We’ve been in Germany for a little over a week now, and honestly it feels like a lot longer than that! Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for me to adapt to my new home, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of culture shocks. I would describe my first week as chaotic. Not necessarily bad chaos, but chaos that takes some getting used to.
The week started with a flight that had me very nervous to live
in a foreign country for four months whose language I don’t speak without my
family and friends. I have traveled abroad before, but I don’t remember feeling
nearly as tired and hungry as I felt on Sunday after we landed in Frankfurt.
But I forced myself to stay awake until 9:30pm, and by the end of the week, I had
fully adjusted to the time change.
My host family situation has been a bit of a roller coaster.
So far, I’ve had three host families, and hopefully the one I’m with now is the
last! My first host family – the Ohms – had a family emergency the week before
I arrived and had to fly to NYC to tend to their son and his wife. Consequently,
I had to stay with their neighbors – the Matzs – for the first couple of days.
Upon arriving in Germany, I found out that the situation with the Ohms had
escalated and that I would no longer be able to stay with them this semester.
Additionally, the Matzs could not keep me because of prior plans for the spring.
Thus, I ended up with my third host family – the Reifenbergs. There are certainly
some adjustments in my host home (like sharing a tiny bathroom with three girls,
not being able to stand up in the shower because of the slanted roof, and only
having one plug in the room), but I’m getting used to it all now. I’ve really
enjoyed getting to know my host mom, Claudia, and the Ukrainian girl, Daryna,
who they’re also hosting. I instantly felt comfortable with them, and I know
they’re going to help make my time in Germany so much fun!
As for the trips we’ve taken so far, I have to say that
Aachen has been my favorite. I loved the quaint, small-town feel, and the
stained glass in the cathedral was incredible. Not to mention, the printen was
delicious! I am also really excited to work on the enmodes project this
semester! My favorite part of Cologne was the cathedral: the architecture and
enormity was just breathtaking. I also think it’s really cool that while the
rest of the city was virtually destroyed during WWII, the cathedral was not
bombed. Visiting the Gestapo headquarters was also really insightful. The
museum is well curated, and the guide did a really good job of conveying the
gravity of the crimes that were committed there.
In the greater Bonn area, I’d have to say my favorite thing
so far was looking out over the city from the Drachenfels. The hike kicked my
butt, but the view was so worth it. I also love the smell of all the bread and
pastries as I walk to class every day. The cold and rain are not my favorite,
but I’m getting used to it. I am definitely looking forward to more sunny days
though. Or snowy… cold with some snow is okay.
The people in the program are great! It’s such a fun group,
and we all seem to work really well together. I was honestly surprised at how quickly
I became friends with a lot of them! I am looking forward to continuing to get
to know them and making memories as we learn and travel together.
Next weekend, I’m going to Switzerland so stay tuned to read
about that!
bis zum nächsten Mal.
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