So I have three semesters (including this one) left of school until I graduate with my masters degree.  Juan has two or three semesters left, depending on whether he can take enough classes and pass them during the next two semesters to finish his degree.  I’ve just been thinking a lot lately about what I’m going to do when I graduate and how I’m going to do it.

Obviously I haven’t done this before, and I wish I knew someone I could talk to about balancing all these things.  It seems like there is SO MUCH to do and I don’t really know how I’m supposed to do it.  How do I include Juan in my plans after I graduate?  How do we get jobs near one another so that we can live together?  Is it reasonable to try to get jobs in Germany instead of here, in my home country?  Is it even possible for him, coming from Peru?  How do we even move to Germany?

What about getting married?  When do we do that?  We’re not ready to be married yet, of course, and we have a long way to go before we take the plunge (both literally and metaphorically), but I’d still like to plan a little for it.  Do we get married in Germany?  Do we get married here, in the US, since neither of us are German citizens?  What are the rules for getting married in other countries?

What if he can’t get a visa to come here, but he graduates a semester before me?  I know he wanted to stay in Peru and focus on his Wushu before he leaves Peru, but how do I bring him to the US, perhaps for my masters graduation?  I don’t think I can bring him on a fiancee visa— I don’t think we’ll be ready to be married yet.  Then what?  Do we just like… meet in Germany?

-R