Barracke. By staying independent I learned how to cook dishes from around the world, thanks to my multi-national roommates. Staying in Europe gives you ample opportunities to visit many countries every other weekend. And how can anyone miss that? Experiencing Late night parties of Amsterdam, roaming in the sleepy streets of Bruges, running in Belgium Central, meeting a long-lost friend in Bled, making professional connections over a pint of beer, mistakenly reaching far north of Netherlands, etc. were all part of the experiences that I will cherish for a lifetime. In this semester abroad in RAC, I not only learned the importance of professionalism by working as a TA but also learned to enjoy life as a traveler. I learned leadership while heading an International project and I became wise while navigating my way through streets of Cologne. It was truly a transformation of me into a more confident and responsible professional. And although my semester abroad is over, I’d just say that I will definitely be going to visit RAC in the near future because I’ve stared to miss it already!