Köln

The day trip to Köln was extravagant. We saw lots of historical settings, unfortunately it was raining and windy. Walking out from the Köln Hbf the Cathedral was right next to it. I looked up and up almost falling over. The details on the cathedral was so precise. We went for a traditional lunch and I ordered pork chops and a delicious pancake like dessert. We then walk to El-de museum and learned more about the Nazi presence in Köln. Lastly, we had a tour of the top of the cathedral and at the top you can see everything. Maybe, I'll go back on a weekend and see more sites or go during carnival. I can't wait until next week, when we go to see Vienna.

Ein Kartoffel

I hope this still counts as my weekly post because I keep procrastinating when it comes to this blog...

The past two weeks have been pretty stressful and I think I'm starting to get used to it! We saw the Post-War German History Museum last week, had the AIB Welcome Event last weekend, the Mayor's welcome thing on Monday (was that even the mayor though), and went to Cologne on Tuesday. My favourite part was definitely the rooftop tour of Cologne Cathedral and I know I'm going back to see it again! Everything we've done so far was so much fun but I'm pretty freaking exhausted.

I've had more than a few screw ups with my host family in the past two weeks but they still make me feel welcome. They've told me that they have the best student, but I don't think they understand how much I appreciate having them. My host brother and sister finally talk to me, even though it's just about how school/practise was (yasssssss). I guess bribing them with chocolate croissants worked! I'm going to watch my host brother play floor hockey tomorrow! Apparently he's really good and his games are intense so I'm excited to see it.

Classes are mostly good but I'm definitely struggling with signals. I'm glad that I have people who will try to explain it to me (Mitchell and Garrett, you guys rock), even though I know they have better things to do.

I've been extremely homesick this week and it's starting to get a little better. I miss my friends and family so much more than I thought I would. I know my mom would have loved seeing the Cathedral and it makes me miss her more.

I think I hear a baby crying downstairs but no one is home... what.

Waiting for the Washer...

So I guess one of the pros/cons of Europe is the clothes washing system. My host family, like many other Germans, is pretty eco-friendly; therefore, there is no dryer. Which is really awesome on the bills, but also means that you have to plan out your laundry like at least 24 hours in advance or else you will be wearing wet pants to class (yep, already done that). Also, the washer literally runs a 90 minute cycle. ANYWAYS, the point is that I'm writing this blog because I'm waiting for my laundry to be done. Feels just like home.

Speaking of that, I recently made a list of "things I can buy that will make Germany feel more 'homey'". Long title, but super effective in helping the homesick blues from this weekend! I decided that "real" shampoo, not the cheap drugstore kind, was necessary (what am I, a heathen?) among other things like nail polish. So I went to the store yesterday with Ryan and decided to get my shampoo, which of course he was not very interested in. So as I was browsing the bottles covered in foreign words, he said, "Just pick one, all shampoo does the same thing anyways!" as I was holding a bottle of "haarausfall" shampoo. Fortunately, I had my phone translator and discovered that I was actually about to buy shampoo for HAIR LOSS! Crisis (barely) avoided.

I finally feel like I'm settling into a routine and becoming comfortable with my study habits, my schedule in the morning, etc. I'm also getting to understand the house/appliances better--my coffee finally tastes normal in the mornings! Eating dinner with my host parents is always nice as well. They often cook without meat or vegan style, but they've bought meat and eggs and stuff for my roommate and me so we don't shrivel away into nothing with our meat-dependent diets. I also am starting to feel comfortable enough with my baby-level German that I try speaking a few things to my host parents, which amuses them (but they also like it!). Today at the table, when I told them I was full they reminded me that "full" actually translates to slang for "ragingly drunk"! You should say "Ich bin satt" instead! My host mom commented, "well we only gave you tea, but I guess I should believe you!"

Of course, just as I feel like I'm settling in we're going to pack up and head to Vienna next week. I'M SO EXCITED. Vienna is like my dream place to go AND we're going to see the Lipizzaner stallions, which I've dreamed about doing since I was a kid. Yes, I am the horse-crazy girl of the bunch (there's always one).

Anyways, my laundry SHOULD be done by now....so more adventures to come!

