Starting to Feel Routine

At long last, my city that seemed so impossibly large is starting to feel more like the small, quaint town that everyone talks about. I've fallen into a routine now and am even starting to call my apartment "home." Please allow me to take you through a normal day:

Every day begins with my German language class at 8:30 at the Max-Weber Haus, a beautiful building about 30 minutes from my apartment by bus. I have class from 8:30 to 1:00pm--quite a long time for just one subject--but it is broken up nicely. As meals here are generally eaten a little later than those in the States, my class breaks for breakfast every morning at 10:00am. Lunch is then eaten around 1:00 or 2:00, and dinner follows around 8:00. Breakfast consists of a few French pastries or deli sandwiches with meat (mostly salami), cheese, butter, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.

Much to my pleasure, my class is very diverse. I am one of only two Americans in the class, and one of only four whose native language in English. Thus, the rest of my class comes from around the world...Norway, Sweden, Italy, Chile, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Poland, the Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the list goes on...

After class gets out at 1:00pm, I am thankful to be free for the day. My afternoons usually consist of some combination of independently wandering the city, grabbing lunch or coffee with a friend, going for a run, grocery shopping (which I seem to do a lot), taking a nap, or catching up on some email.

In the evening I usually meet up with some friends and we make dinner together, as this is a much cheaper alternative to restaurants or pubs. After dinner we might go out to a bar, join friends for drinks in our neighborhood, or go see some kind of event in town like a play or jazz show. Partying on weeknights isn't enormously popular here, but as I live with sociable German roomates, it's extremely hard to get through any day without consuming at least one alcoholic drink. It's commonplace here...

That said, there have been a few events that have broken my regular routine in the last week. Of particular interest:

--My friend Kate cut off part of one of her fingers with a knife while making soup alone in her apartment the other night. Fortunately, we live right across the street from the hospital (I knew it would come in handy some time). Through broken German and bad directions, she thus managed to find her way to the emergency room, had her finger sewn back up, and should be as good as new in no time.

--I hiked the Heiligenberg with a few friends. It has a beautiful view!

--Lionel Richie is performing here in a few weeks (fun fact)

--I attended the longest and most poorly performed 3 hour play about Richard Wagner in German with many of my classmates. I couldn't understand most of it, but I remember something about washing clothes, liking blonde girls, going to jail, finding a magical mirror to the future, and some inappropriate prison relationships.

I'm starting to really like this city!!

The Max-Weber Haus where I take classes

Hiking up the Heiligenberg

Overlooking the river

And the old city

We reached the top!

Making dinner with my German roommate Philipp and his friend, Annabelle

Yummy dinner

In just a few days however, my routine will come to an end. My language class ends next Tuesday and I will have a two week break before orientation and the start of official classes on April 1. Fortunately, I am taking full use of this break and my travel plans are set!!! Over the course of two weeks I will spend:

--5 nights in Amsterdam with another exchange student, Deborah

--4 nights in Leiden, the Netherlands with one of my best friends from home, Margaret, who is studying abroad there

--5 nights in Paris with Margaret and a penpal that she has kept in touch with since middle school

I am SO EXCITED about the next couple of weeks and can't wait to tell you more. My trains are booked, but other travel plans are still in the works.

With that, I must be off, but I can't wait to share more! I'm missing BBQ and fresh produce dearly, but am otherwise loving life here. Miss you all.

Lizzie