I have learned

I've learned-
that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I've learned-
that no matter how much I care, some people just don''t care back.
I''ve learned-
that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned-
that it''s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.
I've learned-
that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you''d better know something.
I''ve learned-
that you shouldn''t compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
I've learned-
that its not what happens to people that''s important, but what they do about it. I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant that will give you hearteache forever.
I've learned-
that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
I've learned-
that it''s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I''ve learned-
that it is a lot easier to react than it is to think.
I've learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned-
that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place
I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned-
that learning to forgive takes practise.
I've learned-
that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it. I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score
There are just a few days
until we fly away
There well find a whole new world
where we spend our days
We know it wont be easy
but we hopefully do fine
Dont fear and open up your heart
the sun will always shine
And you
will never be alone - alone
no matter where you are
Theyll think of us
and never will forget
that we will soon come back

A last time - ein erstes Mal

A last time - ein erstes Mal A last time in "my" room,
a last time in "my" bathroom,
a last time in "my" house,
a last time at "home"
a last time in "my" hometown,
a last time in "my" state,
a last hug from "my" mother, "my" father, "my" brother, "my" sister,
a last look from "my" family,
a last time in "my" country.

And then, seit langer Zeit,
ein erstes Mal in meinem Land,
ein erster Blick von meiner Familie,
eine erste Umarmung von meiner Mutter, meinem Vater,
ein erstes Mal in meinem Bundesland,
ein erstes Mal in meiner Heimatstadt,
ein erstes Mal daheim,
ein erstes Mal in meinem Haus,
ein erstes Mal in meinem Bad,
ein erstes Mal in meinem Zimmier.
Aber immer noch with "me".

Austauschjahr

Und wir warteten und warteten,
die Zeit schien still zu stehen
wo komm ich hin, wann fliege ich?
Keine anderen Gedanken mehr im Kopf
Noch 5 Monate, dann geht's endlich los
es schien eine Ewigkeit
doch dann auf einmal war er da:
Der Tag, wir waren zum Abflug bereit
Wohl mutig in ein fremdes Land,
nicht wissend was kommen mag
gingen wir den Gang entlang
schnurstracks ins Abenteuer.
Manche sa�en nun allein
in einem gro�en Flieger,
andere flogen in der Gruppe
doch trotzdem irgendwie allein
Wir kannten niemanden
Wir beherrschten nicht die Sprache
Wir hatten uns an eine neue Kultur
zu gew�hnen
Wir meisterten Sprachbarrieren
und lernten
sich mit H�nden, F�ssen
und dem Herzen zu verst�ndigen
wir wurden selbstbewusster
und schlossen die Menschen,
die vor unserer Ankunft
nur schwarze Buchstaben auf Papier waren,
in unsere Herzen
(manche vielleicht erst ihre 2. oder 3.Family).
Nun sitzen wir in unserem Zimmer
und schauen auf das vergangene Jahr/Semester zur�ck
und fragen uns:
Bin ich nicht gestern erst angekommen?
Wir haben solange gewartet
auf etwas, das so schnell vorbeigeflogen ist
manche m�gen noch knapp einen Monat haben
f�r manche ist die zeit schon um
aber wie auch immer das Jahr war
wir haben eine Menge gelernt
�ber uns
�ber die Welt um uns herum
�ber unsere Ansichten und Meinungen
wir haben gelernt, unabh�ngig zu sein
Freundschaften zu kn�pfen
und Vorurteile abzubauen
und wir haben gelernt,
das Zeit relativ ist
verg�nglich,
wir haben gelernt, im hier zu leben
und alles, was wir mitnehmen k�nnen,
mitzunehmen, denn obgleich
wir schon bald wieder in unserer alten Schule sitzen werden
so werden wir uns ver�ndert haben
und Erinnerungen mitbringen,
die uns keiner nehmen kann,
f�r unser ganzes Leben nicht
Wir haben vielleicht nicht die Welt gesehen
aber sind weltoffener geworden

To risk

to laugh is to risk appearing the fool
to weep is to risk appearing sentimental
to reach out is to risk involvement
to expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
to place your ideas and dreams before the crowd is to risk their love
to love is to risk not being loved in returned
to live is to risk dying
to hope is to risk despair
to try is to risk failure but the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
the one who risk nothing does nothing and finally is nothing
she/he avoid sufferings and sorrow
but she/he simply cannot learn feel, change, grow or love.
chained by certitude she/he is a slave , she/he has forfeited freedom

ONLY ONE WHO RISK IS FREE!!!

If�

If you speak English, Spanish, German, Japanese, French and Italian in one conversation�

If you have two sets of parents, siblings, friends and relatives�

If you learn about an other culture, language and especially about yourself�

If you miss things from your home-country you never thought you would miss�

If you struggle with silly measurements like inches, ounces, cups and pounds�

If you appreciate every day more and more how important your family is to you�

If finding friends is not always easy, but on the other hand you can rely on your friends at home�

If you live thousands of miles from home, but have a loving family around you�

If you take pictures of every single step you take and think you should take more�

If the words "going home" mean also "leaving home"�

�then you are an exchange student.

THE GOLD YEAR!!!

A year has past and we now stand on
the brink of returning to a world where we are
surrounded by the paradox of everything and yet,
nothing being the same. In one month we will reluctantly
give our hugs and fight the tears, say goodbye to the people who were once
just names on a sheet of
paper, to return to the people that we hugged and fought tears to say
goodbye to before we ever left.
We will leave our best friends to return to our best
friends. We will go back to the same places we came from and go back to the
same things we did last summer and every summer before. We will come into
town on that
same familiar road, and even though it has been months,
it will only seem like yesterday. As you walk into your old bedroom, every
emotion will pass through you as
you reflect on the way you life has changed and the
person you have become.
You suddenly realize that the things that were most important to you a year
ago, don't seem to matter so much anymore, and the things you hold highest
now, no one at home will completely understand.
Who will you call first? What will you do on your
first weekend home with your friends? Where are you going to work? Who will
be at the party Saturday night? What has everyone been up to in the past
few months?
Who from school will you keep in touch with? How
long before you actually start missing people barging in
without calling or knocking?
Then you start to realize how much things have hanged, and you realize the
hardest part of being an exchange
student is balancing that two completely different worlds you now live in,
trying desperately to hold on to everything, all the while trying to figure
out what you have to leave behind.
We now know the meaning of true friendship. We know
who we have kept in touch with over the past year and
who we hold dearest to our hearts. We've left our words to death with the
real world. We've had our hearts broken, we've fallen in love, we've
helped our best friends overcome problems, depression, stress and
pain.we've given hugs and support. We've lit candles at the grotto and we've
stayed up all night on the phone
just to talk to a friend in need. There have been times when we have felt so helpless being hours away from
home, when we know our families and friends needed us the most and there are
time when we know we made a difference.

Ohne Titel

Sometimes ... you can cry until there is nothing wet in you.
You can scream and curse until your throat rebels and ruptures.
You can pray all you want, to whatever god you think will listen.
And, still it makes no difference.
It goes on, with no sing as to when it might release you.
And you know, that if it ever did relent
... it would not be because it cared