Germany Blog: Episode VI

 The past week has been an eventful. There was snow, a hike, a synchronized dance, a large bar tab (pastry tab, if mom is reading), and a trip to Cologne. However I'm going to focus on something else in this post: an event that can only be described as the ISE. ISE very obviously stands for Improbable Stift Eruption. I was sitting at my desk doing homework like the non-procrastinating individual that I am (it was approximately 11:30pm and the assignment was due the next day) and I had no idea that my life was about to change drastically. I was thinking over a problem while very very slightly bending my pen in the same way you would bend a pencil to break it. I really didn't think I was being very forceful with it but I was also lost in thought at the time. All of a sudden, there was a snap and my pen was suddenly in multiple pieces (the part that holds the ink seemed intact but very bent), and keep in mind that this happened suddenly. I looked down at the ground to see if there were any stray drops, and my eye caught a small trail of droplets so I followed it with my eyes. I'd like to pause here and bring something up. Remember the scene in the cinematic masterpiece Daddy Day Care where a young boy exits the bathroom and announces that he missed, and Eddie Murphy goes in and all you see is his face evolving through intensifying levels of horror as he looks from the ground up? Anyway, back to the story. The ink had splattered from my chair onto the ground and all over the wall about 7 feet away. I said some naughty words and then hastily tried to clean it up with paper towels and a glass of water. It came off the floor easily but I only succeeded in spreading it over the walls. I eventually gave up and decided to try and buy something the next day to clean it. I was so nervous that I felt as though I had murdered somebody and buried them under the floor. Nobody could know. To justify my need for ink removal supplies I used the alibi of accidentally breaking my pen and getting a tiny drop on my jeans. I found a bottle of ink stain remover and according to Google it works. Google lied. After about 45 minutes of battling the ink and zero success, I decided to tell my host mother (Nico). I was deathly afraid that I would be put out on the streets and removed from the program and burned alive at the stake for my crimes against humanity. However she simply laughed, pulled out a big bucket of paint and a brush and told me to just put it away when I'm done. This is the same as if the eagles in Lord of the Rings just flew Frodo straight to Mt Doom for him to drop the ring in. I was expecting an epic quest to the store, trying to find matching paint, taking a whole day to repaint the wall, and instead, it's already done. It has truly been an emotional roller coaster here in Bonn.

Homesick and conflicted...

So...we have been doing a lot of fun things and getting to see a lot of awesome stuff and as great as that is right now it only all a temporary distraction. The homesickness has set it for me. Saturday my husband, Karry, and I celebrated our 12th anniversary so I spent most of the afternoon after the AIB welcome party on video chat with him. We had our usual night out to dinner without the children before I left but it was hard being away from him. Sunday was even more difficult, maybe because there weren't any of those distractions we have during the week. Feeling down, I went to bed early only to wake up the next morning to six missed calls from my mother. Knowing something wasn't right I called her immediately and it was the scariest phone call of my life. Even though my mother told me several times that everything was okay when she said "Karry had a heart attack", my world crashed. He is okay, he is at home, resting and recovering well but the controlling person in me wants to be there because no one can take care of things better than I can (in my mind). I hate having to ask him or my mother to ask the doctor questions for me. No one in my family thinks to ask the questions I do. Then I have to wait for answers. Patience may be a virtue but it is not one I possess but I am having to learn. I am having to learn to let go and let other people do the things I would normally take over and do and it's very hard for me. The curious person in me, the one who loves new places and loves to learn knows I'm in the right place but the wife and caregiver in me really wants to be at home more than ever now. So, as my husband recovers I will hope to recover my focus soon and learn to just let go...

.......

I am finally starting to settle in here in Bonn and am realizing that I am here for about 3.5 more months which gives me mixed emotions because inevitably i will start to miss home but I also am loving every minute of this experience so far. Classes have started to pile up and assign homework which isn't my favorite thing but I am getting through it and still having time to hang out on the weekends. My and Zach's host family went on holiday for a week so we were 'orphaned' for a little bit but we survived and I am glad that they are back (mostly because they cook really good food for us) and that we get to spend more time with them because they are very fun. This weekend it snowed during the entrire AIB hike which was suuper fun (and also we 'won' the 'group introduction' with our performance of TchüssTchüssTchüss!) Yesterday we went to Cologne and the first thing that you see when you come out of the train station is the enormous looming cathedral.

This building is the most intimidating yet beautiful and intricate cathedrals I have ever seen in my life and was amazing to see. It is kind of like Kyle Field in CStat because you can see it from anywhere but the cathedral is over 150 meters tall which is just a little difference. Next week we are going to Vienna and after the trip over the weekend a bunch of people and I are going to Budapest which I am really excited about. I am not sure exactly what we are going to see yet but we are going to stay in a hostel which will definitely be a new experience for me. I am beginning to pick up a little bit more german as well but it is still a very hard language so I have to build on the words I already know...Tchüss!

Calm before the storm

So this week has been pretty chill. We even had a full day off of school and we got to go to Cologne for the day. I know this is only the calm before the storm because next week, we go to Vienna, then go to Budapest for the weekend....And then it hits. We have our first Physiology test the next Wednesday, which Aaron and Zach have scared us to death about (in a good way). But I'm excited for the fun times and adventures before our test.

We had a blast in Cologne yesterday. The Cologne Cathedral is crazy big and none of my pictures even could capture the grandeur of it. It rained all day but we managed to stay somewhat dry. One of my favorite things we saw was the old gestapo prison in the center of the city. The actual prison section was exceptionally eerie. I really enjoyed the history of it all though. I also got to try my first Berliner and it was AMAZING! I got another one today. 

I've always wanted to go to Austria, especially Vienna, so I am extremely excited to go to Vienna next week. I'm trying to stay focused this week and stay on top of my studies and homework, but it's been really hard. I'm like a little kid the night before Christmas. 

Settling

I am starting to feel like my host family's home is actually home! Which is so nice, but also as the initial newness of my presence in the house wears off, I foresee some challenges. (Not issues or problems, but challenges that I am excited to learn how to overcome!)

