July is already here?!

It has been quite a while since my last post, so I will back up a little in time. Last time I wrote I was getting ready for my adventure to Alghero, Italy. The trip was amazing; absolutely paradise! The ocean and town were so beautiful and the weather couldn't be better! The "bungalows" we stayed in were also perfect. We had four people in each bungalow and a small kitchen behind each bungalow, which were perfect for cooking meals. However, we didn't spend too much time actually in the bungalows with the beautiful beach just a couple steps away. Other than laying on the beaches and soaking up as much Mediterranean sun as we could, we also went on a boat ride to Neptune's Grotto (a caving system close to Alghero). Unfortunately when we actually got to the caves, the water was too rough and dangerous to dock the boat and get into the caves. So we turned around and headed back to Alghero. On the way back, however, we stopped at this beautiful little bay to take a break. At this point the people in charge of the boat told us that if we wanted we could walk to the caves and then catch a bus back to Alghero. About 6 of us decided to embark on the adventure and in no time we were climbing up a rocky hill in about 90 something degree weather. About 15 or 20 minutes, later we found ourselves at the top of about 600 stairs leading down into the caves. The caves were amazing and so beautiful, and with our good luck we were able to get a ride home on a boat that was able to dock into the caves. We also were able to take a few excursions into the heart of Alghero city and take a look around at all the beautiful old Italian buildings. Finally on the last night we enjoyed an amazing seafood dinner right on the beach. Then we all headed back to Oldenburg a little bit redder and a lot more relaxed.

July fourth turned out to be a blast here in Germany. All the Americans as well as quite a few other foreign exchange students got together and had a great time with a barbeque, s'mores, and fireworks. For some, it was their first s'mores! Everyone had a lot of fun with the celebrations.

As for now, I can't believe July is already here! School has finally come to an end and I have only 3 more weeks in Germany! I have one more class (as well as a paper to finish) and I will be completely done with my summer semester in Oldenburg. The process of achieving credits, nevertheless, is quite interesting. Instead of automatically receiving credits, or even grades for that matter, we are given yellow sheets which we have to fill out with the information about the class such as title and course description. Then I have to ask the teacher for credits, a signature, and grade. After I have collected all of my"Scheine" from all of the classes I have taken, I will need to meet with the American advisor here in Oldenburg to put together a transcript. Once back in Laramie, I will once again need to meet with my advisor to finally once and for all receive my credits. Somewhat confusing, but easy enough.

As I have previously said, school ends this week, and then I am off to London for the weekend (thanks to Ryanair once again). I am going with 4 other girls (3 who are actually British). We will be exploring the amazing city for four days and then back to Oldenburg for two more weeks until I fly back to the states. For the last two weeks, I am planning on visiting more cities around Niedersaxon and the Nordsee. For the last couple days, I am also planning on visiting Caroline and her family once again. Then a 10 hour flight and it's back to life in the United States.

Only two months left!

It has been quite a while since my last post, so I decided to write a short one just to update everything. We are now in the eighth week of classes and all of my courses are going well. I have unfortunately recently discovered that I will not be able to receive quite as many credits as I originally hoped for. For three University of Wyoming credits, you must meet for 45 hours throughout the semester. Unfortunately, classes here only meet once a week for two hours, adding up for a total of around 28 or 30 hours.

Other than school, however, I have kept myself pretty busy with regular visits to the City Center and hanging out with friends. On weekends, you can always usually find a group of us exploring some new city close to Oldenburg with our "Semester Ticket". All students are required to buy a "Semester Ticket" for 178 euros. This is not only your student ID, but also a bus ticket which allows you to use the bus systems in Oldenburg as well as all the trains and buses in all of Lower Saxony for free. Therefore, traveling to Bremen or Hamburg or Hanover for the day is absolutely kostenlos. (I have come to love public transportation and now often wonder why Wyoming hasn't caught on).

Besides trips around Lower Saxony, there are also many trips to else where in Europe. Next week I, along with 11 other foreign exchange students, will be heading to Alghero, Sardinia for a few days. We are camping in "Bungalows" right on the white sand beaches. After a couple of looks at weather.com, we should be able to expect temperatures around 85 degrees (yeah...I'm a little more than excited!!). A couple weeks after our trip to Italy, I will also be going to Dresden, Germany (a city in east Germany) with the International Students Office with several other foreign exchange students (we tend to stick together). A smaller group of friends and I have also begun planning a trip to London in July. Trips around Europe while here are almost impossible to pass up with things like Ryanair which offers flights as low as 4 euros round trip to London or Italy. And with all the European hostels, a few days in another country is so incredibly affordable. For the next two months almost every weekend is already booked with trips and activities somewhere.

I am amazed that I only have two months left! It seems like only a short time ago I was arriving in Germany scared and excited out of my mind. Still sometimes scared and often times excited, I have somehow ended up with only 8 short weeks left with so many amazing experiences already behind me. And although I know that those weeks will fly be all too quickly, I am at the same time so excited to return home to family, friends, and Matt.

