Germany 2015!

The winter break has come to an end quicker than I expected, and I am about to embark on an amazing experience in Germany. I had to overcome a couple obstacles like getting my VISA!!! Luckily I was recently approved and now there is nothing standing in my way. Most of my anxieties were about pre-departure. Although I am sure this will be a life changing experience I have concerns about my home-stay, weather, and the language. All of which I am sure will not be a problem and just requires time to adjust to. I am excited to see how our lectures will be incorporated to our surroundings. I hope to gain experience in the field of medicine and have a better understanding of how healthcare works in other countries.

Even though I am a little anxious about my home-stay I think that staying with a German family will only facilitate me learning about their culture and the language. When I received an email from them with a picture of their family it made me feel more at ease and reassuring that this will be an amazing experience. I am an only child so it will be interesting to live with a family that has four children all under the age of 16.

We will see what is in store for us in Germany!

P.S. Not excited about my 6:05am flight L

This is really going to happen?!?!

I remember the first email that came into my TAMU email about this program after I had been accepted as a transfer student. I remember thinking it sounded great but...I can't do that. There were so many reasons I couldn't do that. I'm not late teens or early 20's, I'm almost 35 years old and have a family, not just mom, dad and siblings I would be leaving here but a husband and four children. It was way too expensive and I would never be able to afford to study abroad. So many reasons that while it looked like a great opportunity it just wasn't for me.
 
Then Dr. Wasser came and gave a presentation about the program in our microbiology class and the "well, maybe" started to creep in. I really thought when I asked my husband about leaving the country for four months he would tell me College Station was far enough, but he didn't. I honestly thought I'd have to withdraw from the program for lack of financing before I had a real chance of being to go. Then things started to fall into place...

The last few months have been a ping pong game of Yes I am, No I'm not, Yes I am, No I'm not and finally YES I AM going to Germany. There have been so many hurdles and so many blessings to get me here but now if I can manage to get everything packed and it isn't so icy we can't make the drive to Dallas by some freak change of weather forecast I will be getting on a plane Monday morning and begin my journey to Germany.

Some of the same things that scare me or make me nervous about this trip are some of the same reasons I need to be going. I'm sure I have every anxiety of a "typical" age study abroad student, especially one that has never traveled internationally before. Then I have all the anxieties of a mom leaving her kids. I've been a mom for so long, I'm not sure I know how to not put my children first, but I also know that if I were to have chosen NOT to go I would be teaching my children that its okay to walk away from something because it makes you nervous or scares you. I've also been a wife for the last almost 12 years and I'm not sure how to not do that either because I married so young.

I'm not sure what expectations are about studying abroad. I hope to learn (or semi-learn) the language. I want to do new things or things I wouldn't be able to do here. I'm excited about the classes and the history. I really, really, really want to make one trip to Paris, France if things calm down there since my hometown is Paris, Texas. There are so many possibilities and I am going to do my best to enjoy every minute of everything!!

This is CRAZY!! We are going to live in Germany!

     I cannot believe that the time has already come to spend the semester abroad in Germany. I feel like I've been talking about it forever and it's finally here! So I usually suffer from something called FOMO (Fear of missing out) and as weird as this may sound, only of my biggest worries is FOMO, not because I'm scared I'll miss something in Europe but because I don't want to miss anything going on back in the states, especially in College Station. I'm sure once I get to Europe, I'll be completely fine.
     Another fear of mine is being away from my community in College Station and not making any kind of community in Germany. I don't really know anybody going on the trip yet so that might be a huge factor.  I'm sure that won't happen though! On the other hand, I'm really excited to step out of my comfort zone and meet new people, experience new cultures, and grow as a person.
     I know this is a STUDY abroad trip but I'm really excited to travel while I'm in Europe! I just have to remember that I'm there to study and not just travel around. I'm sure my classes will keep me busy though! This is something I've always wanted to do, since I was a little kid, and it's finally here! I can't wait to see what this semester brings!

