First Week

It is hard to put into words how much I love Germany. It has been amazing so far. Everything is beautiful and like nothing I have ever seen in the states. The history is so deep as well.

The Cologne Cathedral has been one of the most amazing experiences so far. When looking at it, it is like nothing you have seen before. To imagine that building started in the 13th century and all the politics and history that went into building something so beautiful, it makes you feel so small. Then we took a roof top tour of the cathedral. I thought I was in love with the Cathedral before this, but I was wrong. Again, it is hard to describe the feeling that came over me while standing at the top and seeing the details of the architecture and the beautiful city before you.

My host family is amazing. Karima, my host mom is very interesting and I love to talk to her. We talk every morning at breakfast. She is a very good cook as well. I wish I could spend more time with them but we are so busy and rarely home, so I enjoy our morning chats and wake up early for them. Really I have no choice and have to wake up early because the sun comes up at 4 30 am! The house and area I live in, Bad Godesberg, is like a movie. It is so scenic. We took dusty on a walk my first day through a forest behind the house. Descriptions don't really do it justice. When we came back she showed me her garden and we picked fresh Stachelberre (gooseberries)and johannisberre (red current) off of bushes and ate them! Stachelberre is one of my new favorite things. Eating fruit off of bushes in the front yard is my new favorite thing actually!!

Everyday I take the bus to the train station which takes me to Bonn Hauptbaunhof and then I take a tram to school. It seems very natural now to just hop on a train, bus, or subway and get to where I need to go, plus some walking of course. I could really get used to not driving! They also are very green here, which I love. They throw away all trash in four categories: paper, plastic, biodegradable items, and glass. They all have 4 big trash cans outside there house as well and all the train stations have trashcans with 4 different holes labeled. There water is amazing here. I drink right out of the tap and it is so good!

There is so much more but that is all for now! A great first week, one I will never forget!