As a young adult, I seized all the opportunities that study abroad in Germany afforded me. I immersed myself by choice in the culture. It was the culture of the poor student ? but still! This was living a dream: I was a university student, a seasonal worker, an English tutor, and a traveler. The initial 1-year plan wasn?t enough, so all in all, I stayed 3 years. I made friends from many walks of life. I owe my fluency in German to teachers, hosts, friends, and mentors of those years. Travel b...