Jet lag is real!

If you think that you can beat jet lag, you're wrong! My first couple of days in Bonn were met with sore feet, being hungry at weird times, and constant exhaustion. Additionally the first two days brought so much newness that at times it was overwhelming! New country, new family, new language, new food, but same me. My first big change was with having a new family. I am living with a really sweet couple named Andrea and Joon who thankfully speak really good English. Their house is really cosy and I'm staying in their basement which is basically a full apartment in itself with a kitchen and a patio, which is my favorite part. Andrea is also really into gardening and has a massive garden with all kinds of plants such as potatoes, radishes, pumpkins, and even more. She also owns chickens which means fresh eggs for breakfast every morning! Since I am staying in an independent host home, I don't see Andrea and Joon a lot but I do get to cook which is a plus. Where I'm staying is outside of the city in a town called Sankt Augustine, which is really pretty and what I think of when I think of a European neighborhood. The only problem with living out here is that I have to take a bus and a tram to get to school everyday. Don't get me wrong I love public transportation but when you don't speak the language and are bad at directions it can be rather challenging! Luckily I have made it safely to and from class each day and am way more confident than I was at first.

Lots of mini Beethovens in the city center

Statue of Beethoven

With a study abroad obviously comes schedules and school. Monday was filled with traveling to Bonn and meeting our host families. One of the many things I had to get used to is how it doesn't get dark outside until really late. My room has massive windows with no blinds so it is normally still light outside by the time I get in bed. Next, Tuesday's main activity was a quick tour of the city which was much needed to get my bearings. Wednesday was our official first day of class and of course started off with a German lesson where I found out I'm not that great at it but no worries by the end of this trip I will be a pro! We also visited the German History museum post WWII which was fascinated and showed be how little I truly knew about German before this trip. Thursday and Friday were normal class days filled with lectures and a little tai chi taught by Dr. Wasser. With already one week down I an honestly say I have fallen in love with this place and don't want time to fly by so fast!

City Hall

First official German beer!