And So the Adventure Begins…

At the airport

On August 16 at 9:52 pm, I, along with forty-five other American students, boarded an airplane that would take us to Germany, and a whole new world. Stepping on that plane, I was not only leaving behind my family, my friends, and my life in Austin, but also the American way of life, from the language we speak and the food we eat to our political system and culture. This was going to be a huge change, but I was ready. I begin this adventure with the hope that as I learn more about another way of life, I will learn more about myself as a student, a member of society, and a human being.

On the plane, I made a list of goals for this year. Some of them can be achieved easily, while other will take months to fulfill. None the less, it will be interesting to see if I am able to complete them, or if they become irrelevant by the end of the year. They are as follows:

1. Be fluent (or at least better than Dad) in German
2. Actually understand grammar
3. Dream in German
4. Read a book in German
5. Keep my English and my math up to “College Standards”
6. Spend at whole day without speaking any English
7. Make five friends
8. Cook a German meal with my family
9. Cook an American meal with my family
10. Enjoy a real Sunday “Kuchen Zeit”
11. Ride a bike
12. Go for a hike in the forest or in the mountains
13. Eat a German Bretzen and drink a beer at a Biergarden (and yes, I am legal in Germany!)
14. Visit another country besides Germany
15. Document my experiences! (Either through writing or pictures)

I know that they may change and morph as the year goes on, but as of now, these are my goals for this year. Ich bin bereit, es ist meine Zeit zu fleigen.