New Frontiers

Traversing the Atlantic Ocean across its vast blue stretches I found myself imagining. Life, outstretching her hands, clasped mine in hers and bid me to follow to new frontiers. The roads that lay ahead would be uncharted, their breadth and depth immense to an overwhelmed visitor. Fiercely assaulted by all five senses, eager for a new adventure, I began my journey.

Upon my arrival, I was welcomed by the warmth of my little sister and the German family she was boarding with. In the city of Dusseldorf in which she resides, I was accepted as bare as a baby's butt, bringing with me only what few things I had hurriedly packed the night before and a tiny German vocabulary. The travels had taken a toll on my body after a day spent in transit, but I grumbled on despite my body's aching for a place to rest my weary head.

Beginning with the basics, the child begins his journey in life imitating the sounds of their family, until he starts extrapolating meaning, forming ideas, and eventually explaining the world through the means of layering subsequent thoughts on the next. Through this process we become a human of the culture. Fortunately Germans are friendly, clothing me with the knowledge of their language, patiently illustrating the nuances their dialect. The world was my classroom and the people were the teachers. My day would prove to be a language boot camp, as I tirelessly asked questions about everything from the car ride back to the house to the breakfast meal, cramming in as many details into my brain as it cared to hold. During the course of the day, I was able to get a feel for the differences between cultures. My mind raced with comparisons between the German and American way of life in a social context. I found nothing but an abundance of joy and a love of life that was contagious, and quickly grew fond of the way things are done on this side of the world. For example, after a day of hard work the neighbors came over for a glass of wine to unwind and enjoy each others company, and to introduce themselves to the new traveler (myself.) The room was quick to fill with laughter, political discussions, and even a canine companion. Community is strong here, a vast juxtaposition with the distant walls we build with our neighbors in the states, and I feel fortunate for the special insight gained from my stay with the family.

But my time in Dusseldorf did not last very long, and it soon was time to meet the rest of the group in Osnabrueck. Despite the short time that I spent in Dusselderf, I found it hard to leave.

There's more to come about my experience in Germany. I realize now its going to take quite a bit more time to do justice to the trip. Tschuss!