This is one thing I've been thinking about dedicating a post to since I've been here because I think it's really important to remember to take care of yourself while you're studying abroad. I mean- no one wants to have the sniffles while their friends are out having fun, right?
So.. here are some things that I think are worth a thought if you're studying abroad (even if you're not, really!)
1. EAT RIGHT. Don't skimp on the fresh foods! While living in Germany gives me plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the over 300 types of bread (uhh.. yeah, that's not a joke!), it's also really important to make sure I balance it out with some healthy fruits and veggies! And.. I can enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies WITH the fresh bread- best of both worlds, am I right?!
2. Drink plenty of WATER. Getting dehydrated is one of the worst feelings. Nothing makes you want to stay inside, to stay in bed, more than being dehydrated! One way to make sure you're getting enough fluids is to always carry a water bottle around with you! One of the things I saw on Pinterest is to write times of the day down the side of the bottle, it makes you more aware of how much you could/should be drinking throughout the day, talk about a way to keep you on track!
3. SLEEEEEEP. My goodness- I don't know how some of the other students do it while they're here! They are partying when I see them on Monday and then again on Wednesday, then through the weekend- when do they sleep?! I have to make sure I get at least 7, if not 9 hours of sleep a night! I've always been a good sleeper, but here it's even more important! Believe it or not, but thinking is really hard- sitting in a 2 hour lecture in German about history in the 1500s can make you more tired than running a marathon, I think. (Please don't quote me on that, I haven't ran a marathon- I'm lucky to make it to the end of the block! :P)
4. Which brings me to the last point for now- EXERCISE! I have been doing workout videos in my room the past coupe of weeks and eating well and sleeping more and I couldn't be feeling better! Seriously! Exercise is key! While I know some people have the mentality of "I can go for a run anywhere, but I can only eat/do/drink/_____ this here," but it's important to do that run too! I've been trying to build myself up to run further than to the end of the block with much success! I think it's really important to take care of my body, it's what keeps me going after all!
Like I said- being healthy is important, no matter where you are, but especially while you're abroad! There are so many things to do and see and to get involved with that it makes it all that much more possible when you're fit and healthy!
And- there's nothing more exciting than changing your outside while you're growing so much stronger on the inside!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Life Back in Kassel
Wow! I don't think it's possible, but I think I've FINALLY caught up to the present time! There are of course many things that are happening in the day-to-day life, but I think the main thing that has happened since Easter is starting the new semester! I got the First Day of School jitters all over again!
(I, of course, like any adult, started my first day of school by watching Dora the Explorer as I got ready!)
This semester offers many different classes, I mean.. I think I'm taking 9 of them! I've got 2 in English, 7 in German! Ahh!
I've got: English: The Victorian Era and an American Literature of the 1920s to 1960s
German: Reformation in the New Age, Grammar, Games in Grammar Lessons, Phonetics, Intro. to Language History, Intro. to Literary Science, and Intro. to the Theories and Methods of Language Didactic.
It's a pretty heavy class load, but it's fairly typical to what a real "German" student would be taking, but I'm admittedly not going to the extra-lessons that are required for some of the lessons-they are conflicting with other lectures or seminars. It's enough to keep me busy and to give me a thinking headache though! I've been learning a lot and Thursdays are my long day- I go to class from 8 until 4 without a break-but I really enjoy it too because it's been great for learning vocabulary and getting to know the material!
I've also been trying to get more disciplined in sitting down everyday and studying for a little bit, which is hard when it's finally getting to be nice and sunny outside!
Oh the life of living abroad!
(I, of course, like any adult, started my first day of school by watching Dora the Explorer as I got ready!)
This semester offers many different classes, I mean.. I think I'm taking 9 of them! I've got 2 in English, 7 in German! Ahh!
I've got: English: The Victorian Era and an American Literature of the 1920s to 1960s
German: Reformation in the New Age, Grammar, Games in Grammar Lessons, Phonetics, Intro. to Language History, Intro. to Literary Science, and Intro. to the Theories and Methods of Language Didactic.
It's a pretty heavy class load, but it's fairly typical to what a real "German" student would be taking, but I'm admittedly not going to the extra-lessons that are required for some of the lessons-they are conflicting with other lectures or seminars. It's enough to keep me busy and to give me a thinking headache though! I've been learning a lot and Thursdays are my long day- I go to class from 8 until 4 without a break-but I really enjoy it too because it's been great for learning vocabulary and getting to know the material!
I've also been trying to get more disciplined in sitting down everyday and studying for a little bit, which is hard when it's finally getting to be nice and sunny outside!
