You Don't Know You Have It

by Katarina Khachatryan (Armenia)

A leap into the unknown Germany

When traveling we discover not only places, but also ourselves. I am Katarina, 2019 FLEX Scholarship Alumna from Armenia. I participated in the program when I was 16 years old. Those 10 months spent in the United States divided my life into two totally different parts: before the US, and after the US. Before being an exchange student I was a very shy and unconfident person, living my most ordinary life, but I got the call, which, how I like to say, changed my life. The day of the departure came. I was very nervous about leaving my home country and going to live somewhere I didn't know anybody. Although I had traveled before by plane, I couldn't make myself realize what was happening. Crossing the ocean?Living a totally different life? That wasn't for me, not for my personality type. But I had already made the decision, and it was late to step back. We had to fly from my home city to Kyiv, then Frankfurt, then Washington D.C., then Chicago, and then I would get to my host town, which was in Michigan. Everything started when I got out of the Kyiv Airport. The wheel of my suitcase broke, and I had to drag it all along the way. It gets rather difficult when one has a terrible headache, dizziness, and is exhausted after the flight. Had I known it was only the beginning of all the adventures I would have afterwards, I would't be so nervous. I could make it till Frankfurt, where the new adventures were waiting for us. We were supposed to leave the same day, but we had problems with the tickets, so they made us stay in the airport and sleep on chairs in the huge hall where people were passing by. It wasn't that easy to fall asleep when strangers were looking at us, especially when the chairs weren't the most comfortable ones! We made it until morning, hoping to fly that day, but of course, everything couldn't be that easy for us! The security checked our luggage so many times, that they already knew what we had in there by heart. Imagine our disappointment, when we got to the departure gate and couldn't get on the plane. We were provided some food and drinks. I think during those days spent there I had more McDonalds than in my entire existence! We didn't have visas so we couldn't really leave the airport. What we only could do was going from one end of the airport to the other. Note, that the Frankfurt Airport is one of the largest airports in the world, and we already knew every corner of it and even could tell people the way if they couldn't find it! Then we got informed that everything in the food shops in the airport was free special for us, because the program carried out everything for us. Imagine our excitement when we heard it! 13 hungry and tired teenagers and food, a lot of food! That was so consoling and amazing! My host parents from the US and my parents from Armenia were always calling me and asking whether I would arrive that day or not. We had to stay in the airport for over 4 days! It legit became our second home! We were really sad to leave it, and we promised to come back one day. Of course we left then, and all of us got to their host families, but none of us will ever forget the days spent there. The bond we made between us during those days is unbreakable. Being together during breakdowns and stressed times has made our friendship even stronger! I will never ever forget that adventure of my life, because it made me strong and confident, it taught me to solve my problems by myself, and be strong. It showed me how to live my best life...