Month One

(3.9.11)
    Today marks my first month in Germany.  Time has flown by, I can't believe I have been here for so long already.  But there is another part of me that feels like I have always been here.  That's a good thing right?  It has been an amazing month filled with lots of adventures.  An opera, going away party, the Brandenburg Bruckenschwimmen, canoeing on the Havel, visiting Belvedere auf dem Pfingstber in Potsdam, first day of German school, Berlin, shopping, listening to the Chancellor speak, Protest in Potsdam.  I have loved every minute of my life here.  Over the past past three weeks of school I have perfected my biking with no hands skill, quadrupled my German vocabulary, taught someone how to solve the Rubik's Cube and in general loved being a "Junior" again.  Senior year is the stressful year here, not Junior like Boise.

    Compared to my month long job this past summer at a camp my month in Germany has flown by.  I can remember telling myself only one more week, while working.  And that week dragged by.  Here, I have to pause and realize that a week has gone by.  Perhaps it is how my timetable is set up, perhaps it is because everything is new and different.  But time is flying by, which worries me a little, this exchange will be over before I know it.  So I will do everything I can to enjoy every minute of every day that I am here in Germany.
   I wish I spoke more German but am learning fast.  At school my friends talk to me in German and only clarify what the teacher said if I have a totally blank look on my face.  Math has quickly become my favorite class with Sports a close second.  Physics is still a complete mystery to me and German (think English for all you U.S. folks) is a little boring since I can't analyze texts I can't read.  I think I have been accepted by my peers and have several friends besides my fellow exchange students.
    I love my Host family!  They speak to me in German as well and are really supportive in my attempts to speak.  I can not for the life of me correctly pronounce the letter E.  This can be somewhat problematic, for example the difference between I live (Ich lebe) and I love (Ich liebe) I can not pronounce so I always say I love instead of I live.  Which isn't always a bad thing. 
    I have also had the pleasure of eating some traditional/specialty German food.  Such as Currywust and a Döner Kebab.  Both of which are delicious.  And I won't even mention all of the pastry and baked goods.  It's a good thing I bike to school.

Döner Kebab