Oh the life of living abroad!
Easter Celebrations
While Easter could have been the time to bring on some
homesickness, it was a time of celebration and happiness for me in Germany. I
got the opportunity to visit my former host family and see some of the extended
family. As always, it was a visit full of great food, lots of sweets, amazing
conversation, a bounty of laughter, and unforgettable memories. My host family
is so great- warm and welcoming.
I even got to play with a newborn baby! Ahh!
There was some other business that had to be attended to as
well. When I first arrived I helped those of the small village of Vehlitz
decorate their town for a TV show that was in town, well-village, really. It’s
a show that reminds of me Extreme Make-over, but on a much smaller scale. The
TV crew comes to town and does something for the locals that needs to be done,
but they also get to give the locals a task. The task for the locals was to
decorate the town for the upcoming festival to celebrate a Prussian victory
against Napoleon 200 years ago. This was no small matter, as you might imagine!
It was great to see the whole village come together to work on the task.
Everyone was really nice and helpful!
The Saturday before Easter I got to go to an Easter Fire! It’s
supposed to be a way to push out all of the cold air and to bring a warm
Spring. Well, it didn’t really work because there was still some snow flurries
on Easter, but it was a great chance to stand by a HUGE bonfire, enjoy a glass
of warm Glühwein, and eat a yummy Bratwurst!
J
The weekend before I had to come back to Kassel was the actual
festival- I took so many amazing pictures! They had a re-creation of the
battle- so fun! It was loud, smelled of gun powder, and was really exciting to
watch! They used cannons, bayonets, and had period correct costumes. My
favorite part was after the battle, though. Afterwards everyone was kind of
standing around, getting some hot chocolate or coffee, enjoying some cake and
cookies. The soldiers came up and were doing the same- and to see them with their
cell phones and cameras inside their leather bags and pouches, to see someone
dressed in the typical uniform of the early 1800s with a cell phone? I couldn’t
help but to laugh!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
March 22: When a Girl From Texas Comes To Town..
What happens when 2 girls from the same program are with each other in the same
city for a weekend?!
A lot of laughs, good times, and memories are created!
I was so blessed to have a visit from a fellow German Fed student, Steffi,
who studies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa! She is such a sweet
girl and we had a lot of fun together.
We had a proper Girls Weekend- chocolate covered strawberries, rice krispie
treats, face masks, chick-flicks, a trip to the thermal bath, sleeping in,
and good food! It was a much needed break from all the traveling and going
here and there.
The Thermal Bath was aaaaaamazing! It consists of 2 different giant swimming
pools where the water is really warm and is salt water. Your skin feels amazing
after and you're so relaxed from it being nice and warm.
But- what's a day at the thermal baths without making a fool of myself, right?
Well- one of the pools is an indoor/outdoor pool- and those from Michigan know
what I'm talking about when I say I got really excited to see this- the opportunity
to swim in a heated pool BUT outside! Yes please! Well, we were swimming around
outside (snow was still on the ground in areas) and I look over and see that there's
another pool that no one is in. Thinking Steffi and I could have a whole pool to
ourselves, I devise the plan to jump out of the warmth we were in, run to the next pool
and jump in there.
Only I jumped out into the cool.
Not only was I the only one to jump out, when I ran over (ok, maybe like 4 big
steps, but STILL) to the other pool, I discovered it wasn't heated. EEEEEEEP! I
yelled, taking a quick 180, I ran and jumped back into the heated pool. Just when
I thought it was bad enough Steffi was laughing at me, I hear an older couple
chuckling, and the man says to me (in German of course) "I bet that was a surprise
to find out it's cold over there!"
At least I spared the others that were in the pool from trying it, right?
Needless to say, that is one of the memories that will stick with us both from a
great weekend together!
city for a weekend?!
A lot of laughs, good times, and memories are created!
I was so blessed to have a visit from a fellow German Fed student, Steffi,
who studies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa! She is such a sweet
girl and we had a lot of fun together.
We had a proper Girls Weekend- chocolate covered strawberries, rice krispie
treats, face masks, chick-flicks, a trip to the thermal bath, sleeping in,
and good food! It was a much needed break from all the traveling and going
here and there.
The Thermal Bath was aaaaaamazing! It consists of 2 different giant swimming
pools where the water is really warm and is salt water. Your skin feels amazing
after and you're so relaxed from it being nice and warm.
But- what's a day at the thermal baths without making a fool of myself, right?
