Everyone deals with stress and change differently. When you go on exchange you will definitely experience both stress and change and it’s important to find a way of dealing with it. If you’ve read my last blog, you’ll know I spent a summer working in Potsdam, Germany through a program called IAESTE. The way I deal with stress is to take some time by myself to recharge and settle my mind. It was important to me to find a place where I could achieve this, and I did in the park and gardens of Sanssouci Palace.
Even the name, Sanssouci meaning “without concerns”, made it the perfect place for me to get away from all the challenges that come with moving to a country where I didn’t speak the language, far away from all my friends and family. Sanssouci was the summer palace of Fredrick the Great and boasts a huge park full of manicured gardens, idyllic forested areas and beautiful palaces and vistas. I spent hours wandering around this park, indulging in a bit of nature in the middle of the city.
Sanssouci Palace
There are many paths that lead to different gardens or buildings, with beautiful statues and fountains among the trees. It is a truly amazing, beautiful place that I think is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. I went there often, at least once a week after work or on the weekends if I was in town. Sometimes I would just wander the paths and see what I could see. Other times I would bring a book and read in the shade, or write postcards to people back home.
Occasionally I would lounge in the sun and just people-watch. It was my favourite place in the city. Every time I went I would discover something new, a different corner of the park. It was remarkable, quiet, peaceful and exactly what I needed. It was a place where I could think and reflect on my experiences or not think at all. Somehow, even though it was a million miles away and I’ve never encountered any place like it, it reminded me of home, as odd as that sounds.
Poets’ grove at Sanssouci Palace
This is what worked for me, how I dealt with the stress and loneliness. We’re all different and I’m sure not all of you would find lounging in a park a pleasant afternoon. My point is though, that while you’re on exchange, find a way to deal with the stress, with all the new experiences. You will have all these amazing experiences and you will feel stressed and overwhelmed. Many of you will want to make the most out of the experience, travel every weekend and see as much as possible. Do that! But take time for yourself too. Do some of the things you like to do in your normal life, it’s one of the things makes the difference between visiting a place and living there.