Let's talk about Germany

Countdown: 49 hours until I’ll be boarding a plane in Austin, TX to make the long journey to Europe. I’m sitting here at my parents’ kitchen table, coffee in hand, staring out at the dreary weather—the rain dripping off of the trees still clinging to some of their autumn leaves, the soft grey of the sky—and I feel utterly content. Taking the winter break off to spend time with family was a great idea. I’ve gotten the chance to put academic stress aside for a few weeks and just focus on being with the people I care about, which is a great way to start a 5-month-long journey into the unknown! It also has given me a chance to remember that the little things in life are awesome—like the extremely satisfying fact that I’m going to finish my favorite coffee creamer by tomorrow morning, which is my last day in Temple.

It’s weird to think that in approximately two days my idyllic days in Temple are going to be replaced by sightseeing, exploring, and (most importantly) studying!!! I’m thrilled to be going to such a strange place. Not to get too sappy and poetic, but last night I was playing Schumann’s About Strange Lands and People on the piano, which kind of put a score to my feelings about the trip. The song, if you haven’t heard it, is peaceful and resolved, but with a hint of minor uncertainty in the B section. That’s how I feel. I’m a little nervous, but mostly peaceful and ready to see new places and experience new things!

Since I can be a little paranoid, and paragraph form can be overwhelming, here’s a nice, organized list of my most pressing worries concerning the trip.

1.     MISSING MY FLIGHT. This actually happened last time I travelled internationally (also happened to be by myself!), and it was very terrifying. I’m flying with Ryan this time, and I doubt it will happen, but STILL!

2.     My hair straightener sets my host family’s house on fire. Self explanatory.

3.     Everyone will be better at soccer than me.

4.     Physiology and Biochemistry will be hard and I’ll be so busy and it will be hard to stay motivated!

5.     My reading retention will go down because I’ll be using eBooks and memory retention isn’t supposed to be as good when reading from a screen.

6.     My host family doesn’t believe in coffee.

Now, let’s follow that by the things that I’m most excited about:

1.     Going to Vienna! It’s been a dream of mine ever since I got caught up with WWI and WWII historical fiction. I’m sure it will be everything I think it will be and maybe even more.

2.     The music history and culture. Self explanatory. I’m staying within a mile of two performance venues, one of which is the Bonn Operahouse. I’m not even complaining.

3.     Playing soccer! There’s allegedly an AIB tournament, and if I don’t come back to the states at least 5x better at soccer, I obviously will have done something wrong with my trip to Germany.

4.     FOOOOOD. BEEEER. Trying ALL the things!

5.     Small classes!!! For the first time in my TAMU career, the professors will maybe actually know my name before I have to go annoy them in office hours. Always a nice feeling.

6.     Making new friends, through the program and just in life. I’m excited to learn about my fellow Ags on the trip, as well as other exchange students and my host family! I’m staying in the same house as a girl from another program, so I’m semi-nervous/semi-excited. I really hope she’s cool!

So those are the general thoughts of this child, pre-departure T-48 hours (yeah this took me a while to write). I’m off to try out this German restaurant, Hausgarten Eidelweiss, in neighboring Bartlett, TX. My dad is joking that he’ll make me order in German. Jokes on him—we might not even get any food if I have to speak German (add that to my list of fears!). I've been practicing some, so hopefully I'll know essential German words (coffee, bathroom, hello) by the time I'm physically in Germany.

Ok, Amy out. Or however you wrap up blogs. I'll be posting more later! 

Germany Here I Come

I am really anxious about this trip. I have never traveled to Europe before, but have always wanted to. I can't wait to leave to see Europe and have a high expectation for the adventure that awaits. However I couldn't help but dread a little at the prospect of leaving my family for the duration of the study abroad. Another issue is my terrible luck at getting lost, I have always had bad sense of directions. In College Station at least everything is in English; In Germany, language will not be a strong point. With the issues aside, I can't wait to meet the host family and start immersing myself in German food and culture.

