The plane tickets are purchased. The papers are being processed. Another six weeks, and then I’m off to Germany for the semester of a lifetime! Over the past few weeks, I have been making preparations for the upcoming adventure, practicing my German, and getting to know my future city of residence via Google maps. Having been to Germany before on a three-week-long student exchange, I have gotten the feel for this amazing, dynamic country. But there is so much more to learn. My goals for this coming semester are: taking my German to the next level, meeting and developing strong friendships with Germans and non-Germans alike, and improving as a person by expanding my perspectives.
I am sure I will have my fair share of challenges. This will be my first time living on my own–let alone in a foreign country. I will have to navigate Germany by plane, train, and subway in order to get to my destinations (Muenster and then Munich later on). Although my German minor has prepared me well for conversations that I will have overseas, I know that there will be dialogue and cultural practices that go over my head. Despite these things, I’m not worried. I know that everything will be a learning experience, and for that reason I look forward to the challenges that I will face. The next time I make a blog post, I will be in Germany. This is SO exciting to me! This is going to be a wunderbar semester, and I know it is something that I will always remember.
Bis dann (till then),
Ben
