Settling In

During one of our orientation meetings last semester, we were told that we would probably experience a honeymoon phase when we first got to Bonn, where everything was new and fun and exciting. After that, we were told a homesickness phase would set in. However, it was the other way around for me. I honestly felt homesick the moment I stepped onto the plane leaving Houston and realized that I wouldn't see the people I had grown up knowing my whole life for 4 months. So after only about a week and a half of living here in Bonn, it surprises me that I already feel very much at home here. My host mom has been so great and of course it helps that I've been able to keep in close contact with my family and friends back home through video calls and text.

Although I still don't know much of the language, I've gotten so used to hearing the German language all around me when I'm just walking in the streets, standing in line at a bakery, or eating at a cafe or restaurant. Even when I returned to Bonn from Maastricht this past weekend, I felt a sense of relief that I was back in a place that I had grown to know and love. I've also actually adjusted to the cold weather much better than I thought I would! It's been in the 20s-low 40s up until this past weekend, so when I saw that today's weather was going to be in the 50s (which I would've considered freezing in Texas) I thought, "Finally, warm weather!"

The days right after our arrival included a tour of the city, a tour of Mayschoss vineyard followed by a wine-tasting, a long hike up to the Kreuzbergkirche (literally more hiking than I had ever done in my entire life), a visit to a post-war German history museum, and a day trip to Aachen. Having lived in Houston my whole life, I'm used to driving everywhere because the city is so large and spread out. So you can imagine how much I appreciate the public transportation system here in Bonn! But for the most part, I try to walk to places as much as I can because I love seeing all the intricate architecture. I'll never get tired of walking by the Bonner Münster or the Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall) on my way to and from school or going out to eat. After the first few days of just wandering around and getting to know the city (and getting lost a lot),  I almost forgot that I was here in Germany for school! I'm only taking 12 hours though, so hopefully I can manage to balance all my classwork with the traveling I hope to do.

Tschüss für heute!