New experiences. New home. New friends. Germany Week 1

I have now been in Germany for about a week. I am really loving it so far and slowly learning some lessons along the way. I am learning my way around Bonn and how to use public transportation. I am not really a fan of the buses because I get really confused, but I am getting better. I also find myself just following people who know where they are going and how to get places, so it is taking longer for me to get my bearings and navigate the streets, but I am sure I will get there eventually. My host family has been so great and helpful. It is quite a change going from my house, which has been just my parents and I since my brother moved out about 6 years ago, to a house with 4 boys!

We have been doing many things with the AIB and the Biosciences program, but there have also been many great experiences outside of these scheduled activities. The program activities last weekend included a winery tour and wine tasting along the Ahr River and a scavenger hunt/tour around the Rhinaue park. The wine country was beautiful, and it was so crazy to see the rows upon rows of grape vines. They just stacked up on every hill in sight! I also really enjoyed seeing the park and some important landmarks within Bonn, although it was extremely cold and I did not enjoy being outside very much. Some of us also went to a local pub one of the nights and we got to meet some really cool Germans that were around our age. It was so nice to speak with them about life and to understand that we are not that different, even though we live on opposite sides of the world. That weekend my host family and I also hiked up one of the seven mountains to see the ruins of the Drachenfels castle. I am not used to too much hiking, so it was quite tiring, however, the few from the top was amazing. My host mom said that on a clear day, you can see all the way to Cologne. Sadly, it was very cloudy, and so cold that my phone actually died while I was trying to take pictures. My host dad joked that I probably had the Texas model and I don’t think he was wrong!

This week we took a trip to Aachen and it was so much fun. I loved being able to explore the city and take cool pictures. We also got a tour of the cathedral, which was absolutely stunning. It is such a crazy feeling to know that I was standing in a giant church that is extremely old. And, seeing how intricate the architecture is, I cannot imagine people building it so long ago with no machinery. Camella and I also split a large brick of printen, basically gingerbread, covered in chocolate. There were quite a few stares as we stood in a square taking bites out of this giant brick! Classes also started this week, and so far, so good. It doesn’t quite seem real that I am here in Germany taking classes, but I am sure it will sink in when tests roll around. But I am really enjoying the classes and I feel confident that I will be able to balance travelling and school, even though it will be a challenge. This weekend, many of us are travelling to different parts of Belgium, and I am really looking forward to that (especially the waffles!). I am sure many memories will be made, not just in Belgium, but throughout this entire semester. Also, planning all these trips on weekends and trying to figure out spring break is very stressful!

PS Don't worry too much mom! I have made some new friends (shocker, I know) and I haven't gotten too lost yet! I am also trying new foods and stepping out of my comfort zone to experience new things!