Return to Germany

It’s hard to believe that this summer will mark a full seven years since I’ve been in Germany.  I was last there the summer before my freshman year in high school with my mom and one of my best friends.  I actually bargained with my friend that if we took her to Germany with us she would take German with me in high school as our foreign language instead of Spanish—which we both agree was well worth it.  We have family friends who live in Bavaria and stayed with them for a couple of weeks, only traveling within the surrounding area so I am much more excited for this trip since we’ll be seeing a lot more.  I felt a little uncomfortable the first time since I didn’t know any German, but I’m now minoring in German language and can’t wait to be able to practice speaking outside of class.  I’m much more proficient in reading and writing, but I always felt that my speaking skills would more readily improve if I was actually placed in a situation where German is the spoken language. 

I love traveling and don’t really have any qualms about being away from my family, as I’ve been to Australia with People to People Ambassadors and attend college 1000 miles away from my hometown in Indiana.  I’ve been comparing our temperatures with those in Bonn and Berlin, and it’s much colder here—with a lot more snow—so unlike all of my classmates coming from Texas, I’ll be arriving to warmer weather in Germany.  I look forward to gaining a better understanding of the medical system and practices in Europe and starting the new year off right with my fellow Aggies abroad!

 
Ich wünsche euch fröhliche Weihnachten!