You had to be there.

This place is great. After being here just over a week, I am already comfortable with the general aspects of everyday German life. I do not always understand exactly what people say to me, but we almost always end up getting our respective points across. I usually at least try to start in German, and though I quickly have to ask them in English, I think that is better than merely relying on the dominance of English and expecting them to know my language. My pronunciation may be horrible and by grammar flat wrong, but people seem to generally appeciate the effort, just like Dr. Wasser said.

One of the highlights for me on this trip was going to be my host family. They are extremely nice people, but they do not seem that interested in getting to know their host students. They have two daughters at the house and another student from Japan who is here studying German. The daughter near my age is never there and the younger one spends most of her time in her room with the door shut, as does the Japanese student. Last week I only really saw them on Monday and Friday, but I was staying out late and getting up early.

I may try visiting some other families which I know enjoy talking about our cultures and their characteristics. I think the stereotype of superconservative Texas is known throughout the world and I enjoy talking to people about it and letting them know I have always lived there and I am fairly liberal. In America, I usually enjoy speaking more with adults about these issues, but over here it often seems that the younger Germans are more interested in talking about it. They may just be more comfortable with English though.

This weekend I visited Trier and Amsterdam. Both amazing cities in their own ways. Both of them had more historical importance than I can fullz comprehend. The Anne Frank house brought back so many memories from Dachau. The two are not directly related, but I think the general feeling I had started to bring back memories of my trip to Dachau and I could remember more details. Both put me in an odd mental state, disgust at the tragedies that happened and appreciation that they were preserved for me to experience.