My first blog from Germany! Hooray! Corey reminded me about blogging, and I figured it probably would be a good idea. :) So far, study abroad has been a lot of fun. I've definitely had a few moments of sadness when I've missed my friends and family a lot. However, on the whole, it's been so much fun. I'm currently halfway done with my STARTKurs, which is an orientation class in which we learn useful information about Germany and our school, and we also refresh our German skills. Our teacher is awesome and I can understand everything she says (yay! :) ), but it's very different from hearing German on the street. There are about 12 other Americans here, and many of the students from other countries speak English as well, so it's really easy to revert to English. I feel like I've been speaking English too much, but I think that will change once we English-speakers split up and start our separate classes at the university.
Some things about Germany that are very different... the trash! They sort everything (compost, glass, paper, plastic), which is really cool and environmentally friendly, but I definitely find myself thinking, "Argh! I just want to throw this away!" Lol. Oh, well. I guess I'm still in my American mindset of convenience. The restaurant situation is pretty different too. The waiters don't come up to you much unless you call them, and there are few hostesses - if you want a seat, take it! Also, they do all the math in their head, which is pretty cool. When you want to pay, they bring your check to you and their wallet of change. They do the math in their head and then give you your change back. Lol, I can imagine how some waiters in the U.S. would react if they were told they had to do the same thing. Shoot.
Also, I definitely think I'm going to gain a few kilos over here. ;) There is this delicious ice cream stand where you can buy a scoop on a cone for only one euro! I'm pretty sure I've had one every day this week. Yikes. Plus since I can drink beer here, that adds more calories than my usual diet coke. Also, there are bakeries everywhere! Chocolate croissant? Yes, please. Oh, and Käsespätzle is phenomenal. I wish I could send a warm package of it to everyone back home! It's basically Germanized mac & cheese made with egg-noodles and onions. AKA If one described a perfect food for Kelly, this would be it. I have done a lot more walking here, however, so maybe it will balance out. ;) Tonight three other girls and I are making Mexican food for dinner. Yum! I'm bringing homemade guacamole (thank you, Lauryn Wachs). I hope you all are doing well at home! I just blew a hug and a kiss to you from across the pond, so look out for it in a few hours. :)
Mit freundlichen Grüßen, (With friendly greetings,)
Kelly
