Already on Monday of the 4th week, it was clear to everyone that it would be time to say goodbye soon. We were a little sad about it, but we couldn’t do more than a little because we didn’t have time for it! The final week was suuuper hectic! There was always something going on and we were in so many places! 

On Monday the departure to Washington DC took place. A 10-hour long drive. This meant we had to say goodbye to our host mom. I was sad that we had to part ways because she has been the most amazing host mom ever. She started tearing up and gave Cyrine and me the letters she wrote. After that, she told us she will go or else she would cry a lot. We hugged for a last time and got on the bus. I also gifted her a tea diffuser in the form of a cat. She sent me a picture of her using it the other day! I have already mentioned that the bus drive was a 10-hour drive. While it may sound a lot, time flew by really fast. I think a reason for that may be, that all of us were aware, we would be gone in 1 week, so every minute we spent with each other we tried to enjoy ourselves as much as possible. It was the best bus ride I have ever had! So much fun. There were also a lot of pictures taken while people were sleeping… Glad I wasn’t one of those victims. I was protected by a friend from the evil photographers… finally, we arrived at Georgetown University.

Tuesday, we drove to Philadelphia. We visited the Independence Hall and the Benjamin Franklin House. After that, we had free time. Now at this point, I might disappoint you because of how few pictures there are. That’s because my storage was full during the last week. So whatever pictures there are, I got them sent by friends. Usually in the evenings in Georgetown we go downtown, have dinner with friends and just walk around to get to know the place better. We also hung out in the lobby a lot. On Wednesday we had a Capitol Tour. It was very interesting. After that, we visited the Holocaust Museum. Even though I feel like I already know a lot about the Holocaust, the museum still gave me goosebumps and shocked me. 

On Thursday we visited the state department, and it was sooo cool. We met some really nice people. People who made the BFTF- program possible! In the evening we went to a musical show at the Kennedy Center and watched the “Lion King”. It was truly breathtaking, the effort put into the songs, costumes, and the stage was unbelievable! On Friday we had the day for ourselves! At night we had a pizza party as a kind of goodbye. We decided to pull an all-nighter and enjoy our last moments together. People were giving flags, books, and Shirts to let each follow sign. It was so fun and emotional. We talked till the sunrise and then we watched the sunrise together on the rooftop. On the day of the flight, everyone was in a bad mood. The bus drive was not half as fun as the ones before, and it was really quiet. Most of us were already crying, me included. It was a day filled with emotions. My planned flight was Washington-Frankfurt-Vienna. The flight to Frankfurt was delayed, that’s why I missed my flight to Vienna. However, it was no big problem as I got the soonest flight to Vienna and I also saw Marko (a Fellow from Montenegro) still waiting for his flight, so he helped me a lot with my boarding pass, baggage, and stuff. We stayed together but my flight was before his, so I said goodbye to him and finally, home. It was an irritating feeling, but I was also kind of relieved to have arrived. We have already had Zoom meetings where we just talked, and it is so much fun every single time! We have also talked about a reunion soon.

I am beyond happy I got the chance to be a part of such an amazing group with so many unique personalities who are still kind of similar in their assertiveness and determination. The lectures were a big part of the program, yes. I have learned a lot from them. However, thinking they were the only educational part of the program is wrong in so many ways. I have learned so much social-wise. I came out of my comfort zone and did things I would have never dared one month ago. This program offered me so many great things in unexpected ways. It is ridiculous. The first 2 days of the program were nerve-wracking, yes and I know what I am about to say may come across as crazy, but I am glad it happened. I feel like it made our group’s bond start off stronger and this hardship was necessary to become one big family. I learned so much from mentors and from fellows. Cultural differences are so important and interesting to understand.

I would like to thank the US Embassy Vienna, START and everyone who was involved in making this possible for me.
Berivan