Being an exchange student

I am an exchange student.

How do you know what a dream is, if you've never accomplished one.
How do you know what an adventure is, if you never took part in one.
How do you know what anguish is, if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears.
How do you know what being desperate is, if you've never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying. How do you know what diversity is, if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world?
How do you know what tolerance is, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn't like it.
How do you know what autonomy is, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself?
How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped being a child to start a new course?
How do you know what it is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it.
How do you know what distance is, if you've never looked at a map and said “I am so far away”.
How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one.
How do you know what an opportunity is, if you've never caught one.
How do you know what pride is, if you've never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished.
How do you know what a friend is, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones.
How do know what family is, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally.
How do you know what borders are, if you never crossed yours to see what there was one the other side.
How do you know what imagination is, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home.

How would you know all this, if you have never been an exchange student?

(Unknown author)