Being around tiny humans has been such a strange experience for me. I have never interacted with anyone younger than me significantly in my whole life. They are so volatile. The tiniest human goes from laughing and smiling to crying and screaming and back to laughing literally in a 3 minute time period. This makes me thankful for the stability of emotion I found in post-pubescence. I look at my time with these crazy little animals as a way to gain knowledge and experience so whenever the time comes (much later in life) that I may produce some little humans, I can make an educated decision. I think they are cute, but I cannot really imagine dedicating all of my time and energy and money into little, ungrateful offspring. But I also think reproduction is the most amazing process ever and am wondering if reproducing is a necessary part of living a completely fulfilling life.

On a more strictly academic note, I am starting to feel okay with studying while I'm here in Germany. At first, I was very resistant to the idea of wasting time behind a textbook while I'm in Europe, but I'm starting to find classes interesting and am trying to look at class as just another part to my overall intellectual development that I seek while I'm here in Germany.

I am looking forward to so many things right now! I am excited and thankful. Lastly, I am so happy that I am starting to become more comfortable with the other people in the program. I foresee many fun times with this select group of Aggie friends.

I'm finally about to head to Germany!
I'm most nervous about jumping into the program a couple weeks in. I'm thankful to have been able to stay in the States later so I could be in my friend's wedding, but I am wondering how easily I will fit into the group at this point.
I'm excited to experience a new culture. Though I wish I new more of the language than I do. When I try to speak in German all my brain spits out is Spanish. Hopefully I can shake that somewhat quickly.
Overall, I'm just super excited to get over there and get this semester started! I think I'll love meeting new people and experiencing more of the world.
Here I come, guys!

A little insight on my Weekend

These past couple of days have been great! Friday afternoon was a special day for my host family because it was my host dad's (Franz) birthday. I was invented to dine with them at the China-shiff-Restaurant where we were served delicious Chinese cuisine. The restaurant is a boat on the Rhine, which I thought that was really unique. According to my host mom the boat is required to sail at least once a day for permission to be on the river. Hence making it a fully functional boat ;).

The next morning (Saturday) I woke up early to prepare for the hike and there was no indication that it would snow, but around 9:30am within five minutes the entire street was covered in blissful snow!!! Snow may not be a big deal for many people, but it was the first time I had ever experienced it. It was everything I imagined and more!!! I thanked my mom several times during the hike for over packing and making sure I had everything I needed.  Not once did I feel my feet wet or cold, and I felt warm and snug underneath the numerous layers of clothing. After our hike we prepared for the moment our entire group was anticipating… The AIB Group Battle!!!!! Well it was meant to be the moment where every program introduced themselves and gave a little background on why they are studying in Bonn, but our group took that a little more seriously. We practiced for about an hour for 2 days straight and when the day came we exceed everyone’s expectations. We won the battle! Well unofficially that is…since it wasn’t a competition and no one received a prize. Nevertheless, victory was in our teams eyes and everyone seemed to be happy to have performed the German Biosciences group take on Bye,Bye,Bye! If working to put a song/dance choreography together was that much fun, I can’t imagine what the rest of the semester has in store for us.

Let it Snow!

I was waiting at the bus station to go to the hike for the pre-AIB event. In my mind, I replayed the performance we were gonna put up for the welcome party, praying that I will not let the anxiety of stage fright leave my mind blank. I was quickly distracted when I noticed that the first flakes of snow were falling. I have seen snow, but never seen first hand the transformation that occurs around town. The tree branches were quickly covered in white snow. Soon the rooftops followed and lastly the whole view was in white. When I finally reach the train station there was about a half inch of snow. During the hike (I should have wore a thicker jacket), we threw large chunks of snow at each other (it was quite fun). Hopefully, it will snow again later (can't wait).

We are the CHAMPS

I've been away from home for 11 days now. I see what people mean when they say that the initial thrill wears off and then you start to miss home. I miss my family, especially my crazy grad-student engineering brother that I live with in College Station! I know he has probably turned the house into some sort of crazy machine lab by now and there's no one there to clean it, so it's assuredly a disaster. I also miss TAMU--it's so chilly here and I hear that it's sunny and in the 70's over there right now. I miss seeing my fellow Ags march from class to class and playing piano in the MSC. I even miss my coffee maker! 

But while there's lots of things that I feel mega-nostalgic about, Germany is still great. I've become comfortable riding the trams (still nervous about buses because I have no idea where they go) so I can explore a little more comfortably and become a little more autonomous. It's also nice that people DO speak English, because I am at German level 0. And I'm SO THANKFUL to have a really awesome group of people to be hanging out with on the daily, including my boyfriend. :) So that helps ease some of the home-sicknesses. 

So, moving away from the sappy stuff! Today was the AIB "Welcome Party" and it was a huge testament to the quality and awesomeness of the people in the Biosciences program with me this semester. We were supposed to come up with a little song or chant or something to describe who we are, what we do, stuff like that. So, naturally we came up with a parody of N-Sync's "Bye Bye Bye", and OF COURSE choreographed the dance to it as well. Needless to say, the bioscience nerds stole the show and everyone loved us. 

But on a higher level, the fact that the bioscience students (and TA's!) were willing to learn some dorky words and choreography and perform it at 110%--even though most of us aren't theatrical or performers--really demonstrates the dedication of this group to produce high-quality results in whatever they do. I'm looking forward to working on a REAL project with everyone--if we can collectively put that much effort into a silly song, there's no telling what we can do in a work environment! 

Oh, and side note: IT SNOWED TODAY. So, we are the champs and it snowed. How perfect is that?!