Well- one of the pools is an indoor/outdoor pool- and those from Michigan know
what I'm talking about when I say I got really excited to see this- the opportunity
to swim in a heated pool BUT outside! Yes please! Well, we were swimming around
outside (snow was still on the ground in areas) and I look over and see that there's
another pool that no one is in. Thinking Steffi and I could have a whole pool to
ourselves, I devise the plan to jump out of the warmth we were in, run to the next pool
and jump in there.
Only I jumped out into the cool.
Not only was I the only one to jump out, when I ran over (ok, maybe like 4 big
steps, but STILL) to the other pool, I discovered it wasn't heated. EEEEEEEP! I
yelled, taking a quick 180, I ran and jumped back into the heated pool. Just when
I thought it was bad enough Steffi was laughing at me, I hear an older couple
chuckling, and the man says to me (in German of course) "I bet that was a surprise
to find out it's cold over there!"
At least I spared the others that were in the pool from trying it, right?
Needless to say, that is one of the memories that will stick with us both from a
great weekend together!
March 15-19: Zürich, Switzerland
After a 10 hour train ride from Berlin I was finally in Zurich to see my friend JP, whom I
met when I was an exchange student in 2006-needless to say, we've been great
friends ever since. I was really excited to see him in Zurich because he's moved
there to study at an art school- to be a theater director. He's in a program where
they only accept less than a handful of students a year! So amazing!
Well, I got to learn some more things about Zurich and Switzerland! First of all-
it made me appreciate learning German in a German speaking country, that's for sure!
While I was able to understand most people, it was very interesting for me to just
take a step back and listen to those talking to each other on the train and out
in public- the language is so different! Amazing! It makes me really put things
into perspective- in an area that is only a percentage of the size of the US, there
are 2 different ways of speaking the same language! So interesting! (I could really
see myself studying this kind of thing later in life.. maybe a 2nd Masters in
Communication?!)
JP was able to show me different parts of the city- even going on a little hike
up in the mountains to see the view of the Alps and the Overview of the city.
Breath-taking, far beyond words, and pictures can never do it justice-of course!
Beyond that we were able to spend some time out and about in the city one day and
on another we went to a play. It wasn't the greatest thing he or I had seen, in
fact we had a lot of criticisms for it! (Sorry to the actors and stage crew who
put a lot of time and work into it!) We also spent a day just hanging out at his
apartment-eating good food, watching movies, and spending some much needed down/
quality time together!
It was such a great visit and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of
Switzerland one day!
met when I was an exchange student in 2006-needless to say, we've been great
friends ever since. I was really excited to see him in Zurich because he's moved
there to study at an art school- to be a theater director. He's in a program where
they only accept less than a handful of students a year! So amazing!
Well, I got to learn some more things about Zurich and Switzerland! First of all-
it made me appreciate learning German in a German speaking country, that's for sure!
While I was able to understand most people, it was very interesting for me to just
take a step back and listen to those talking to each other on the train and out
in public- the language is so different! Amazing! It makes me really put things
into perspective- in an area that is only a percentage of the size of the US, there
are 2 different ways of speaking the same language! So interesting! (I could really
see myself studying this kind of thing later in life.. maybe a 2nd Masters in
Communication?!)
JP was able to show me different parts of the city- even going on a little hike
up in the mountains to see the view of the Alps and the Overview of the city.
Breath-taking, far beyond words, and pictures can never do it justice-of course!
Beyond that we were able to spend some time out and about in the city one day and
on another we went to a play. It wasn't the greatest thing he or I had seen, in
fact we had a lot of criticisms for it! (Sorry to the actors and stage crew who
put a lot of time and work into it!) We also spent a day just hanging out at his
apartment-eating good food, watching movies, and spending some much needed down/
quality time together!
It was such a great visit and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of
Switzerland one day!
Mid March: Thoughts on Berlin
Well.. Berlin.. Berlin! Such a wonderful city. If it's true that NYC is "the
city that never sleeps," it learned it from the ways of Berlin! There are so
many different nooks and crannies of that city- every time I walk down a street,
whether I've been there before or not, there is always something that catches
my eye. The historical points of interest are always great to see-I think I've
seen them in each season now, a truly special thing to me.
What I like about the city even more is doing the "normal" things- going grocery
shopping, talking a walk around the block, going to the "local" pizza place-
where the menu is in Italian and German.. and just experiencing the day to day
life. In such a big city it can feel like you're being swallowed in, but when you
slow it down a bit, take the time to get into a routine, and experience it for
yourself, it is a great experience.
The latest trip I had to Berlin allowed me to do that. I had about 3 days where I
was "on my own" while my cousin and her boyfriend were working during the day. I
was excited to just have some down time to myself, to explore their area a bit,
and to get a better feel for Berlin.