Berlin, Berlin, wir fahren nach Berlin!!

Berlin Wall

Check Point Charlie

Brandenburg Gate

Holocaust Memorial

Sanssouci Schloss

My weekend trip to Berlin was quite the whirl-wind adventure! The trip was planned by ISO (International Students Office) and included the participation of about 25 people representing countries all around the world. The trip was partially subsidised by the University, which meant that we each paid only 45 Euro for the whole trip (including travel, museum entrance, two nights stay, breakfast, and one dinner...quite the deal!).

We began our journey Friday morning on our tiny pink bus. After a few stops throughout the trip we arrived in Berlin early afternoon and preceded to check into our hostel. This was my first experience with a European hostel and I am pleased to say that it was quite the positive one. The rooms had ten beds (5 bunk beds) which I shared with my fellow international students on the trip. Everything was quite clean and well kept as well! After check-in, we went to The Story of Berlin Museum. The museum was pretty amazing. Step by step we were taken through the history of Berlin dating back to the 1200s. Each room had a hand's on theme with new technology and great displays gallor. The museum also included functioning atomic bomb shelter, which although amazing, turned out to be quite spooky! After the museum, our bus driver took us around a little bit more of Berlin and then back to our hostel to enjoy our free dinner. The next morning, we were shown even more of Berlin as we got to see so many famous and historic sites. Check Point Charlie was most definitely a favorite. After getting our Passports stamped with old Check Point Charlie stamps, we hopped back on the bus and drove a short distance down the road to a piece of the Berlin Wall still standing. Later on, we visited the area in which Operation Walküre (Valkyrie) as well as the execution of the members took place. The bus tour then ended at the Brandenburg Gate. After a quick bite to eat and walk around the gate, we went to a Holocaust memorial. The memorial consisted of several cement blocks of all different sizes put into rows. Underground was a memorial explaining and displaying the history of the treatment of Jewish people before and throughout World War II in Germany. Although very open to interpretation, the memorial was very unique and awing. Later that night, we were given free time to walk through the city and enjoy the amazing Berlin sites in the amazing sunny weather. The next morning, we left for a town close to Berlin called Potsdam, filled with amazing old buildings and sites. We specifically went to see the Sanssouci Schloss ("No worries" Castle). The park which held the castle in its self was amazing, dotted with castles and ponds. We then walked through the town a little bit (and enjoyed an amazing scoop of gelato along the way). Eventually, we got back on the bus and returned to Oldenburg Sunday evening.

The weekend was definitely a trip of a life time filled with everything one could ever ask for!

School has begun!

The summer semester officially began this past Monday here in Oldenburg. With that said, this week (and the preceding days) proved to be some of the most stressful, but let me start from the beginning. The process of course registration for international students is very different than UW registration process..or of any others that I have heard of. The exchange students were told during orientation week that we do actually register for classes in any formal sense of the word "register". We needed only to attend the class we desired. However, finding the classes offered was also a challenge. We had to navigate through a maze-like website to finally end up at a seemingly random list of departments. From there, you choose a Fach and scroll through a list of classes offered. Furthermore, the class structure is (of course) very different than what I have ever seen. There are various "module" were there are a list of classes belonging to different categories...Seminar, Vorlesung, und Uebung. When I was initially looking through these classes, I really had no clue what these categories meant. I soon found out (after several different people explaining it to me) that a Seminar is a normal class which is usually smaller, a Vorlesung is a lecture with a large amount of people, and an Uebung is somewhat like a lab class in which you have practical practice. From there, I discovered that you must take the Seminar and whichever Uebung or Vorlesung is listed with it (which both may be). Even later, I discovered that as Exchange student, I don't really need to take both...(yes, I know, this is extremely confusing). Also as an exchange student, I can attend as many classes as I want, and drop the ones I don't want up until the final with no consequences. So while looking through these classes, I realized that each class is only offered once a week for two hours (quite a bit longer than our little 50 lectures at UW). To further the frustration, the foreign exchange student's German placement test, which would tell us which level of German we would be taking, was not until this Wednesday. So while trying to put together a schedule, I had to work around the idea that my 6 hour German course could be anytime during the week.

So finally on Monday, I had somewhat of a list of classes which I would like to try. After my first class, at 8 am Monday morning, I realized that this may be a little more difficult than originally thought (I am not quite sure why I though taking college level Deutsch courses would be remotely easy or possible...). After sitting through two hours (well an hour and a half since, although it says the class starts at 8, German classes actually start 15 minutes after the start time and end 15 minutes before the end time), I walked up to the teacher, with a slue of other exchange students, to discuss if we would be able to stay in the course. Then it was off to my next class, which followed the same pattern. In all I attended about 6 or 7 classes...2 of which I will be returning. The week was far from relaxing in any sense. However, now, I have a pretty clear idea of what I will be taking, I know what German language class I will be in, and I am quite happy with my schedule (Friday's off!). And on top of that the weather has been stunning with temperatures in the 70s and the sun making regular appearances all week. Now it Easter weekend and I know many exciting things are in store for my future.