Ok, back to physiology notes, but if there's anything to be taken away it's this: don't be afraid to be a little uncomfortable if it helps you discover your true potential! Whether it's dancing to N-Sync in front of a bunch of theater majors (yep, we "beat" them!) or flying across the world to live with strangers for four months, you will probably surprise yourself and will DEFINITELY come back changed for the better. 

SNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Being born in Houston I have never ever seen snow like this. I was probably the most obnoxious  person on the hike today because I just kept throwing snowballs  at people. One snow ball was especially big

This was probably the greatest moment of  my young life. And  not  to mention how much bread I got to eat today. I ate my weight in bread and I freaking LOOOOVE bread. If I could marry bread I would. But I can't. The food here in Germany is amazing. Everything is savory and delicious, The beer is amazing. The wine is high quality and cheaper than in America. All this aside, the people that I am here with really do make every day better than the last. I couldn't imagine being in this amazing place without getting to laugh with everyone and go to pubs with everyone. I have a lot of time here, and I can't wait to see what the rest of this trip has in store for us.

Germany Blog: Episode V

 I've only been here for a week, but it feels longer than that. The first three or so days I had to constantly check bus schedules/routes to get anywhere, but now I feel very comfortable getting around. Bonn is a very nice city- it's very pedestrian friendly, it's pretty, the weather is pleasant (but I wear about five shirts every day), and there is so much food everywhere that it's impossible to not find something to eat. I'm enjoying all my classes, but I might update that statement later in the semester. My one and only complaint so far is that it takes quite a while to get around compared to driving everywhere like back home. The trip is almost always pleasant though, so it's not such a bad thing. Learning the language is very fun. I communicate like a three year old (lots of pointing) but I've managed to order food without speaking English, so by next week or so I'll probably be completely fluent. This week has included a lot of adventure and I'm really excited about the rest of the semester.

Week Number 1 in Germany = Success!!!

So much in so little time! This week has been awesome! Getting settled in, getting lost sometimes, getting to hang out with some great Aggies, meeting new people, climbing and hiking to see some fantastic views of Bonn across the Rhine, touring the third smallest winery in Germany, which mind you is still pretty large at about 500 hectacres, tasting some great wine from that winery, starting classes, seeing snow in Bonn, and just being in Germany! 

I started out a little apprehensive about living in a new place, but my host mother is very nice and very welcoming and has made those fears seem a little silly! It's always a very happy event coming home and being enthusiastically greeted by her little, black pug Mila, who then sits down in either hers, mine, or Ryan's lap and watches us eat our dinner. 

Mila and I at the dinner table

Being here in Bonn brings me closer to some pretty cool things! There are museums and all sorts of other cool things like the Beethoven Haus, the house where Ludwig Von Beethoven was born, and the Haribo Store! There is definitely an opportunity to explore and soak it all in, and I hope to do so in the coming weeks and months.

Tschüss!!!

It's all an adventure!

So, it finally hit. I knew it would, but I didn't know when. The first wave of homesickness has officially set in. I think the excitement of being in Germany has worn off a bit and I'm realizing I'm here for the long haul. It probably didn't help that I was looking at old family pictures on my computer as I was trying to clean up some storage. I'm not only missing my San Antonio home, but my College Station home. I also knew this would set in sooner or later, as my friends and roommates all go back. I got to FaceTime with all of my roommates tonight so I was so that made things a lot better. I miss my College Station and San Antonio family, but I will be back very soon (in the grand scheme of things) and I need to savor every second I have here. 

On Sunday morning, my host mom and I went to an English speaking Anglican church down the road from the flat. It was very different than what I am used to, a lot more traditional than the contemporary services I usually attend, but the congregation was very welcoming and interested to get to know me. That afternoon, some of us went on a hike to some castle ruins just outside the city and it was such a beautiful hike. The views were amazing over the Rhine river valley. I was truly reminded of the beauty of God's creation.

Classes are starting to pick up a bit so I was a bit nervous at the beginning of the week, but I'm starting to get a grasp on how to handle my classes (really just trying to figure everything out for Physiology). I am still worried about Biochem since it will start after spring break and be crammed into half a semester. I'm hoping we can start lecture a little earlier.

It's all an adventure though!

Week 1

Well, my first week in Germany is complete, and after getting over the initial excitement and jetlag, I am starting to settle into a comfortable routine.  My host family is great.  My host mom cooks great meals every night, and we all sit down to chat together, often about our different cultures which is very interesting to me.  Their house is in a great neighborhood in south Bonn, no more than a 3 minute walk to the Rhine.  I got slightly lost trying to get home on the first night on my own, but since then I have become more accustomed to the public transportation here in the city.

Bonn really is a great "town."  I put town in quotes because, although it has a population of 300,000 people, it does not feel like a large city.  The city center with its old churches, cobblestone streets, and open-air markets has a charming feel that I've never really experienced in America.  On Saturday, I had the opportunity to walk around the city a bit with a couple of my friends, and we visited the Beethoven House, ate at a nice cafe, and even ran into some sort of political march/demonstration.

I do miss my family and friends back home, but I have really enjoyed getting to know the other students on this trip.  So far, the things I've missed the most from back in the US are being able to use my iPhone anywhere (the Nokia brick we were loaned for use in Germany brings back painful middle school memories), and being able to watch American football games.  Hopefully we'll be able to catch at least some of the Super Bowl despite its very, very late start here in Bonn.

