First post

Sorry these are late - had a hard time getting the blog situated. I'll be posting a more recent one in a few moments.
Day one
As I looked around at the signs and people in the Tampa International Airport I received a potent dose of deja vu. Two years ago I was a freshman in college, sitting in the same airport waiting for a flight to Panama. My life was a lot different then, I was a pledge in my fraternity and I was majoring in something completely different. I really had no idea where I was heading. Today I sat there, President of my fraternity majoring in something I enjoyed. I felt a strong sense of satisfaction and security in the fact that I had really settled and understood what I was pushing towards. I never really grasped that life could change so dramatically in such short time spans.
The rest of our day was spent traveling. To be honest I don't remember what happened...Saturday turned into Sunday and I was still awake. Nothing to much to reflect on here.

Day two
The second day was spent acclimating to the university and town of Osnabruck. Immediately I noticed most of the students dressed the same as in America. I wonder if Eastern Germany would look the same? There was also a stark difference in the amount of males to females. There were many many more girls in Osnabruck.
There is another huge difference I have noticed today. German people are much happier than their American counterparts. I'm not sure yet what it is that creates this difference but, I'm sure I will learn more about this.

Day three
I wasn't able to get too much sleep last night. Our group was lucky enough to meet Fabio, he is studying music and comes from Brazil. Fabio took us to "Cafe Caliente" to enjoy a night of Cuban themed dancing.
Since I have been studying German my confidence in my Spanish skills has increased dramatically. Speaking with Fabio(although he speaks Portuguese) helped to build on that.
Earlier in the day we had visited Osnabruck's Cathedral. It was quite the grand establishment. I wonder what it would have been like to live during times when the church reigned supreme? Seeing and experiencing history gives you a much greater appreciation for the significance of the events.

Day four
How many people can say they have shared a beer with a Russian. German, and Spaniard at the same time? The saturation of culture in Germany is almost too much to handle. I begin to think about all the differences between our peoples. What characteristics are dominant in each culture...but then another thought hits me. Ultimately, we are all the same. We teach our children to be good people. We love our family and friends. We strive to create happiness for others. What does it matter where we come from?
Tomorrow we take a bus to Berlin. I am excited to see the capital and experience the people there.

- Billy Halaby