Tomorrow it will be one week since I left NH to come to Germany. I've already learned a lot in that time, and also made great connections with a variety of different people. Getting to know my host-family (the Ulbrich's) has come through meals, playing different games, watching Fußball spiele (soccer games), walking around the city, going to the store, and also just plain talking. I'm able to speak mostly in German, but there's always a sentence I won't be able to say, or will have to change around because of missing words in my head.

                                   Hamburg Stadt mit das Rathaus : Hamburg city with the City Hall

My family, particularly my mom and sister have been really good with helping me with the language, and have actually said more than once that my German is actually very good. I learn new words pretty much every day, and I've also noticed that words I had learned in school are easy to recognize, but then I'm not sure what they're saying; or usually asking. Times like that are when I really learn a word. More times than not I know the content of a conversation, but when it comes to questions, I can't always make out exactly what's being asked. It probably looks like I don't understand as much as I do, because it's usually something like a particular word or detail that I don't quite grasp.

Tonight, I went to my first Rotary Meeting with my sister Lisa. We turned out to be the only Exchange Students there, in a very formal gathering (compared to the meetings I had been to back home), with 7 of the Rotarians; including my YEO and the President of the Club. As the conversations, event happenings, and stories went on (almost all in German), I contributed where I could, and also got to talk with most of the Rotarians. Meetings occur every Monday, but I'm not required to attend every one, although the invitation will always stand.

Transitions and Realization

It already feels like I've been through so much in the past 40 hours. Actually, thanks to 3 different time zones, 2 flights, and a layover, I really have no idea how much time has passed, or what time my head thinks it is. I'm not sure exactly what you've heard about Exchange (particularly the beginning), but I know the very first day was different than I could have anticipated. It's been a roller coaster emotion-wise, from before I had even left. When I anticipated leaving, I knew that it would be sad, and hard, but the final goodbye's that you are forced to say to your siblings and parents is really one of the hardest things I've ever done; especially trying to push the feelings back and stop crying. But I know accepting the changes was one of the best things I've done so far.

The plane ride to London was exactly 6 hours. I slept pretty poorly for about 2 of them. the majority of the ride was realization, as well as changing emotions every couple of minutes. Excited, nervous, in shock, happy, anxious, sad, confident, independent, brave, outgoing, curious, and so much more. After a 3 hour layover, I anxiously boarded the plane that would take me to my new home. Seeing the city out the window, and knowing I was really going to live there was an amazing feeling. I couldn't stop smiling, but was on the verge of tears at the same time. I haven't actually had real butterflies in my stomach for a long time.

Meeting my host-family was fantastic. They, and my YEO greeted me right out of the doors, flowers in hand, and huge smiles on their faces. Our immediate greetings and conversations were in German, and I was proud and surprised at how much I understood, and could also say back. Unpacking and dinner followed, with nice conversations in between. It's weird calling a place you've never been to 'home,' but seeing it that way really doesn't seem too far out of reach; it's amazing. The first day that I'm an Exchange Student, and I'm already starting to see how you really wouldn't understand unless you've experienced it.

I'm a big procrastinator. I always know somethings going to happen, or get done; but somehow it all manages to get done at the last minute. I guess that's how this blog began too - at the last minute. I planned on starting a while ago, but never knew exactly how to approach something like this. How do you talk about something you've never experienced before? But from everything I've heard about Exchange, that's a big part of this experience: diving head first into something brand new, and putting yourself out into the world, open to a new life, friends, family, and whatever may come your way.

I've been through a lot with Rotary to get where I am today - 3 days away from leaving the USA to go to Hamburg, Germany. I've hosted twice, been to meetings and weekends, watched my sister Valerie go through Exchange (to Cologne Germany), lost friends, and also made amazing new ones. I know a year in another country has got to go by fast; I can't believe my sister has already been back a year, and the friends I was with a month ago, are already back home, halfway across the world. Seeing and realizing all of this makes me determined to grab every opportunity, and make the most out of every day I have abroad.

I know that I am going to miss a lot here, and being completely independent will most likely be different than I imagine, I also could never think about letting such an amazing opportunity to teach me, and open my eyes to much more than I could ever see here, pass me by. Emails between my host-mom and I have gone back and forth, as well as brief conversations with my host-sister. I'm really eager to meet them, and excited to live in a place I've heard so much about. In only 3 days, I will fly 6.5 hours to London, have a 3 hour layover, and finally fly into Hamburg, with a 6 hour (ahead) time difference. Now, it's very real that I have to leave my sisters, best friends and family, but I really look forward to everything that's waiting for me in Germany.