I am very much looking forward to our Cologne excursion next week, and our trip to Vienna which is quickly approaching.  So far, so good.

I got hit by a bus!!!!

So my first week in Bonn has been very eventful and awesome. after arriving at AIB and going over some initial stuff, we got to go home and meet our host family which is amazing! They have two young girls who love to talk but they know both German and Turkish so I have no chance at guessing what they are saying right now.

So far my classes are going fine and I am especially enjoying my German class (right now my favorite words include 55-fünfundfünfzeig and sorry-entshuldigung)

This week I went to two museums, the Egyptian museum which contained a bunch of artifacts and the Arithmeum, which was a math museum but was probably the coolest museum I have ever been to. Also, to clarify the title, on one of the tours around Bonn, we were shown where the bus stop was and evidently I was standing too close to the edge of the sidewalk and got brushed by the back of a bus but I was not injured in any way. Walking around the vineyard Maychoss and the wine tasting were also nice. We also took a (very long and strenuous) hike to the top of Drachenfels which were some old castle ruins and the view at the top once we stopped gasping for air was breathtaking (ha ha).

I know the rest of my stay in Germany is going to be amazing and I cannot wait to continue on this adventure

Only a week ago?

A week ago I left my home and my family but things have been so busy it seems like it has been so much longer than that. Everything here is just so beautiful!! I think I could walk the streets and stare at the architecture for hours. So my first few observations...

...My host family... Is wonderful!!! The food is amazing and the interaction is just enough. At home I am a fairly private person. Last semester was very difficult for me since A&M housing took my sole request of "single occupancy bedroom"  and disregarded it and gave me a room mate in a one bedroom apartment. I really enjoy the time I spend with my host family but I am glad that I do stay in a downstairs room and I can choose how much to or not to interact with them. This also allows me plenty of time to communicate with my husband and children in the evenings without feeling I am being rude and ignoring them. The decision to leave my husband and my children at home was perhaps the most difficult part of the decision to study abroad.

...Communication with home. I love my husband and my children. I really do. But seriously I can not stay up past midnight to talk to them after work/school every night. This will be another adjustment for all of us.

...I have already started to surprise myself. Foods I would not even try at home, I have already eaten here. Activities I would not do at home, I have participated in here. Distances I would not have walked because I am a lazy American, I walk here almost every day now. I have already started to pick up some basic little things in German and I expected that would take me forever.

While there have been some tears for me in this first week, I hope that doesn't get any worse. Part of that problem has been resolved now so hopefully it will be a while before there are more. I can't wait to see what the next weeks and months bring!!

Bonn

My first week in Bonn has been awesome. Although, we had some orientations before the trip, I have never really talked with the other bioscience students. During this first week I have made multiple new friends (from Penn State, host family, and program ). The house I am staying at is near a forest. Once the weather is warmer, I want to start exploring. I am in love with the diversity of food my host family and Bonn has to offer. I had some Arabian rice dish, salad, and yogurt. It had cinnamon, beef, and carrot in it. The program took us to a beautiful winery the past weekend, and I can't wait to travel there again. On Sunday we climbed a small mountain to see the ruins at Drachenfels. I can't wait to explore more of this beautiful city.

A Reflection on my First Week in Germany

A list of what this week entailed: 

1. Getting to AIB

2. Getting to my Host Family's house

3. Traveling in a large group

4. Waking up for class

5. Not speaking the language

6. Ordering food

7. Touring the City of Bonn

8. Beethoven Haus

9. Basketball Game

10. Wine Vineyard 

A couple of these needed a little time getting use to, but AIB has a lot of experience with programs such as this one, and Dr.Wasser has planned out this trip thoroughly which made the transition easy. I was paired with a great Host family who has made me feel at welcome and at home. 

It's refreshing to have large family dinners and discuss about our day and random topics. Waking up to the sound of a cello playing downstairs, kids playing in their rooms, and mom cooking is the complete opposite from my house. In my home I could probably hear a pin drop. Although it is a drastic change I enjoy the company. Today my host family was kind enough to invite me to Telekom vs. Crailsheim basketball game. It was interesting to witness how German fans are as enthusiastic about basketball as people in the states. 

I also had time to visit the Beethoven-Haus with a couple of my peers and took time to appreciate art and music, which is something I don't get to do as often back home. I have absolutely fallen in love with Bonn!!!!! There is so much to do and so little time! 

Curry for Days

It hasn't even been a week here and I already love it :) Germany is so beautiful and settling in was so much easier than I expected thanks to my wonderful host family and the other biosciences kids!

My host family is wonderful and I try to spend as much time as I possibly can with them! I cooked for them the past two nights and they said they liked it! I'm not sure if they're lying to me to be nice though... I made so much curry last night by accident that I'll probably have lunch for the entire week! I've spent hours every night talking to my host parents about anything and everything. It's the best part of my day :) My host mom told me that her two kids were too shy to talk to me but one added me on facebook and the other said bye to me so basically I'm officially in the with fam.

