Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit- Oktoberfest ein zweites Mal!

Viele Grüße von München!

As many of my good friends or fellow snapchatters know, I spent this past weekend at Oktoberfest. For anybody who doesn't know what Oktoberfest is, think German stereotypes-people dressed up in Dirndls and lederhosen, piled in a beer hall singing and drinking beer by the liter-and there you have it! That's Oktoberfest!

Also, if you want to talk and meet people from around the world, then Oktoberfest it destined for you!

Reunited with a good ol' friend

Last time I was here, I went with Celine, an old exchange student friend from sophomore year and had a blast. This time, however, we dialed it up and took it to another level. Once more, I went with my friend, Celine, but also met up with 18 of the 25 CBYXers also there.  Thanks to Celine and her local connections, we got lucky and found ourselves in the Hofbräu tent both nights, though we also hopped biergartens time to time.  It pretty much went like this: If you wanted to talk to people, you went to the biergarten, if you wanted to sing and dance, you'd try to get into a tent. We struck a really good balance between the two, getting caught up with one another in the biergartens and making new friends with people from all over the world and then heading into a tent to get the real Oktoberfest experience of singing and dancing. No matter where you were and what time of the day it was, it was fun.

Back at with the group

The beergartens were lined with rows of picnic tables with people filling every seat. You just sat where there was room and struck up conversations with your neighbors. It was also the prime location to catch up with Celine (we haven't seen each other for 2 years, but we picked up right where we left off) and also talking with the CBYX squad, who are like family.

Inside the tent, it had a similar set up, but with a band playing in the center, and with more energy. Everybody's dancing on a table singing to one of the classic songs playing on repeat: Ein Prosit, Atemlos, Cowboys and Indianer, and the American favs: Country Roads and Sweet Caroline. The atmosphere was so up beat and cheerful and the feeling was simply gemütlich (comfy/warm smashed into a word.) It made for a really, really good time.

It's really difficult to describe the scene at Oktoberfest in words, so I hope the photos help. But in the end, the memories and crazy stories that sprouted from Oktoberfest are going to stick with me for a lifetime, and will probably be some of the highlights of this entire trip!

Berlin- Ich hab dich lieb!

I'm officially all settled into Berlin, and I am in LOVE with this city (or maybe just city life!)



East Side Gallery Repping...Berlin

As I've been getting into the swing of everyday life here, I've realized how much my German's improved.  I've become so comfortable with speaking German. Initially, I would process what I wanted to say in my head and how I was going to say it, all concerned about how American it was going to sound, but now I just own my accent and speak! Though I'm sure the German's are getting a kick out of how many grammar and pronunciation mistakes are in my sentences, but they understand what I'm...attempting...to say.



My School- Werner von Siemens Gymnasium

(High) School officially started last week and it's going well, though it's taken a while to get there. People used to tell me they'd have anxiety nightmares of getting lost heading to class, and I never related to those, until I got here. At my last Gymnasium, I had a support system of friends and my host family from day 1 (I have now realized how incredibly lucky I was.) On the other hand, here, I was completely left to fend for myself, which was quite humbling. After a week or so of looking helplessly confused, asking probably half the students for directions in desperation, and showing up late at least one class a day, I can officially navigate myself around the school like a pro! I'm finally comfortable being at the school, and with that, I'm starting to make friends. Since many people in my class have studied abroad, they relate to me and really put make an effort to talk to me. Now, it's getting to a good place and I actually enjoy going to class, hearing the language, and talking with others!

As for free time (which I have an abundance of,) I use to apply for internships-which to all my friends who think I'm on vacation for a year, I will be working 40 hours/week-and to try new things. Although I plan on keeping up with tennis, my friend, Annika and I have joined a rowing club-a sport I've always wanted to try but haven't had the chance to! Much to my surprise, there's lakes all over the suburbs of Berlin that are gorgeous! Rowing is a ton of fun and seems to be a great way to make friends. I'm also planning on volunteering with the Syrian refugees, a topic off significant contention here. I plan on helping tutor refugees in German and English.

There's one more thing I'd like to say today...




