May 7/8, 2012: Traveling was ... interesting. The trip from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte was great. When we got to Charlotte, they announced that the plane would be delayed due to a broken air conditioning. According to Dr. Kleine, this was the kind of thing that would lead us to get stuck sleeping in the airport and it was only the beginning - comforting. Luckily, we did not sleep in the airport. We were still delayed for over 2 hours. Of course this meant that we missed our first train and we ended up having to take 4 trains and then a bus to get to the dorm. It was such a long day, but we got to see so much. The castles and the hills were gorgeous! We can't see anything like that at home. I was expecting to be more shocked by the lack of English but it seems like everyone here speaks at least basic English. The signs and street names may take some getting used to though. The words are so long and the street names seem to sound the same. The dorms are also different from home. We have our own bedroom but share a bathroom. And the doors and windows open differently. I want to pull when I should be pushing. It's nice, though. But like I said, it has been a long day so time to figure out these German showers and go to sleep.
May 9, 2012: It is a struggle for toilet paper. Sad, but true. Other than that, I really like the dorms. Today, we had breakfast in the university dining hall (called the Menza). The sandwiches here are so good. They all seem to have egg in them. They also have a great variety and it all looks so good. It is interesting that the campus is so far away from the dorms. We have to take the bus to get there in the morning. It would probably be about a half an hour walk. We got to go into a cathedral. I understand why Dr. Kleine was so adamant about us going to see them- they are absolutely gorgeous! Surrounding the church are a number of restaurants and shops and people are also currently preparing for an upcoming festival called the Maiwoche which is a big deal here. After the tour of the city, I went a restaurant called Panorama. I would definitely recommend this to everyone going to Osnabruk. It was on the 6th floor of a building and there was such an amazing view from our balcony seats. Being able to drink a cocktail was also a plus. Later, we went to another restaurant as a group. There was a buffet of ribs, lasagna, cabbage, and potato. The food was definitely different from at home. The lasagna did not have much pasta in it. It was still not bad. The potatoes were my favorite. In the spirit of being in Germany, I also decided to try German beer. I'm not usually a fan of beer, so I got one with Sprite in it. It wasn't bad but I still dont plan on drinking more beer while I am here. Then, we got ice cream. One euro for a scoop of ice cream and it comes with the cone. Soo good. I am starting to get pretty homesick, but the class has become such a support system. We all seem to be getting along pretty well and we are definitely bonding. This is my favorite part of studying abroad. We were able to learn more about one another in the last few days than we were able to all semester together. We are like family - It's a beautiful thing :)
May 10, 2012: Today was our first day of class. We learned basic German. The teacher is great! She really encourages us all to put in the effort to learn and remember the proper words and pronunciations. It is a challenge but it will be worth it. Here is what I learned: Ich heiße Krystyn. Ich studiere wirtschafts und psichologie. Ich have eine Freund. Er heißst Micheal. I also learned Vater, Mutter, Schwister, and Bruder. Then we went to lunch. I had really expensive salmon and potatoes but it was SOOO Good. Then I met my International FaceTime Partner, Imke. She was so sweet. They are all really nice. We had a great time talking and comparing cultures and wandering around some really cool shops. I went to buy my mom a candle for her birthday because they were really pretty with German words on them. I found one with really pretty scenery and asked what it meant. It is a good thing I asked because I would have been giving her a "my condolences" candle. Probably not the right message. That night, we went to the Night Watchman's Tour. The best (but most exhausting) part was climbing the 193 stairs to the top of a tower that gave us an amazing view of the city. I am actually terrified of heights and stairs, but it was beyond worth it.
May 11, 2012: More German class this morning. We were all really tired from our late night last night, but we were still able to learn our numbers. Ich bin zwanzig jahre alt. That means that I am 20 years old. I think that my favorite is 11, which is "elf". We also met with our IFC Partners today and a group of us made crêpes. They were really, really good. Then we went to the first night of Maiwoche. It was extremely packed! There were lots of different types of food and shops. We could get drinks and return the glass and get back 1€. I also tried some Bratwurst - I am in Germany after all. It was pretty good ;)
May 12, 2012: Cologne (or Köln)! Absolutely gorgeous! I was in complete awe at nearly everything around me. We got to go into probably the most beautiful Cathedral ever. There is just so much history and so much beauty. There is also a gate there where many many people have put engraved locks commemorating special moments or relationships. From what I have been told, they lock the locks to the gate and throw the key in a nearby river. So romantic :). Later, we enjoyed some more Maiwoche festivities.
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