Two weeks down, two to go

Two weeks of language camp have passed, which means there are only two short weeks until I reach my host family. My German isn't nearly as it should be for someone who is going to be living in Germany for ten months. While watching a German movie yesterday with other students, I realized how lost I will be for the first few weeks. It worries me that making friends at my school will be difficult because of the language barrier, but at least I will have new European clothes, and delicious bratwurst to comfort me.

A few blocks away from the monastery (pictures attached) there is a small restaurant named "Bistro Alayna." There we have found delicious sandwiches called "döner" which is a mash up of a gyro and a panini. The workers there pile lamb meat, cabbage, onions, and spicy mayo into a warm and crispy pita-like shell until it is the size of a toddler's head. Just as you start to marvel in the taste of this Turkish treat, the middle-aged woman behind the cash register will tell you to be quiet while throwing some very unnecessary dart eyes your way. I have learned it is better to order it "zu gehen" (to go).

I am ready to start living like a real German, but I know I still have much to learn from the teachers here. Even though the next two weeks look long now, they will fly by, just as the last two have, and I will be living with my host family before I know it.

Hallo Germany

I arrived at the monastery to find that I was sharing a closet sized room with two other girls, but they are both turned out to be very nice and considerate roommates. The food started out very rich, and fried, but it has improved immensely (bread and cheese at every meal is what I live for).  Hedersleben is a quaint little town with adorable locals. If you wake up early enough you will find at least three people over the age of seventy riding their bike to the post office or grocery store. My German has been improving--slowly and almost surely--so hopefully by the time I reach my host family I won't be completely mute because I have no idea what they are saying. I have found that the friends I have made at language camp have been extremely helpful in preventing homesickness. I can already tell my year will go much more smoothly because of them.
My teacher here is named Evelin, and she is like the old, precious, German grandmother I never had. Her English is broken, but she is an incredible teacher. Sometimes I don't even realize how much she has taught me over the course of one week.
Overall, Germany is fantastic. It's beautiful here. The architecture is unbelievable, and the countryside reminds me of the Kansas plains--but it is not nearly as flat, of course.

Last Night in the USA

After a tearful goodbye this morning with my parents, a thirty minute layover in the Chicago airport (where I received my workout for the day, sprinting from one side of the airport to the other with a 35 pound carry-on), a freezing cold flight to Washington DC, and a much needed nap in my hotel room, I was finally able to reunite with some of my favorite CBYX students to share two extra large cheese pizzas on our last night in America. As I sprinkled crushed red pepper flakes onto a slice of pizza, and giggled along with the other girls in the room, I realized these people are dealing with the same anxiety and excitement as I am, and that was extremely comforting.
The days preceding my departure all I heard was "Aren't you so nervous?" and "I can't believe you're leaving your friends and family for a year" and "I would be terrified!" Not exactly great words of encouragement. However, these next ten months will fly by, and before you know it, I will be back home, sharing my stories with everyone.
It is still strange for me to think that I will actually be getting on a plane tomorrow to fly to a place I have only seen pictures of. In the 70s my aunt lived in Germany, and my mom visited her for a couple weeks. I have heard of their adventures, touring the country together, and I cannot wait to have adventures of my own, in a country so loved by my family. My first adventure will begin tomorrow, when I finally head to Germany for ten whole months.

Saying Goodbye

With only two days left at home, I was forced to hug my brother and one of my sisters for the last time in ten months tonight. Next will come my closest friends, and of course, my parents. Parting ways with my loved ones will only get harder, and that is something I never thought I would say. I have never been the type of person to get homesick, or call my mom to tell her every detail of my day, but the start of my ten month journey is incredibly close, and I am realizing how much I will miss my loved ones over those ten months. The support of my friends and family has been overwhelming, and I know they will be cheering me on as I take the next step. The hardest goodbye will be with my parents at the airport. Not only because I love them dearly, but also because I know they will blubber like babies in front God and everyone, never making it possible for me to show my face at KCI Airport again.