Squad at the Brandenburg Gate

Living in a city is ridiculously cool and I can't get enough of it. Berlin is a lively city full of street performers, markets, shopping and festivals around each corner. Es gibt immer etwas zu tun! Whenever I have nothing to do, I call up the other CBYXers in Berlin and we head into the city center and always, repeat, always, find something to do. We typically meet up at Alexanderplatz or Fredrichsstrasse and just wing it and I genuinely can't express how much fun it is to just walk around and explore. That brings something else up, a difference from the last time I studied abroad here... there's Americans going through the same thing as me nearby! It makes it so much easier and it's a difficult feeling to express...It's really nice to have each other as a support system.

The Berlin Group-Noah, Gingerlee, Annika, Allison, our area Rep, Gritt, and me!

Die Zeit ist schnell vorbeigekommen!

Hallo alle!

It's crazy to think that I've been in Germany for eight weeks now and that my time in Bonn has come to an end. Even though there have been a lot of ups and downs over the course of the past couple of weeks, everything ended on a good note and it's bittersweet leaving here. Bonn was a great city to start off in, but I'm ready to spread my wings and live the fast-paced city life in Berlin!

Best Deutsch  B Class!

James Joyce, the waiter loved us  crazy Americans

For only knowing each other for two months, our group has become really close. We left the U.S. as 25 strangers and now I consider them family. We all understand what we signed up for and what one another are feeling, and the bond through that has made us tight. Since we're all in Bonn together, we hang out non-stop. Our favorite places are the Hofgarten, Tacos-one of the few Mexican restaurants I've seen in DE, and James Joyce, an Irish pub. I'm pretty sure all the waiters and regulars at these places knew us quite well.

Some of our German friends mixed with the group at the Hofgarten, where the University students hang out in the  summer. 

This past weekend, Maia, Bryce, Annika, Allison K and I hiked Drachenfels, a hill with a castle with an incredible view overlooking the Rhine. While we were on our way up, a thrift shop caught someone's eyes beccause they had some ridiculous looking "granny suits," and in passing, one of us said that we should buy them and go to Cologne. So why not? We did! And the best part is that once we modernized the outfits, we actually got into clubs on Friesenstrasse, the main club street. The glares we got were priceless though I think people thought we were throwing a bachelorette party. But nonetheless, it was classic.

The kids' selfie game was strong!

As for my host family, everything was great! Everything felt quite Gemütlich, a word that really can't be defined in English, but it loosely means a feeling of warmth and coziness. We got along really well and I adored the kids. It was a lot of fun to be around thei non-stop energy. Plus, kids really are the best way to learn a new language. They made grammar mistakes as did I, it was perfect! Although I'm gonna miss them, saying goodbye wasn't hard because we all knew it would be a see you later. Berlin is only a few hours away from Bonn.

Today was our last day and I have to admit, it was bittersweet. We wondered around a beautiful village along the Rhine and took a boat ride along the river to a biergarten, where we said our goodbyes to the group and our host families. It was a great way to leave the Rhineland area.

Germany summed in a town. 

The boat ride was super relazingg though I have to admit, I thhink we talked more with each other than admired the scenery.

Berlin Buddies!

                                    But now it's time tackle the next adventure with these five...

  Berlin!

Birks, Castles, Cathedrals, Oh My!

Time is really flying by! I feel like every day goes by quicker than the day before. I've settled into my daily routine here pretty easily despite how busy we are kept.

A pic from Schloss Buerresheim

Climbing the ruins at Monreal

A few days ago, we went to the beautiful town of Monreal. It was felt as if we were stepping into a Disney movie. The town is settled in a valley with ruins on the surrounding hills and each house is built and painted in a similar style. Pictures really don't do it justice.

Classes are going well. My vocabulary has significantly expanded, however, I learn the most German when I go home and speak German with my host family. I retain more from hearing them speak and placing words in context than I do from a lecture.

Every afternoon after class, our group meets and does an excursion. This week, we explored nearby landmarks, including a monastery, a 14th Century castle, the Cologne Cathedral, and so much more. These little adventures have really helped us see how beautiful our surroundings are and have also helped our class bond. On my favorite excursion, we did a bakery test and I really wish I took pictures of all the sweets we ate! Everything tasted AMAZING! I probably gained 5 pounds that day!

