The prospect of leaving Germany for such a long period of time got me thinking - what (and who) am I leaving behind? And how will everything change while I'm abroad?
Several of my friends just started a thrilling new job. Will they still like it (or work there at all) when I get back?
My sister just started studying at university. She may be nearly half through her bachelor's degree when I next see her.
My mum will be a year closer to retirement. What kinds of retirement plans will she make while I'm away?
Some of my friends are going through tough times in their relationships, while others are planning to have a kid, or already had one.
It will be almost impossible to really stay in touch with all of them - and even more difficult to convince them that their lives back home are just as interesting to me as my long journey may be to them.
Even in the digital age, with Facebook and Skype and all that, communicating while you're half a world away is just not the same as meeting in person.
So all I can really hope for is that we may reconnect when I'm back - I hope you'll still remember me then!
Several of my friends just started a thrilling new job. Will they still like it (or work there at all) when I get back?
My sister just started studying at university. She may be nearly half through her bachelor's degree when I next see her.
My mum will be a year closer to retirement. What kinds of retirement plans will she make while I'm away?
Some of my friends are going through tough times in their relationships, while others are planning to have a kid, or already had one.
It will be almost impossible to really stay in touch with all of them - and even more difficult to convince them that their lives back home are just as interesting to me as my long journey may be to them.
Even in the digital age, with Facebook and Skype and all that, communicating while you're half a world away is just not the same as meeting in person.
So all I can really hope for is that we may reconnect when I'm back - I hope you'll still remember me then!