Some of us went to Drachenfels to see the castle ruins today! The hike up there was so worth it and I had a ton of fun with everyone :) We also went to Mayschoss on Friday for a wine tasting and I think I more than enjoyed it. So far all the places we've been to have been amazing and I can't wait to see what else we do!

Unfortunately, classes also started and I'm not having as much fun with those. I can barely get through one question of the signals homework without falling asleep. German class is so fun and my host family is always impressed when I come home and speak a little more German! Physiology and history of medicine are interesting so far. Hopefully everything stays manageable!

I'm off to watch a strange German show where actors who aren't famous anymore eat random animal parts in order to eat an actual dinner. I don't know whether I misunderstood my host mom or not but I guess I'll see! 

Achievement Unlocked

I can't believe it's already been a week since I wrote my first blog post about leaving for Germany! Time is flying by and it's incredible. I guess I'll just share some initial thoughts about what has been happening this last week. 

1. Leaving wasn't as hard as I thought. I was a bit sad that I was leaving my family but I didn't sob on the plane like I thought I would. Also, it's so easy to talk with my parents whenever I have some wifi that it's not even a big deal. 

2. It's so COLD. I feel like no matter how many pants I wear I am always going to be cold! Yes we always knew Germany is colder than Texas but it's completely different to be living in it!

3. My host family is amazing. I said in my first post that I was scared to be living with a family I didn't know but they are better than I could ever imagine. I feel like I can treat them like they are my family! We hangout more often than I was expecting and they are so helpful!

4. Finally, Germany is amazing. The structures are beautiful, the land is beautiful, even the people are beautiful! 

I'm excited to continue through this semester in Germany and discover more about this wonderful country!

Tschüss!

Fünfzhen!!!!

So it's been what, 5 days? 5 days since I left the sweet, sweet state of Texas and travelled across the Atlantic. There are three things that especially stand out to me:

1. Host fam - seriously so cool. 

2. My TAMU friends - seriously SO cool.

3. Everything else - SO COOL.

Ok those aren't very intelligent thoughts, so let me elaborate a little. 

My host family is seriously the best. I think I have the best host family out of all the host families, but I try to keep it on the down-low cause I don't want anyone to get jealous. ;) They're avid runners, eat organic (sometimes vegan) with lots of vegetables, and are SO welcoming. I immediately felt at home upon arrival after my 30-hours-with-no-sleep flight into Germany, as Gitti (host-mom) made me some tea and took me on a walk through Beule, which is the sub-town/district we live in. They're also totally cool with me practicing piano, and they let me raid the fridge. What more can you ask for?

Beule is situated right on the Rhine river--in fact, our street name is Rhinestrauße (literally "Rhine Street). When I walk to the AIB in the mornings, the first half mile of my journey is bordering the Rhine then crossing the Kennedy bridge over the river sparkling in the morning sun, which is an amazing way to start the day. I'm sure I'll quickly change my tune when it rains, though!! Yikes. 

Speaking of AIB, the classes are pretty awesome. We all know Dr. Wasser is a great lecturer and his lectures are fascinating, so I won't even bother elaborating on that right now. The class that I'm having the most fun with is German! Our professor is very friendly and understanding of our Texas drawls, and the curriculum is based on "survival German" rather than grammar. I definitely prefer this, as I am learning how to say hi/bye, order food, and other practical things. My favorite words so far are "fünfzhen" (fifteen) and "tschüss!" (bye!; pronounced like "juice!"). I told my host family that fünfzhen was my favorite word and they thought that was pretty hilarious. I guess "fifteen" isn't very fun to say when you speak it every day. . . 

Not only is my host family great, but my A&M buddies are also so fantastic. I immediately felt a connection with everyone--just the simple fact that we're all new to Germany and its language has already brought us closer (nervousness to say "Entshuldigung" to a random stranger is great bonding I guess). I'm glad that I have an awesome group of people to get to explore new places with! For example, just today we went to our first (of many) castles--the Drachensfel over Königswinter. My host mom informed me that this is the oldest national park in Germany, and while we didn't get to read up on the history there (all signs in German...sigh) it was interesting to see the ruins of past civilizations and to see the beautiful overlook of the Rhine and the surrounding village. 

Well, I'm off to go eat some nutritious dinner! Believe me, you'll be hearing more about this kid's adventures later on! Tschüss! 

17% gone!

I just looked at the calendar and realized I have been gone from home for 3 weeks as of today! I will be gone a total of 18 weeks for the whole trip, so my total time abroad is already one-sixth gone! Wow.

I already feel very comfortable with my host family and we have enjoyed many laughs together. My host Oma (German word for Grandma I recently learned) is a really incredible person I learned. I respect her immensely and am really at awe of her and beyond her amazing life story that she told me last night, her day to day routine. She is in a wheelchair and has been for 20 years due to multiple sclerosis she told me. She is also blind in one eye and was born that way. She was a single mother from the time her son was 2 years old. She told me she used to play basketball and do dance performance in her wheelchair! I really didn't know how to respond when she told me all of this except, "Wow!" I am so inspired by her and look at her as a daily reminder to be strong and unafraid when I am anxious to leave the house because I am young and alone in a foreign country. We ended our conversation last night after she told me all of this by doing wheelies in her wheelchair! Still, all I can say is, "Wow!"

