One Week Down

1/20/19

It has been a week since I left the USA to begin my “hero’s journey”, as Dr. Wasser described this study abroad experience.  After landing, the only thought on my mind was, admittedly, finding somewhere to sleep. But since it was 8:45 AM, I had a full day ahead of me in a brand new country. From that point, it was a whirl of new sights, new rules, and new people. I was introduced to my fellow TAMU students, my host family, and my new temporary home. The first few days, were admittedly tough. Acclimating to a new place combined with missing home and the people there made for a difficult combination. However, as the week continued with tours, orientation meetings, and an excursion to the city of Aachen, I began to feel more comfortable in my new setting. I was also very excited to get to know my fellow study abroad students during our explorations in Bonn, Aachen, and Maychoss, and I experienced my first introduction to the German language. Both in conversing with my host family and in German class, I have realized that German is a difficult language to learn and understand; however, I remain hopeful that over the course of a semester I will become somewhat proficient. The week was also made easier by realizing that I can still easily communicate with my family, friends, and girlfriend back in the States. I am looking forward to beginning classes this week and getting a better feel for what the semester will look like. Already, I am realizing that time is flying by, and I intend to make the most of this semester before it is gone.