Good times in a strange land

Long time, no blog. Sorry about that. I've been in a really weird head space lately and struggling with what to write. I wanted to keep this all positive, but the reality is, and this is something you should know if you want to study abroad, is that there will be good days and bad days and it's not always all fun and games. Actually, much of what you will go through is quite frustrating. But just as I've been telling my friends they've got to hang in there, it will get better, they're telling me the same thing....and I know they're right.

In the past 2 weeks I've been to Heidelberg, which is gorgeous...

Heidelberg

Heidelberg Castle

and Munich, for Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest has been something I've been dreaming of going to for so long, and it was definitely all that I had hoped for and more. Getting back...was a different story. Let's just say you get what you pay for, and the cheapest ticket isn't always best. Helpful hint #1 when traveling on Germany's rail system, the Deutsche Bahn. If you need help, miss your train, find yourself lost, just go to the Deutsche Bahn information booth. They can point you in the right direction, or as in our case, they put us in a free taxi from Stuttgart to Horb (which would have been over 100 euros) when our series of 4 delayed trains caused us to miss our last connection home. A stressful night, but thankfully we all made it safely back to Horb.

In the past 2 days, I have left my host family in the teeny tiny village of Eutigen for the slightly larger but still small town of Tuebingen, where I will begin classes at the university in about 2 weeks. I've gone back and forth over the host family experience. Definitely worth it, and I definitely recommend it for any student studying abroad. It's a great way to experience the culture and learn how daily life is lived. But every coin has a flip side, and there were plenty of awkward moments and things I'm chalking up to cultural misunderstandings. But you know, that's what this is all about. And believe me, things that you learn the hard way are not easily forgotten.

So. Now I am in Tuebingen. This is what I worked so hard for. This is what I cried over when I thought I wouldn't be able to make it.

This is what I've been dreaming of.

Now...I'm here. Finally. It feels normal and inside out at the same time. Does that make sense? I find myself in yet another completely new situation. Living with strangers. That I haven't really met yet. I have no idea how this is going to go, and although I am trying to make myself comfortable, I'm really not sure what to make of this just yet.

But just when I want to hide in my room and shut this new world out, something inside me knows I need to go outside and see what's out there. Who knows what I might find??? It could make me feel better, it could make me feel worse, but I'll never know unless I go and check it out, right?

Oktoberfest, Munich!!!

http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program