Although I love the city, I don't think it is a place I could live one day. I think
I could maybe live in a suburb or somewhere near enough- maybe towards Potsdam, but
within the inner-city- it's just not my thing. I appreciate that there is a lot
going on, but I do like the idea of living somewhere that I can feel more safe and
like I'm a person that matters, not just another face in the crowd. Berlin is such
a multicultural city, one that just has to be experience.
city that never sleeps," it learned it from the ways of Berlin! There are so
many different nooks and crannies of that city- every time I walk down a street,
whether I've been there before or not, there is always something that catches
my eye. The historical points of interest are always great to see-I think I've
seen them in each season now, a truly special thing to me.
What I like about the city even more is doing the "normal" things- going grocery
shopping, talking a walk around the block, going to the "local" pizza place-
where the menu is in Italian and German.. and just experiencing the day to day
life. In such a big city it can feel like you're being swallowed in, but when you
slow it down a bit, take the time to get into a routine, and experience it for
yourself, it is a great experience.
The latest trip I had to Berlin allowed me to do that. I had about 3 days where I
was "on my own" while my cousin and her boyfriend were working during the day. I
was excited to just have some down time to myself, to explore their area a bit,
and to get a better feel for Berlin.
Although I love the city, I don't think it is a place I could live one day. I think
I could maybe live in a suburb or somewhere near enough- maybe towards Potsdam, but
within the inner-city- it's just not my thing. I appreciate that there is a lot
going on, but I do like the idea of living somewhere that I can feel more safe and
like I'm a person that matters, not just another face in the crowd. Berlin is such
a multicultural city, one that just has to be experience.
Mid March: The Best Dinner I've Never... Seen!
While in Berlin visiting a "cousin" of mine, we did one of the most fun
things I have done in a really long time- we went to a Dinner in the Dark.
It sounds exactly like what it is- a dinner in 100% dark. It was truly an
amazing experience!
The dining room is in the basement of the place and the servers and workers
within the room are all blind, which helps with the orientation for the guests.
During the show, 3 different courses are brought to the dinner guests. Between
the main dish and the dessert there was a show- a haunted house. The actors went
from table to table scaring the guests while there was a story being narrated.
We realized that we were seated near the front of the room, near the exit/
entry way for the actors because every time they entered or exited the room, they
would touch my shoulder to orientate themselves in the room. I think I had little
screams of surprise than anyone else!
It was really interesting to see how quickly I was able to adjust to not
being able to see my plate and drink. You truly do start to use your other senses,
how things smell, how they feel, and the dinner was a surprise- I didn't know what
I was eating until the end of it! Needless to say, I don't know when else I would
have eaten quail!
But in the end, I had an amazing dinner and experience!
things I have done in a really long time- we went to a Dinner in the Dark.
It sounds exactly like what it is- a dinner in 100% dark. It was truly an
amazing experience!
The dining room is in the basement of the place and the servers and workers
within the room are all blind, which helps with the orientation for the guests.
During the show, 3 different courses are brought to the dinner guests. Between
the main dish and the dessert there was a show- a haunted house. The actors went
from table to table scaring the guests while there was a story being narrated.
We realized that we were seated near the front of the room, near the exit/
entry way for the actors because every time they entered or exited the room, they
would touch my shoulder to orientate themselves in the room. I think I had little
screams of surprise than anyone else!
It was really interesting to see how quickly I was able to adjust to not
being able to see my plate and drink. You truly do start to use your other senses,
how things smell, how they feel, and the dinner was a surprise- I didn't know what
I was eating until the end of it! Needless to say, I don't know when else I would
have eaten quail!
But in the end, I had an amazing dinner and experience!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
T - 100!
That's right, yesterday marked my 100 day countdown until I'm back in the US.
And with that, I started my first day of the new semester! How crazy, right?! Well, like any adult, I prepared myself in the morning by watching some Dora the Explorer, but I was sad to find out that she teaches the little German children English words and phrases, not Spanish!
As Swiper would (in German) say, "OHH MANNO!"
And with that, I started my first day of the new semester! How crazy, right?! Well, like any adult, I prepared myself in the morning by watching some Dora the Explorer, but I was sad to find out that she teaches the little German children English words and phrases, not Spanish!
As Swiper would (in German) say, "OHH MANNO!"
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Lots of March Updates!!
Holy cow!! If I thought February went by in a blur, March was just as crazy! Went across the border into Switzerland for a bit of it even! I had so many fun adventures! I'm drafting up all the posts about everything, but until then, here are some pictures! Enjoy!
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