Week One!!

 The first day after flying to Bonn was rough. The plane ride was not horrible, but I did not sleep. Sitting in the airport and waiting to sleep and the jet lag for the first few days was terrible. After getting a tour of the city and learning how to use the bus and train I felt much more aware and ready for this adventure. The food from the market square was delicious and there was a great variety. I tried Greek, Turkish, and even some produce from the produce stand. On our first free weekend, a bunch of us hiked 6 miles total to see castle ruins at the top of a mountain! The next day a few of us met at a food festival along the rhein, where I tried a really delicious BBQ pork bao. My roommates and I found our favorite ice cream place so far. It is conveniently at one of our bus stops on the way home. 

Overall, this week has been a lot of learning. This includes the classes themselves, overcoming the language barrier, and the new culture. The few classes we have attended have been very interesting and I really enjoyed our group trip to the house of history. I have learned a bit more of the German language, but it is still difficult to remember and catch up. However, most people already know English, which makes ordering food a lot easier. Our host mom was very thrilled to hear that we were taking a German class and had taught us new words herself. One thing that surprised me here is that we have to pay for the public bathroom. This is very interesting to me, but I do enjoy seeing and smelling the fresh bakeries on every street. I love the architecture of the cities and how we go from being in the city to out in the neighborhood with lots of fields and trees. I am very excited about our next few trips to Cologne, Nordeny, and my personal trips to Amsterdam.