I feel like all my posts tend to be about my weekend excursions, so I thought I'd switch things up this time. In exactly one month, I will be spending my last night here in Heidelberg, which will be bitter-sweet. There are many things I love about being here, but also many things I love about home, so I thought I'd share with you the things I will miss about Germany (and some things that I really won't!) as well as the things I'll be looking forward to about going home!
I will miss...
...being surrounded by German!
Although German can sometimes be frustrating, it is such a feeling of accomplishment to understand what signs mean, to eavesdrop on German people and know what their talking about, to be understood by German people. At this point, I feel so well-immersed that being in Germany is comfortable and not a hassle!
...traveling!
When else am I going to be able to spend every weekend traveling Europe? I feel like I've done and seen so much in what really has been such a short time! It's definitely been my favorite part of this experience!
...EUROPE!
Now that I feel like I live here, I think I really take for granted where I actually am! It's no big deal to me anymore that I ride the bus through a beautiful, hilly valley everyday, or that I can just see a castle up on a hill as I walk to class, or that I have class in a 300 year old building. But these things should be a big deal and I should enjoy them and appreciate them while I can!
...my new friends!
I really can't believe that I've only known my friends here for 3 months! And it's even harder to believe that in 1 month I won't be seeing any of them! We've shared so many experiences together and I really hope we can all link up again someday despite being scattered all over the US!
I am really looking forward to...
...my car!
Riding the bus everywhere everyday is a real drag. I feel like I have to live my life on the bus's schedule and not on mine, and that lack of control is really frustrating when you need to get around. I mean it is nice that such public transportation is available here, unlike in the US, but it's a lot less convenient than I expected it to be!
...internet!
I've been living the past 3 months without internet in my apartment and it is incredibly frustrating! It's slightly pathetic how dependent I am on it, but it's just such a convenience to have right at my fingertips whenever I need it! If I realize I forgot to send an email to a professor at 9pm in my room, it will just have to wait the next day...if I remember. I actually have to make lists of things to look up and check!
...the American school system!
As I've complained about here before, school here kinda sucks. Classes meet so infrequently that you hardly feel like you're learning anything. And the basis of grades is ridiculous. I will be so happy to not have to worry about one paper making or breaking a grade. I get stressed about school in the US too, but here it's just so much more extreme - especially because there's things I'd rather being doing!
...my family and friends!
For about the first month of my adventure here, I felt kind of bad because I was never really that homesick. But just being home with my family and friends is what I want most and what I'm most excited about. I know it's really cliche, but being so far away from everyone that really matters to me makes me realize how much they really do matter to me. I can't just call home and vent whenever I'm stressed or have a problem or even when something exciting happens! I don't have my closest friends around to cheer me up or always be around to hang out. I really have taken them all for granted and I love them all...a lot! I can't wait to be home for Christmas! ...and to have a home-cooked meal!!!!!!!!!
I'm sure there's more that I'll miss or look forward to, but this is the main stuff!
And here are some pictures from my trip to Freiburg and the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). The excursion wasn't really worth writing about, but the pictures are pretty :]
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| Baechler in Freiburg - they're just like street gutters that children play in |
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| Square next to the Freiburger Muenster |
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| Freiburger Muenster, which has the "most beautiful church tower of all Christianity" - I can't confirm this since it was covered in scaffolding! |
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| View of the Black Forest in Gutach! |
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| Traditional Black Forest farmhouse |
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| Beautiful scenery! |
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