Catch ya later, Texas

It blows my mind that I even have the opportunity to go on this study abroad trip. I have given up with coming up with expectations of what is going to happen because I know they will all be blown away. I have never been to Europe, so up to this point, I have only had word of mouth to know what it is like. The chance to spend so much time over there is going to be be a life-changing experience, and therefore I expect to return a different person because of it. As far as preparation goes, packing by itself is seeming to be a formidable task. I've done a practice pack, and modifications have yet to be made to that situation. My host family seems wonderful and very friendly. I'm super excited to meet them and spend time with them, learning what family life is like in that corner of the world. There are definitely some things I'm hoping to experience/accomplish while I am abroad. First off, I am hoping to gain maturity, confidence, and clarity for myself. I definitely feel like this trip is going to turn the page to a different chapter in my book of life. That is a vague goal, but since I don't know how it's going to change me, I can only stab in the dark. In lighter areas, I definitely can't wait to hang out with peers and other college students there and just get to know them and their background so I can learn about the culture through the people most like me as far as age goes. This is also important for language barrier purposes. I plan on becoming comfortable speaking German by the end of the trip solely from interactions with the citizens there. I'm also hoping to find a good music scene there. I really wanna see some live shows and concerts with my peers there. On that note, I'm really hoping to find a person/group to play music with. It pains me that I can't bring my keyboard, so I'm hoping an opportunity arises for me to write music with someone consistently while abroad so I can keep my creative mind in that field sharp. Two other things I'm excited to take part in are German soccer and German food/beverages. I've played soccer since I was little and I would love to just play for fun while there. But the food/beverage department definitely has its spot in my mind. Food is pretty much my favorite tangible thing in the world, and I can't wait to experience the culture through the food and of course, the beer. Naturlich! As far as travel goes, improvisation is going to be key. I'm not sure everywhere I want to travel yet, but I like it that way. I'd rather the weekend trips to different cities be spontaneous. I think it will be more fun and a better experience that way.