Studying

Studying…

a never ending process of gaining knowledge.

…but that’s not a bad thing, right? 

Hello to today’s post! This will be all about studying, but don’t worry: no homework! As you know I’m currently studying Japanese and I’m also learning a lot about Japan’s culture. But that’s not everything, because if I’m honest, I’m also learning a lot about myself and where I come from.

How could that be?, I hear you ask.

Well let me explain:

If you made the first scary step towards your exchange year and you’ve jumped off the cliff that separates you from adventure and you dove in deep into the ocean of a new culture, you’ll get to the point to where you suddenly realize, that you’ve gained a very different perspective of that cliff you’ve jumped off. Was it really that high? That scary? It looks so small and far way now? Oh god I’m already so far off shore! I must have swam around in all these new experiences for quite a while now…

to get off this metaphor and back to the point:

Having by now almost hit half time of my exchange year, I’ve rather suddenly, come to the following conclusion: I’ve been changing for quite a while now.

[to my friends and family: Don’t worry! Deep down I’m still the Avria you know, but my outside changed.] I’ve adapted to new routines, of which followed taking up new habits, which led to a new attitude, new hobbies, new friends…. I have a completely different life here. A second life so to say, because deep inside me, I’m of course very well aware of my roots and I still feel very attached to my home. It’s only that I have two places to call home now, that I have two families now, two schools, that I go to, two kinds of people I call my friends, two countries that will, from now on, always be close to my heart. 

The most obvious of all this NEW stuff is of course: the language.

I’m not only thinking different, I’m also thinking differently = 

I’m thinking japanese in Japanese.

okay I know this sentence looks as if I forgot to double check my post, but let me explain: I’ve already talked about the whole „new habits -> new attitude“ thing. I’m acting japanese now [at least I’m trying to do so as best as I can in order to fit in]. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So sometimes I have thoughts that, in hint side, seem very japanese to me. But I’m also thinking in Japanese a lot lately, because I’m studying this language basically 24/7, at least passively. Therefore some phrases just come so much more naturally to my mind in Japanese than they do in German. 

Let’s get to the question of this post’s title:

Is constantly Learning a good thing? For me it totally is!

If I wouldn’t have ANY opportunity to study anything at all, I wouldn’t be happy anymore. Yes I hear you scream, „know-it-all! teacher’s-favourite! She must be kidding right?“ but please hear [read] me out. Stop and think about what’s happening to our world right now? To the place we depend on? The places we love? Yes, there’s a lot of bad stuff, a lot of frightening and horrible things, that are happening right now. But there are still people, who fight back, who resist to simply follow the flow of BAD and who rather risk everything for the sake of GOOD. People, who have opinions of their own. People, who believe in knowledge rather than in power, or money, or pressure, or anxiety. People, who stand up for themselves as well as for others. These people have KNOWLEDGE. They LEARN every day to improve, to fulfill, to reach their goal. Now what if everyone’s, all those people’s, brains would just stop processing knowledge? Wouldn’t our system of safety, of IMPROVEMENT,  crumple down? Wouldn’t all our lives lose some sort of purpose? Wouldn’t the world be a much, much, much more horrible place without studying, without learning? A much darker place?

Please keep in mind: for me, studying and learning means ENLIGHTMENT, it means to explore the bring light to the unknown, to speak metaphorically. It does not only take place at school or is only meant for school, for me, it takes place in our head. every. single. moment. Every single moment you spend thinking, is a moment in which you gain knowledge.

Of course if you want to gain real, pure knowledge, there’s some effort involved: You’ll have to process the experiences you get. You’ll have to research, what you don’t understand. You’ll have to be passionate about what inspires you and to be fearless about the thoughts you’re the only one thinking. You’ll have to be OPEN-MINDED in order to take in your surroundings as best as possible; as pure, as clean, as bright and vivid, as alive and true and sincere as possible.

That’s what studying/learning means for me.

It means PROCESSING THOUGHTS.

Wich leads up to finding strength in yourself

and in YOUR own knowledge.  

Stay motivated to study, everyone, even though it’s summer holidays now. Enjoy you’re SPLASH in the pool and use the free time swinging in your hammock, thinking about whatever inspires you.

best regards and let your thoughts wander to places unknown

Avria<3