Leaving Tomorrow

It still hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm leaving for Germany in less than 24 hours. I've never been out of the country. Since I live in the Chicago metropolitan area, I figured that going to school in Texas would be equivalent to studying in another country. However, last winter when it became apparent that the stars might align and this trip might become a reality--I was thrilled.

My biggest worry is finding vegetarian food (my second biggest worry is that my yoga mat doesn't fit in my duffle bag, if that gives you any clue about my priorities). I barely speak a word of German, so I don't know how I'm going to read labels or ask waiters/ store clerks if stuff has animal products in it. Similarly, many ingredients in the US are vegetarian simply because it is cheaper to make them out of corn by-products, whereas in Europe it is more economical to use animal by-products. To be safe, I'll probably just live on beer and chocolate for the entire trip.

I like structured activities, so I'm a bit intimidated by the free weekends. There are several sites I'd like to visit that are not part of the program, but I'll get more comfortable negotiating trains and traveling in general when I get over there. Advice various people have given me about their experiences traveling in Europe has ranged from not encouraging to terrible: "You'll spend the first few weeks worrying about getting robbed, but then all your stuff will get stolen and you'll find out it isn't that bad!" "If you can't find a place to stay, just sleep by the road! You'll be fine!" "Americans get charged 4 times as much for things. Tell everyone you're Canadian." "Don't go to Paris; it sucks." "Bring underwear you don't like so you can throw it away instead of washing it." However, as long as I don't act like an entitled, obnoxious, stereotypical American, I think I'll be fine.