I also have the absolute cutest little kids living with me in my host family. Despite our language barrier, we communicate through smiles and laughter. Interacting with these little kids is a good reminder that it is easy to create friendship with anyone with enough smiles and perhaps gifts (I brought home packages of Haribo gummies for all 3 of the kids).

I have so much to say and I foresee much more laughter and many more smiles to share later!

Initial Thoughts

I am extremely excited about this trip to Germany. I'm nervous about leaving  my  family and my girlfriend for such a long time, but I know that I will settle into my temporary home quickly. I haven't planned much for extra trips but the few that I have thought of like going to Poland to see Auschwitz, hopefully going to Spain for spring break, and going to the amusement park in Germany are so far what I want to do.  I'm not really too worried about being in another country because of traveled to foreign countries before, but I know I will be homesick after being so far from home much longer than I have ever been.  I'm looking forward to learning German from my host family and our class and definitely looking forward to tasting all kinds of Beers during this trip. I hope that with every day I will have a new story to tell my friends and family once I return home.

Travels on Travels on Travels

Hallo Blog!

Today I will board a plane and fly to a foreign country where I will be living for the next four months.

I am so excited! It is an amazing life opportunity. People keep telling me that I will not be the same when I come home.

They say
I will have seen more.
I will learn a new language (probably an exaggeration of my ability).
I will learn how to teach others.
I will learn how to travel.
I will try new food.
I will taste new beer.

And I can't wait.
I can't wait to meet my host family.
I can't wait to explore Bonn.
I can't wait to teach.
I can't wait to visit other cities.

Also I MUST see this place:

Like seriously? That place looks ridiculous. 

I've also promised myself that I will make it to London and Amsterdam while we are in Europe.

As excited as I am about the plethora of adventure that awaits me, I sit here with conflicting emotion. 

To Jordan and my family, I will miss you more than you know. I love you all so much. Being apart from you for 4 months is going to be a new challenge for me. I miss you all already. 

Thank you to everyone who wrote me a letter to take with me on my trip. I will cherish your kind words and your time. My relationships with the people that I love are what I care most about in this world and what I will miss the most. 

Next time I write will be from my new home over 5,000 miles away. Thank you for reading my blog!

Germany Blog: Episode IV

    I wish I knew the correct way to begin a blog post. It is now 1:09AM and I will leave my house at 9:00AM tomorrow to go to the airport. I've always had a talent for getting things done far in advance.

    When I think about the trip and try to assess my own feelings in a way that is coherent, I arrive at two words: excited and unprepared. Tomorrow I will sit in a metal tube for what seems like half a year while it miraculously propels itself over a body of water that used to be the end of the world until people built boats big enough to cross it, and then I will exit the aforementioned tube and be in a place where I can't walk up to literally anyone and say "What's the deal with this Texas weather, am I right?" And the only things I have done to get ready are:

1. Acquired a passport/credit card
2. Bought new jeans because apparently I left all of mine in College Station
3. Thrown every article of clothing I have ever owned into two bags

    I'm not jittery, or nervous, I just have this feeling of being vastly unprepared, like that dream (or reality) where you have to take a test you haven't studied for. The nice thing about this trip is that instead of that feeling of panic you get while you're in the middle of failing a test, I'm just excited. I don't have to know who I might meet, or where I might go, or what kind of beer (pretend that says pastry, Mom) is the tastiest, because the answers to those questions reveal themselves, unlike the answers to physiology test questions.

    Despite how unprepared I feel, I'm just ready to get this adventure started. Hopefully I won't leave my jeans at home.

Time to head to Germany!

It still doesn't feel all that real, I mean, I can't believe that nearly 24 hours from now, I will be the farthest I have ever been from home! This realization is both scary and incredibly exciting. I can't wait to be immersed in the culture and try the food and listen to the music and just experience what Germany has to offer!

Getting to go to a country where soccer is a HUGE deal is something I am definitely looking forward to. I hope to make it to a Bundesliga match or two, and watch some great soccer and take in everything that goes along with one of these great European sporting events. I'm really looking forward to the newness of going to a new place and studying and getting involved in the culture and getting to know my fellow Aggies better.

I would definitely say that leaving for a whole semester makes me a little anxious though. Even with all the rationalizations, there will be people who will speak English, you've been away from your family for this long before, getting lost is an inevitable fate that will end up being a great opportunity to find an amazing place, it's still a little nerve-racking going to a brand new place.

Anxious and excited, a great description of me the past few days. Stay tuned to see which of these emotions wins out in the battle to not let me sleep on the plane tomorrow! I can't wait! Auf Wiedersehen College Station!

Hello Deutschland

As I make my final preparations (mainly writing this blog post), I am filled with mixed emotions.  I have been anticipating my trip to Germany ever since August when I first applied.  The chance to study abroad for an entire semester in Europe is certainly exciting.  But now that it's finally time to leave, I'm feeling a little anxious.  I can hardly speak any German, and I have never been to Europe before so I don't really know what to expect.

However, after reading the blog posts from previous years, I know that what I am feeling is no different than what other students have experienced.  I'm sure that once I get acclimated to Bonn, I'll start to relax and get the most out of my time abroad.  Plus, since I'm from Tennessee, I'm already comfortable with going to school far away from home.

All-in-all, I'm nervous but ready to leave tomorrow.  I've had a great winter break with my family and friends, but I'm excited to see what's in store this semester.

