It’s 30 minutes before we leave for the airport for summer vacation, and my bag’s still six pounds too heavy. Items fly out of my suitcase as I determine what to remove for my trip to Germany.

After minutes of a futile search, I notice six pairs of sandals, stashed away in the corner of my bag. Do I really need all of these for a trip to the city?

Yes, yes I do. I stuff them back in, then heave my overly large bag of toiletries into my brother’s near-empty suitcase, placing it near the bottom and covering it with his sweatshirt.

Hastily, I zip it up and prop it against the wall. My bag is now 46 pounds. Phew, done.

Airport security

The worst part of traveling is airport security. I pushed my way through the crowded line for what seemed like hours. Just as I neared the end, I was selected for a random security check.

Great. An attendant began to tear my bag apart. As items piled up on the counter, I remarked peevishly, “It took me 40 minutes to pack that bag!”

Glaring at me, she slid the now-empty bag my way. “You’re done.” Shoving my belongings into the bag, I hurried to the gate to join my teen companions.

Question of independence

The experiences I lived through in Germany were some of the most memorable ones in my life. But aside from breathtaking scenery, fascinating history, and captivating museums, what I really learned was a bit more about myself.

I could go through security without my parents, find the gate where my plane boards and use broken German to ask where the bathroom is. I’ve learned to resolve problems that arose between myself and my companions. I’ve learned about the “kindness of strangers” and the kindness of my German relatives.

We teens feel independent. But it only takes a few days of independence to realize that it’s not all fun. We depend on family more than we think, like the time one of us lost a passport.

Time flew. An hour before we departed from Berlin, I still hadn’t gotten any souvenirs. On our way to the train station, I excused myself and ducked into a small souvenir shop.

Matching hats for my best friends and myself? Check. Stuffed bears for my adorable baby cousins? Check. Housewarming gifts for my uncle and aunt? Check. Then it was auf wiedersehen, Germany.

I’ve learned that I am striving towards independence and that I can live without my parents for three weeks. But most of all what I’ve learned during my summer vacation is that “There’s no place like home.”

Maria Proulx of Ledyard is a student at St. Bernard High School in Montville.