Sprechen Sie Englisch?

Leaving for Germany

     I have so many expectations for this trip. As I pack up and look at my bag, the excitement and adrenaline of the upcoming experience is overwhelming. It all started after a summer of working with other college students who had come from all over the world to stay in the U.S. to be camp counselors. The stories they told and their encouragement to go on a study abroad landed me here. I have always enjoyed school, and challenging myself to step outside the box. What better way to do both, than by traveling abroad for my first time and also being able to study in the process. 

     The first phrase I have memorized is, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" There is a definite possibility I will be using this quite a bit. Unlike Americans though, most Europeans speak German, English and often other languages. It would of been wonderful to have been exposed to another language at a much younger age. At this point, picking up another language successfully isn't as easy as it sounds. Germany also has so many things to offer. Seeing as how the country is centuries upon centuries old, this does not come as a surprise. We are merely children in years the U.S. has been a country compared to how long Germany has been functioning.

     One of the most fascinating things I have found, and look forward to pursuing is the art and music. I studied the different time periods of music from when it was sung in only a church (Medieval) to the most recent changes in style (Romantic/Contemporary). What was so interesting about the changes in the periods of music, is that they were each influenced by the events happening in the country at the time. When the people lost faith in the church and began questioning it, they developed music outside of the church. Rebellion, wars, and peace all played a part in each musical time period and how it progressed. At least one world renowned or famous artist from each time period was from within the Germany or Austria area. 

     What I hope to take from all of this is a deeper understanding of the European culture. America was once the "top country" in the world, but what we failed to notice is that the rest of the world has been around the block a few more times than we have. What can we learn from the positive things they have done? How can we avoid the negative things that have impacted these countries? They have brillaint technology, everlasting tradition and customs, along with a very deep and sometimes dark past. I expect to see these things, with open eyes and an open mind. They impacted where the world is today, and we have impact on where the world will be. In a shrinking world I want to bring back a better respect for my surroundings, because "halfway around the world" is not as far away as it used to be.