Looking Back on Germany (Post-Study Abroad Reflection)

Three months after the fact and it's still difficult for me to realize that I spent nearly four months in Germany. Summer has flown by so quickly; I can hardly believe school will begin again in less than one month! I just got back from Italy a few days ago, so that's why I'm late in posting this blog entry. I still find it weird that I've spent more time in Europe than I have in the US this year.

I have to say that last semester was a unique experience. I had the opportunity to live and learn in a country outside of the US and although I didn't learn the language, it didn't make the past semester any less of a success. Even though the field trips went to places I already visited for the most part, it was a different experience to see the sights and museums a second time. You manage to find new things and create fresh experiences out of what may seem redundant or repetitive. I mean, how many people can say they've seen something twice? Living with a host family was one highlight of my semester abroad. I can honestly say that I miss them and I know that I developed a bond with them, as I plan to stay in touch with them. From the delicious home-cooked meals, to sitting in the living room with the company of others, I had an enjoyable experience living with the Gehring family. In my opinion, living with a host family was probably one of the strongest components of this particular study abroad program. Because the students are other fellow Texas A&M students, it can be difficult to experience German culture without other Americans being present. It's not a bad thing; people tend to stick to what is comfortable and known. My impressions of Germany are much like from my last study abroad there. The food is delicious and the people tend to be polite and courteous.

Those months in Germany were some of my favorite, although taking Physiology, Biochemistry II, and Pharmacology abroad was a challenge. Despite the stress of school, I had a great time traveling Europe and getting to know my fellow Aggies. Going on a Spring Break cruise in the Western Mediterranean, taking a train to the top of the Zugspitze, biking around Berlin, seeing the sights of Paris. These are the moments that I will always remember and fondly look back on. As a person, I know this experience has helped me grow as an individual, as respect and open-mindedness are always traits that one can improve upon. I'm hoping that I will be able to keep in touch with everyone from this study abroad, as we are all back in College Station for the upcoming school year. Until then, tschüss!

Austin Wang


 

Not a Dream

Wow. That's really all I can say about my study abroad in Germany. It was absolutely amazing to discover a whole new world out there that I had never seen before and to realize that I can survive in the real world by my self. Although the classes were a little difficult and there were times filled with drama (what 18 person group constantly forced together wouldn't have some drama?) overall I had a great time getting to know my fellow travelers. Going to so many different places was amazing and I find myself constantly telling a story about that one time in Paris, or a funny story about Berlin. Frankly, some of my friends have told me that they're fed up with so many stories, but it's all so cool I just can't stop.

But I didn't only learn about the world and my classes. I also learned about myself. I've noticed that I'm much more confident and loose where before I was hesitant and stuffy. It was surprising to come back to my friends and have them realize that there's so much more to me than what they've previously seen, and unfortunately I feel like I'm stuffed in a too tight box when I talk to some of my old high school friends who don't realize that I've grown as a person. Beyond that, I've discovered that I don't need to rely on anyone to do what I like and other's opinions shouldn't matter because there will always be other people who will accept me for who I am. On the other hand, a lot of my friends are excited with my transformations and we plan to have a lot of fun this upcoming year.

Going abroad has been an amazing experience and I've discovered so many new things (I mean, I wrote a 300 page blog about it on www.erinzstravels.blogspot.com throughout my time here. If that doesn't say something about the trip, nothing does) I would do it again in a heartbeat and encourage others to do the same. I've grown so much and gotten close to so many people, that it just makes sense. When else will you ever get a chance like this? And true friends will be right there when you get back ready to listen to all your stories. The whole trip seems like a dream, and at times I would look at my surroundings and wonder "Is this my life right now?" But what I've gained has stuck around long past when I would wake up and I know that it happened, and I couldn't be more happy.

Signing off,
Erin Z