Lets go to Germany!

I am super excited now that I finally get to begin my journey to Germany after thinking about it for almost the entire semester, however I am obviously filled with mixed emotions

I think I am ready.

I am trying to rationalize with myself the fact that I will be out of the country that my family and friends live in for 5 months by saying things like “oh it’s like going to college station and not coming home for the semester (which I usually do because I live almost 5 hours away and don’t bring a car to college),” but I know that’s not true. I am going to be in a foreign country where I don’t know how to pronounce a single thing without sounding it out like I’m in pre K again. I’ll be living with a random family who I know next to nothing about and will be immersed into a completely different culture but I believe it will be alright. I am probably overthinking this like I usually do with everything because I love traveling, experiencing new places and people and cannot wait to see what Europe has in store for me. In descending order, the things I am most excited about regarding my next semester are: Traveling (hopefully to as many countries as I can without going broke/failing all my classes), new food/language/culture, and finally since it is a STUDY abroad semester, school.

Once more over the checklist

…and

I THINK I’M READY TO GO TO GERMANY!!!!

Deutschland Beckons

Finally, Everything is ready. Which is rather humorous because, personally, I never thought I would ever finish preparing for such a large embarkment. I've run through the list a dozen times:

• Everything is packed
• Boarding passes are printed
• Classes are registered
• goodbyes have been said

and I'm still about to explode.

The excitement of this study abroad has reduced me to a breathing ball of energy yearning to be living in Germany. I can hardly wait to meet my host family in person, experience German culture, and learn more about life outside of College Station.

While this semester remains an academic one, filled with reading and studying, I'm excited to not only succeed in my classes but also engulf myself with the new world all around me.

Im excited to travel! Europe has many unique countries that I hope to get an opportunity to visit. Plans will be made, and great times will be had all across Europe.

Most importantly I'm excited to be, or attempt to be, German for a semester. I hope to have great times with my host family and leave with the intention of visiting them again!

I'm excited to experience Germany, and can't wait to see what this semester holds!

Garrett Harmon

This is Unbelievable!

The first time I heard about this opportunity was my freshman year, two years ago. I remember at the beginning of the presentation I was skeptical about studying abroad, but when I left, I had been convinced: I wanted to go study abroad. I forgot about it until this semester in Physiology when it was presented again. I knew at the end, I was going to apply and go to Germany. I called my parents excited to tell them and expecting them to tell me "No". I was wrong. They were just as excited as I was and encouraged me to apply. Ever since I applied, I have been dreaming of what is going to happen in Germany and now it's here! 

Of course, there are plenty of expectations that go along with a trip like this. I hope to see as much of Germany and Europe as I can and to learn more about different cultures in the world. I want to travel as much as I can (while still doing well in my classes)! I am so excited to see all these places I only see on TV. That is definitely what I am most excited about. 

Since it's the night before I leave, there are more anxieties fluttering through my mind than wishes and hopes. The thing I am most anxious about is the host family. Staying with a family I've never met makes me nervous. Really nervous. Emailing them has made me feel better but it's still scary. Another anxiety is flying internationally for the first time BY MYSELF. I have flown a lot in my life but international flying is completely new to me. I also know that I am going to miss my family and friends. Everyone says that I'll be having too much fun to remember but I know my brain. I'll miss them. But I would be happy to be proven wrong!

I am so excited to see everyone in Germany on Tuesday!

Leaving for Germany! :)

I can't believe my flight leaves tomorrow! I'm extremely nervous about leaving my family. I've already said goodbye to my mom and brother, and I already miss them so much. I've never traveled anywhere without them, so I guess I'm most nervous about trying to figure out everything without them. Especially because I'm a klutz and I've already lost my passport twice in the past 24 hours. Oops... I'm also afraid I packed way too much and I have no idea how I'm supposed to carry all this stuff with me. Other than that I honestly can't wait to get there! My host family sounds wonderful and I'm excited to meet them. I have absolutely no idea what to expect about this trip, I hope it all works out for the best :)

Studying abroad in Germany 2015- 1st blog post (ever!)

If I were to write this blog entry in a couple of hours, it would be very different. I am at the stage where my feelings resemble a yo-yo. The dichotomy is composed of extreme contentedness, joy, and excitement about the independence and adventure I will experience and in opposition, great fear of the unknown and sadness about missing my people whom I love back in Texas.  The good thing though is that the more overwhelming emotion is that of positivity and hope. I have been in Europe since the very end of December, so I am thankful I have had time to get over jet lag already. I am going to be staying in a hotel in Frankfurt for a day by myself before the program officially starts though, and I am fairly nervous about carrying all my luggage and figuring out the shuttle by myself. 

I have reflected a lot upon expectations lately. I think expectations have a powerful effect on outcome. I am not yet sure what the ideal formula for forming expectations is in order to maximize positive outcome, but I do know that we, as humans have the ability to form complete and changing expectations. This has a definite correlation to how we interact with the situation when it finally arrives and even beyond that, to how we record our experiences after they have passed. I believe there is a happy medium, just as there is with virtually everything else in life. For now, I am being fairly reserved with my expectations and am going to focus on "living in the moment" and spending energy on the present rather than the future. 

So, cheers to a few months in Europe during which I will focus on being positive every day!