My friend, Colleen, and I at the Maria Laach Monastery

In addition to all of the scheduled activities we have planned, our group spend a lot of time together. We love going to Alter Zoll, our favorite Biergarten, and to the Hofgarten, a park where all the college students hang out. We've been lucky with the weather, and it feels great to unwind at the park with everyone after class.

After class yesterday, a few friends and I went out to look for the Birkenstock outlet, which is a little outside of Bonn. We were in Birk heaven! To all of my Birkenstock friends-order Birks in Germany! They're a fraction of the price and have so many more models here.  

Shopping was a success!

The Cathedral in Cologne! Can you tell which tower's taller?

Cousin Time!

Jessica and I at the Cologne Cathedral

Just over two weeks in and I got to see a familiar face!

My cousin, who's been studying abroad in England over the past semester, came to visit me in Bonn for the weekend! If you know me well, you know Jessica is practically my sister, so it meant a lot to me that I could see her during our overlapping time in Europe!

We maximized our time together and explored Bonn and Cologne, but we agreed that we'd also like to unwind. So instead of non-stop sightseeing, we took it easy. We went to the zoo, and explored some of the local favs here (Biergartens, the Hofgarten, and, of course, a Döner restaurant.)

Overall, it was great  to catch up and make some incredible memories together!

Messing around at the Zoo!

Guten Abend, Bonn!

Hallo! I've officially made it to Germany and am LOVING it!

I thought that my non-stop on the go summer days would've come to a close by the time I reached Germany, but they most definitely have not. Between my host family, school and friends, there hasn't been much free time! But leave it to me to be round-the-clock busy.

So where to begin...

Host sister's selfie game is strong!

My host family is WONDERFUL! The family has welcomed me warmly into their house and I love coming home from school and spending time with them. The mom's Turkish-German so we eat a lot of Turkish cuisine, which furthermore makes me want to visit Turkey!  The two kids, Jetta (3 1/2) and Eda (1 1/2) are adorable and keep the house lively. They call me "Abla," which is Turkish for sister because "Kirsten's" too difficult to say. It's great to be in a house with small kids because it's definitely benefiting my German...and it's quite humbling to be corrected by a 3 1/2 year old...

The view from a few doors down from my house!

German "boot camp" started last week and it's going well. We have five classes a day separated by coffee breaks that break up the day. The classes have been very beneficial for expanding my vocabulary and reviewing grammar (those adjective endings will be the death of me.)

Our favorite Biergarten on the Rhein

When I'm not at school, I'm normally out with the group. Our favorite meet-up spot is at a Biergarten on the Rheine. When we're not there, we're in the city eating ice cream, shopping or going on spontaneous adventures. All of us have a severe case of Wanderlust. We're all beginning to make plans for traveling around Europe over the next year! For now though, we've been exploring Bonn and Cologne.

Breakfast with the German class

Last weekend, we went to Cologne for Koelner Lichter, a firework festival. The fireworks there put our Fourth of July ones to shame. After that, we explored the night life there and went to a "disko" (which is pretty much a club.) We had a lot of fun and quite literally danced the night away!






One last thing. I found out that after Bonn, I will be spending the remaining ten months in BERLIN! I'm pumped to be in such a big city!

The whole group at a gallery opening! We met some very inspiring people, including a U.S. Vice-Consul! 

Auf Gehts! Germany Round 2

Hey everybody! This is going to be my  blog over the course of this year. I'll be using it to update my friends and family about my travels and experiences while in Germany.

Many people continue asking me why I'm going on a "gap year" to Germany so, in short, this is why...I was selected as one of the 25 students to participate on Congress Bundestag Youth Vocational Exchange (CBYX.) This program is co-funded by our Congress and Germany's Bundestag (their Parliament) to celebrate and maintain a strong relationship between these two countries. For the first two months, I'll be in Bonn living with a host family and attending an intensive language learning school. Following that, I'll by in BERLIN attending a school for a few months and then moving onto an internship in the field of international relations/ business. This experience is going to a) help me become fluent in German b) gain experience working in a field of my interests and c) to make international friends and lifelong memories.

Although this experience will be filled with ups and downs, I'm beyond excited for what lies ahead and I will try my best to keep this blog updated!

Here's the link to the program:
http://www.nacelopendoor.org/exchange-programs/americans-abroad.html