Wolfsburg (Niedersachsen, Germany)
We wanted to escape Germany, now we are glad to leave France behind us. Does this mean we appreciate Germany more again? And does this mean we no longer want to visit France? It's not that simple. It's never simple. I harbor no negative feelings toward France. It's just that the time has come to see something else. We wanted to find out whether France could have become our home, even if only a temporary one. The answer is a clear no.
In four years, we spent a total of 470 days in France. That's a whole year, three months, and 15 days. That's a period of time from which we can form a judgment for ourselves. And this judgment is that France cannot offer us what we want and need. There are too many hurdles that we are either not willing to overcome or that are too high for us.
What remains is the memory of an intense time with many beautiful experiences that we were able to have mostly in the silence of untouched nature or the peace of secluded places. This time has definitely changed me. I have reached a point where I want to filter out the positive from this period over the difficult and hard moments and nurture these memories. I want to continue building the strength within me that has developed during all this time.
So, back to square one? Not quite. We are indeed back in the country from which we started, but I am, to a certain extent, a different person. I know what I want and what I don't want. And I am ready to set red lines that no one may cross. Clear boundaries – something I have always been afraid of, since my boundaries never had the same meaning as those of others. For a long time, I had none at all. I have learned that boundaries mean freedom. Now I must learn to stand up for them and fight for them.
We wanted to escape Germany, now we are glad to leave France behind us. Does this mean we appreciate Germany more again? And does this mean we no longer want to visit France? It's not that simple. It's never simple. I harbor no negative feelings toward France. It's just that the time has come to see something else. We wanted to find out whether France could have become our home, even if only a temporary one. The answer is a clear no.
In four years, we spent a total of 470 days in France. That's a whole year, three months, and 15 days. That's a period of time from which we can form a judgment for ourselves. And this judgment is that France cannot offer us what we want and need. There are too many hurdles that we are either not willing to overcome or that are too high for us.
What remains is the memory of an intense time with many beautiful experiences that we were able to have mostly in the silence of untouched nature or the peace of secluded places. This time has definitely changed me. I have reached a point where I want to filter out the positive from this period over the difficult and hard moments and nurture these memories. I want to continue building the strength within me that has developed during all this time.
So, back to square one? Not quite. We are indeed back in the country from which we started, but I am, to a certain extent, a different person. I know what I want and what I don't want. And I am ready to set red lines that no one may cross. Clear boundaries – something I have always been afraid of, since my boundaries never had the same meaning as those of others. For a long time, I had none at all. I have learned that boundaries mean freedom. Now I must learn to stand up for them and fight for them.