Monday, May 5, 2025
By Charlotte Meyer-Schönherr
Arriving in a new city for the first time is a unique experience. For me, coming to Washington, D.C. as an exchange student at American University during the Spring 2025 semester was both exciting and challenging, and like many newcomers, I went through what I now differentiate as three distinct phases.
The first phase was full of excitement. Everything was new. I didn’t know my way around, and I loved it. Every street, every building, every café seemed to hold a secret. I spent hours walking through neighborhoods, taking photos of monuments, and feeling like a tourist in the best sense of the word. I was wide-eyed, open to everything, and completely enchanted by the city’s energy.
But then came the second phase. The thrill wore off a little. I had seen the sights, and reality started to sink in. I hadn’t made many many friends yet, and suddenly I wasn’t just a visitor anymore, I was living here. It’s a strange in-between space: not quite a tourist, but not yet a local. That’s when I realized that building a life in a new place takes more than enthusiasm. It takes time, patience, and effort, and a willingness to be lonely sometimes.
Photo courtesy Charly Meyer-Schonherr.
Then, just as I began to feel truly settled, the third phase, which I like to call “Feeling at Home (and Saying Goodbye)”, everything changed again. I had found my rhythm. I had friends I could count on, favorite spots to study, and a routine that made me feel at home. I wasn’t new anymore. I had arrived.
And then… it was time to leave.
That’s the paradox of being an exchange student. Just when you feel like you belong, it’s already time to say goodbye. Sometimes I wondered if it’s even worth trying to build a life in such a short time, wouldn’t it be easier to just remain a tourist? But then I think about the friendships, the small routines, the sense of home I created in just a few months, and I know it was worth it.
Exchange isn’t just about studying abroad. It’s about learning how to let go, how to adapt, and how to find meaning in a temporary chapter. And in doing that, I’ve come away not just with memories of Washington, D.C., but with a deeper understanding of what it means to belong, even if only for a little while.