Going abroad.
It changes you and challenges you in so many ways.
If you were ever an exchange student, did Erasmus, or an Au pair, and the aftermath of having to let go of a life you had built for yourself hit you worse than expected, you're not alone.
And if you happened to fall in love during that time, maybe even for the first time, it didn't work out, and you had to deal with the difficulties of that, you're not alone with that either.
This series of poems deals with heartbreak, the struggle to let go (especially of the past), the oddity of time,
but also acceptance, healing, closure, the very much-needed life lessons and ultimately finding yourself.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if for the longest time, you can't see it.

I think it's safe to say that I discovered my passion for poetry and writing when I felt pain for the first time.
My first ever poem ''Without you Choosing Me'', I wrote throughout a school day in June 2023, at a time when I felt anxious about going back to the country of my stay abroad, one year after being forced to leave the life I never wanted to leave behind.
Anxious about going back knowing the relationship I had, didn't last. That was the first time I wrote out my fears and anxiety I was carrying inside of me. And in a really bizarre way, it helped me. However, I realized that I'm a better writer when I'm out of pain. Because I'm reflected and able to think clearly. Thus, every other poem in this book was written after I went back and gained my clarity. I hope you enjoy the journey of a teenage girl who realized she needed to lose herself to find herself.