In just a week I’ll be getting on a plane and heading to Germany to live for the next 11 months. I’ll be staying in Tübingen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemburg. I’m really excited but anxious to get there. There’s been a lot of build up and preparation for this trip and I can’t wait to go and get settled into my new home!
I chose Germany as my study abroad destination because I wanted the chance to practice my German with native speakers. Choosing which city to go to was a harder decision. I talked to friends and co-workers who’d traveled abroad for recommendations and I ultimately chose Tübingen because of the classes they offered. The university has a lot of linguistics courses I can take to finish my degree as well as a variety of language courses so I can improve my German skills. I’m most nervous about the academic part of my trip. I’ve lived abroad before but I’ve never done it while also taking classes. I think it will be hard to find a balance between studying and traveling and it’ll be challenging trying to adjust to a new university while also being in a new country. I know very little about the education system and what to expect while I'm there. I’m taking classes in linguistics, history, and the german language. I hope I can branch out in these classes and learn things that I wouldn’t have been taught back at UMass. I also hope I can learn from new perspectives and be challenged in new ways. My biggest learning goal is to improve my German although I need to focus on setting realistic goals for myself so I’m not disappointed by a lack of progress. I want to expand my vocabulary and improve my conversational skills which is always something I’ve struggled with. I’m trying not to have many expectations about my trip or the culture because I’ve learned things rarely are what you’d expect when traveling. Any expectations I do have are based off my previous trips to Europe even though I know Germany will be very different from my trips to Spain and Italy. I’m excited to see the similarities and differences between the cultures across Europe. I’m also looking forward to learning about the differences between American and German culture. I’ve always been an open-minded and flexible person which has helped me when I travel. I think it’s important to be open to new experiences, especially when you’re abroad. I hope I can keep this mindset with me over the next year even when things are different from what I expect or what I’m used to. Leaving home feels bittersweet. I’m going to miss my friends and family and the ‘comfort’ of being home. It also feels strange not going back to UMass while so many of my friends are heading back for our final year- They’re all moving in this weekend and I’m definitely experiencing a bit of FOMO. But studying abroad has been something I wanted to do since I was a kid and took my first trip to Europe. I love traveling and I can’t express how much I’m looking forward to the year ahead. I can’t wait for all the new people I’m going to meet and places I’m going to visit!
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AuthorHi, I'm Michaela! This blog will follow my adventures in Germany for the next 11 months (September-July). Archives
January 2020
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