Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Pre-departure Blog

When I first heard about the study abroad opportunity in Germany, I thought it sounded super cool. I was really excited to sign up for the trip, and start getting my airline tickets, passport and train pass in order. A few months ago, the trip seemed so far away, and always having homework and projects due during the semester kept clouding my vision and didn't allow me time to think about the trip.

But when finals were over, it began to sink in. I started thinking, "Woah, this trip to Germany is actually happening!"

I wish I could say that I felt super prepared for the trip. I wish I could say that I was fluent in German. I wish I could say that I was familiar with the German people and their culture. But I can't truthfully say any of these things.

To sum it up, I feel some anxiety about the trip. It's mostly irrational, but for some reason it's hard to shake off. For me the familiarity of home is something I haven't thought about much until now. It seems weird that I'm gonna be on a different continent for 3 weeks.

But, on a lighter note, here are some of the things that I 'm really looking forward to:
-Riding the trains
-Flying over the ocean
-Touring the Otto Bock facilities
-St. Stephens Cathedral
-the Pathologic Anatomical museum
-The Opera
-Sigmund Freud's home
...and last but not least
-Seeing if German beer lives up to its hype

Overall, I'm super excited about the trip, and about all of the things we'll get to see and learn. But to be honest, I'm feeling a little bit unprepared. But that's part of the excitement, right? Just taking it all in? It's the unexpected things that always stick with me, so instead of focusing on one thing and trying to "get it" out of the trip, I'm just going to see what comes my way. Maybe it'll be earth-shattering, maybe not. But whatever it is, I'm getting more and more excited as I type.

Let's do this!

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