Being back in the harsh unfriendly lighting of Texas is rough. I was spoiled in that a week after I returned to the states, I flew to California for several weeks. Now that summer school has started up, I've been in College Station and I'm starting to get used to it. The recent summer showers have been relatively helpful, but muggy and humid. I've actually seen several of the other study abroad students on campus and I can't help but remind myself of how good I had it since we never had to cook. To express my feelings, I've written the following haiku:
Oh how I miss thee
Please get into my belly
Döner Essen Yum.
If you're a potential study abroad candidate and you're going through the blogs to make your final decision, good choice. I've compiled a list of pros and cons, brought to you by yours truly.
Cons:
-> It's expensive: The program itself is expensive. Eating there is expensive. Drinking there is expensive. Using the restroom there is expensive.
-> School's hard.Very hard. If you don't take anything from this blog, listen to the next four words. TAKE THIS SEMESTER SERIOUSLY. This is NOT a blow off semester. I'm not going to lie. Half way through the semester, I realized that I'd blown it with my grades; however, that was on me. The opportunity to do well is out there, so take it seriously.
-> You'll miss things: Whether it be a loved one you left a home, a
pet, a friend, a delicious tex-mex restaurant, your scooter, your hedgehog...
You'll miss them.
-> I threw up. Twice.
Pros:
-> The people are pretty. Germans are pretty. Dr. Wasser was pretty in his jeans and slick thick frame glasses.
-> Public transportation: You can get almost anywhere at anytime.
-> Host families: I can only speak for mine, but they were incredibly friendly and inviting. Especially when my parents came to visit at the end of the program. They offered to have my parents stay in their extra bedroom and cook a lavished meal.
If you're worried about being assigned to a unsatisfactory host family, don't worry, I was too. I was put with a lady from Wisconsin, and a man from the Gaza Strip and their three children (16, 19, and 21 years old). I thought I wasn't going to have the 'true' German experience, but it turned out better than I'd expected. However, if you do ever have issues AT ALL, there's someone you can talk to. Her name is Hilde Koch. She's really friendly and in charge of the housing arrangements and will accommodate your needs. For Easter, my host family went to Barcelona and left myself alone to cook canned soup for a week. It would've been awful, but Hilde found out and for a week, she had me over for delicious yummies. Oh! There's another pro.
-> FOOD. Say the word with me. "ESSEN". That's food in German. The food there is muy delicioso. Here's a list of things you must try:
Döner Tasche, Bratwurst, Currywurst, Black Forest cherry cake, the tap water, my host mom's chile, the schnitzel, the potato dumplings, sauerkraut, and more!
-> If you're worried that you won't have time to travel, fear not. On this program, they take you throughout Germany and even to Austria. Even during and after the program, you have time to travel. Overall, I travelled to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Spain, France, Italy, and Tunisia! I highly recommend you plan your Spring Break early. When you're ready to start planning for spring break, it's too late because you're really busy at that time. You could also do what eight classmates, and I did. We took a Mediterranean cruise for a week.
-> Worked on my bucket list. On this trip, I got to cross off the following:
run a half-marathon, go on a cruise, see the alps (I also ate some of the alps), visit the cherry blossom avenue, meet my idol (of three months), I sang Afica, by Toto, in Africa, danced with an elderly man, rode a camel, took Titanic-esque pictures, Went to carnival (as a gnome and got ALL the candies! KAMELLE! (Shout that if you want candy bars thrown at your face)
-> Life long friends: Only the people who experienced this trip will understand what you've been through. I'm actually sitting next to someone who went on the trip with me, but didn't know prior as I'm typing this. Whether you no longer speak to those people, or you're now forever buddies who will understand your quirky obsessions, these people understand you.
-> Ich spreche ein bischen Deutch: You get to learn German from Fenja. Fenja ist meine Freundin und Sie ist Supergeil.
-> You experience things. Fun things. Sad things. Happy things. Confusing things. Things that make you feel things. I liked these things.
Looking back now, the experience is indescribable. It's like those Mastercard commercials where they'd say something like:
Tuition-> $10,000 a kidney and two packs of Juicy Fruit
Grades-> Tears, frustration, anger, confusion... etc.
But... You saw it coming.
The experience-> Priceless.
So, I guess this experience is describable: priceless.
Overall, my message to you is give it a go. Whether it be signing up for this program, or trying anything new, give it a go. I'd recommend you sign up for this program. However, TAKE THIS SEMESTER SERIOUSLY. TRUST ME. This experience could make or break your future. If you're in an interview, this program could be quite the conversation starter, but if they see that you didn't do all too well, then bye bye opportunities. There's a lot of things I say that you should never listen to, but this is one that you should. So, life lessons from Johanna.
1. Give new things a try (Be open minded)
2. Take school seriously
3. Repeat #1 and #2.
If you follow these simple, yet effective instructions, you'll turn out alright. Sorry this post was so long, but I hope you make the decision that's right for you. Viel Gluck!
