The First 5%

Alright, finally good internet service. Sorry nothing was posted sooner. I was planning to post every Friday and then the faulty internet kind of shut that idea down. I had to wait all weekend to use the internet in the Mediothek of the Goethe Institute. I also think that I will have to post more than just one a week because each week is like a short eternity. So much happens that it does seem possible for so little time to have passes. So here is the report on my first week in Germany.

Munich is a very beautiful city and was more than a little overwhelming at first. There are people everywhere all  the time and you can hardly turn down a street without seeing something of interest in the heart of the city. Old buildings, churches, towers, and apartments can be found everywhere without even really looking. Not to mention all of the amazing places there are to see here. If you are ever in Germany I highly recommend that you take at least a day to visit Munich and see at least a few of the wonderful things they have here. I have been relying heavily upon Rick Steve's Germany travel guide to find restaurants and all the great sights and fully support the use of this book in your travels.

Unfortunately, there are some major difficulties. After about 3 days I really began to crash emotionally. I was panicked about my German skills, about my time at Braunschweig, about graduating, about my girlfriend. If I could think of it, it was bothering me and I just wanted to crawl in a shell and have them ship me home. I then found out that this is actually a normal part of studying abroad. Everyone goes through an emotional ride with several peaks and valleys, and that's just the way that it is. Everything seems fine now and I am back to having a good time while working hard on learning german.

Now alot has happened this week so you will just have to bear with me on this post. Due to the requirements I am facing, this blog can not just be about what a great time I had and the places I have seen :). So here is some boring stuff. My time at the Goethe Institute has been incredible. The classes are very difficult but the teachers are also very supportive and want you to learn. I feel that my German is improving but it is really hard to tell when you are in the thick of things like this so I will keep you posted (heh heh, posted. get it? nevermind). The Institute has been wonderfully helpful in meeting people and going places. Several times a week they have different activities such as city tours, group dinners, concerts, and even trips to famous locations. Just yesterday I went with a large group to Schloss NeuSchwanstein (also known as the Fantasy Castle) and it was gorgeous. The weather was just perfect. It was a cloudy but it only rained while we were traveling on the bus so no umbrellas required. The country was green and vibrate and you could see for miles from where the Castle was perched halfway up the mountainside. This is an experience that I plan on remembering on a rainy (read miserable) day. Next weekend, the Institute is taken a trip to the Dachau Concentration Camp. That should be very interesting but I think I will have to spend some time laughing afterwards.

To everyone at home or following this blog. Leave any questions you have for me in the comments and I will try to answer them next time. Places I've been, food I've eaten, odd changes from US to Germany, how many times i've been chased by the police.... you know, whatever you want. Tell next time, Guten Tag.