By Aga Biernacka
Some people love celebrating their birthday (I’m one of them :-D). Others enjoy celebrating their relationship anniversary. But for me, there’s another day that is always marked on my calendar, a day I love to celebrate – September 8th. That’s the day, when I was not even 19, that I embarked on my journey to Germany to spend my Au Pair year in Munich. No matter where I am, I use this day each year to reflect. To just pause for a moment, think about where I am, where I was a year ago, and what has happened since. Today, as I write this article, exactly 10 years have passed. It makes me a bit emotional, I must admit. A third of my life – it’s just incredible. It’s really hard to put into words everything I have experienced during this time.
I can still clearly remember the day when my father, along with my best friend, drove me to the train station. I didn’t fully realize what was happening until the train doors closed right in front of me. But by then, it was already too late. I can remember each stop on the way from Szczecin to Munich – Angermünde, Pasewalk, Berlin, Nuremberg, and then finally, late in the evening, Munich Pasing. I also remember my first language course, where I met my first good friend in Germany. He told me about ClubIn, and thanks to him, I spent the next 8 years there. I remember the day of our Test DaF exam and, above all, how tired we were after the entire day. Then came the long-awaited letter from LMU with the admission to study Communication Sciences. I remember exactly how I sat with the envelope in my host family’s house, afraid to open it. Then came the huge joy, and of course, because I am “me,” the immediate big fear of how I was going to manage it all. I remember the first semester when I spent days in the library reading academic texts for seminars. I had to translate every third word, and with tears in my eyes, I really did it – text by text. After that, everything went so fast… meeting my boyfriend, my first job, my bachelor’s thesis, moving in together, the first full-time job, the Master’s program in Intercultural Communication, more jobs, and the semester abroad in Italy. When I look back over the past 10 years, so many people I met along the way immediately come to mind. Whether during my Au Pair time, during my studies, at ClubIn, at work, or privately through other friends. We created so many wonderful memories together, were there for each other, and without every single one of them, the last 10 years wouldn’t have been what they were. I am so grateful for each and every one of them. I’ve learned so much from them and gained so many new perspectives that are simply irreplaceable.
Now, as I reflect on this review, I can’t help but laugh, even at myself. Everything that once seemed so unreachable and distant either became reality—or didn’t, but for a good reason. I learned something from every situation and gained new experiences along the way. Everything shaped me into the person I am today. If I had the chance to speak with the Aga from 10 years ago, maybe on that train ride when she was heading to Munich, full of questions and uncertainty, I would definitely tell her two things: don’t worry, and take it slow, step by step. You can’t plan everything, even though my present self sometimes still thinks and tries to. And who knows, what will my future self tell me in 2034? I’m excited to find out and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Translated by Joeline O’Reilly