Final Countdown

Howdy! My name is Cassie Stump (Cassandra has always seemed too formal in my opinion) and I am a Junior BIMS major at A&M (A-A-A-WHOOP!) with a double Psychology and Neuroscience minor. I have lived in Bryan, Texas almost all of my life and I can not wait for the change in scenery.

Christmas has been over for only a few hours and I still cannot believe that in less than a day from now I will be on the long flight to Germany. Ever since signing up for this trip back in the spring semester of 2012 I have felt that the date of December 26th has been one big countdown: 8 more months, 4 more months, 2 more weeks, 3 more days... It almost seemed this day would never come!

Throughout this time I've had a mix of feelings and expectations, alternating between those of excitement and others of anxiety. It has been a couple of years since I have taken a trip out of the country. In fact, I realize that the last trip I took over seas was to both Germany and Austria! I remember when I was there thinking how the city of Berlin looked so new and vibrant compared to the Berlin we were always taught about in school. I remember it being exciting to walk around the city and take in the many sights, such as the Jewish Museum, Unter den Linden, and the Holocaust Memorial. I recall the people as rather friendly and helpful, though one memory I hope to improve on this trip is that of their food (I have never been a big fan of sausage and pan-fried meat).

All of this, though, was during the summer months where temperatures were high enough to not consider a jacket. Having lived in south Texas all of my life, the idea of cold weather both intrigues me and worries me. The silly little questions keep popping up in my mind: How cold is it really going to be? What if I didn't pack right for the weather? I don't even know how many times I have repacked my bag to add or subtract articles of clothing that I have thought I may or may not need. Luckily I remember Germany (especially Berlin) having quite a few nice clothing stores!

These worries are all but forgotten when I think about New Years Eve. Just to see how German's celebrate the New Year is a reason to battle the temperature! And to be experiencing it along with our still unplanned weekend with my fellow Aggies makes it all the more exciting.

All this having been said, I should probably get some sleep for all the excitement to come. T-12 hours...