Missing my second home

8568 hours - about one year - ago my plane to New Zealand took off. 

I left my home country behind with different feelings, uncertain whether I’d easily get in touch with the new people there, sad to be separated from my German friends and family for a long time, but very curious about what these six months would have to offer. 

Now that I’m back, I am indescribably glad to say that this time was, in many different ways, the most spectacular, wonderful, exhausting but also calm, strange but exciting, adventurous and unforgettable time I’ve ever had. This may sound a bit cheesy and stuff, but I really mean this, and I could not say something similar without having met all these great people. I’m so glad I could get in touch with boys and girls from so many different countries!
I thank my Kiwi friends for including me so quickly into their circle of friends and their everyday life, and the internationals for spending fantastic trips together (I guess I’ve seen more from New Zealand than from my home country haha).

The school trips with the internationals were each of them incredible adventures for me and I will never forget things like canoeing, jumping from cliffs, running up a hill and singing on top and all these weird, funny things! :D 

I think back to this time nearly every day and I hope I can come back to beautiful Aotearoa some day to see my friends again because they’re really amazing and I miss them heaps!!!!! 

To all of them who read this, lots of love from the other end of the world! 

Yoko xoxoxo