A Bit Under the Weather with the Weather...it's raining :)

In recent events, class is in full swing! Unfortunately, I have my first cold here! Ah, it's a good thing motherdearest prepared me with a pharmacy-to-go! It's about 22:00 (10:00) here right now and I'm procrastinating my 50 pages of European Integration homework. eek! But I'm nestled comfortably in my chair and can hear the change of weather from outside. It's a soothing rain. All I can think about right now is a favorite quote of mine by a German poet,
"I beg you... to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually without even noticing it, live your way into the answer..." - Rainer Maria Rilke

This calls for some vanilla green tea! Hopefully I'll be well by this weekend...off to Vienna!

I hope all is well-viele Bussis!

katzlein (little cat), a new nickname

New Faces, New Cultures, New Friends

Without further due, finally a new blog! Unfortunately, the start of school and my vorbereitungs course, the beautiful weather, laying in my favorite park, and being with new friends has stopped me from being blogger productive! I hardly even now where to begin....the life of an "Erasmus" (european exchange) student is truly something else

Essentially, my vorbereitungs course was a month long course that prepared all the exchange students get well aquainted with the town and further their german. Despite the short amount of time, I've already become close with the other exchange students from around the world. It's almost like the olympics! Countries represented include: USA, Spain, Denmark, Finland, France, Bulgaria, Russia, South korea, mexico, Itally, Slovakia, Hungary, Canada, Latvia, Romania...and i might be leaving a few out! I've already asked to hear national anthems several of the countries. Of course I have a close relationship with the other americans (Sean, Cody, Catie, Evelyn)-it's as if we're an understood family, but I've also become close friends with the danish girls (4) who are all just lovely; a finish girl, Sarah, who cracks me up and always has a broken bike; as well as a french girl, Adelaide, who always has a smile on her face and the sweetest disposition; and Sylvia from Poland who is almost just too cool for me but still calls me her little Hase (bunny) . Together we primarily speak german with each other except for Sarah who understands everything but apparently can't speak it. With these people, I've had picnics in the park, visited munich and nuerneberg, gone out all night with, and learned some words of their own language. I've learned Danish from the danes and swedish from Sarah because in Finland she represents 5% of the swedish population. One really interesting example of this sharing of cultures was when we were all out for Annamarie's (Denmark) and Happy Birthday was sung in about 8 different languages :)

So far I'm loving it here, classes just began, and spring has sprung! The summer has even yet to begin and I have had so many stories that I'll be writing about soon. With the prep course over, I'll hopefully have more time and won't be slacking off!

my favorite things about the lifestyle:

riding my retro robins-egg bluebike everywhere

everything is closed on sunday-a true day of rest

buying bread from a bakery

outside cafes

Hain Park