Rainy days...

Last day of class

The weather in Oldenburg can be, in many ways, quite unpredictable. One moment the sun will be shining with blue skies all around and the next dark, heavy clouds will be looming over you threatening to take away the warm atmosphere. In one hour, it is very possible to experience windy, sunny, snowy, cloudy then back to sunny conditions. Nevertheless, there is one weather condition that is very dependable...rain. Rain falls on Oldenburg almost everyday; a phenomenon I have not really ever experienced in Wyoming. Evidence of the vast amounts of moisture can be found in every corner from the city: the thin green layers over trees, fences, paths and houses as well as the small ditches filled with murky water running along roads and walkways that are always full. Although the rain is evidently the reason for the always green lawns and fairytale like atmosphere, it also poses the threat of ruining a perfectly productive day...such as today. Rather than riding my bike around town, sending out some postcards, doing a little wandering in the city center, and other random activities I had planned for today, I have been sitting in my room observing the monsoon happening just outside my window (I have learned that riding one's bike in the rain is not exactly the most comfortable or worthwhile experience). Bored out of mind, I have looked through almost every picture on my computer, surfed the Internet, watched numerous (hilarious) YouTube films, and reorganized my room. However, this has also provided me with a little time to write about some random aspects of my stay that I have previously ignored...

The buddy program is actually one of the reasons I chose to come to Oldenburg over the other offered universities in Germany. It is a program in which international students are matched with Oldenburg students (affectionately called "buddies) in order to help with transitioning into life at Oldenburg. Your "buddy" will meet you when you first arrive in Oldenburg to give you your keys to your Wohnheim, to help go over your contract agreement, and to answer questions you may have. I, as well as Kelly, happened to receive the most AMAZING buddies. They fulfilled their initial duties, and so much more including registering us with the city, bringing us around Oldenburg, giving us directions, riding buses with us (to make sure we get to the right place), and so much more. They have both become some of our best friends here in Oldenburg.

Kelly and I have just finished a three week intensive language course, which has greatly improved my Deutsch-speaking abilities! We attended class Monday through Friday for four and a half hours a day. Although speaking and listening to that much of a foreign language can be extremely exhausting, it was all worth it. Our classmates and our professors were amazing and so much fun...and quite international. There were students from Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, and more. On the last day of class we all had a small party with singing, dancing and amazing Kirschekuchen. And with all of our new language abilities, Kelly and I can now converse casually in German for a whole conversation.

Probably one of the most frustrating aspect of my study abroad experience thus far has been money. Not only is the euro much more valuable than the dollar (meaning that I lose money with each conversion), but getting the money here has also provided quite the obstacle. After setting up an account with the Landessparkasse bank, I had my mother wire-transfer a substantial amount of funds from my home bank account. After a week of not receiving this money in my account, my mother chose to call my home bank to track the money and discovered that someone along the way had typed in the wrong number, meaning that the money was, after all, not actually going into my account. After re-routing the money, I was told that it would still be another week before the money would be account. In the meanwhile, I have frequented the ATM for cash, and ended up paying a 5$ fee each time. Just a little frustrating...

Oldenburg has many hidden treasures which have quickly become favorite places to frequent. One of my favorite places is the city center. Granted, this is in no way "hidden"; however, there are many small areas where I would call little treasures. One particular place is a small "garden" type area. Through a narrow hallway off one of the main roads, lays a quiet little area with ivy and flowers over all the brick walls and a little bench. There is also Bar Celona (restaurant and cafe), which has amazing loose leaf tea and wonderful Kuchen (cake). There is also, of course, the farmer's markets which I love to visit just to absorb the smells and colors of fresh flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade cheeses, and more treats for the senses. The park which Kelly and I walk or ride through each day on our way to school is also a favorite. I feel each time that I have entered a fairytale forest and at any moment a little fairy is going to pop out, wings and all. I suppose it's the small things here that seem so wondrous to me.

My start at Oldenburg

I have now been in Germany for a month and in Oldenburg for about two and a half weeks, and I finally have internet in my room! I am amazed at how much has happened in the last couple weeks. I share my Wohnheim (apartment) with four young men (to my suprise!) and a friend from UW, Kelly. We each have our own room, but the girls (Kelly and I) share one bathroom, while the men share another, and we all share a kitchen with a small living space and balcony. It is close to both the University and the "City Center" where I can always find amazing little shops as well as farmer's markets and flea markets. The town of Oldenburg is really an amazing place. The town is big enough to have just about anything you could need, but is still small enough that it feels like a comunity. Everything is green and humid, and the trees are all covered in a small film of green moss. It rains nearly everyday with the sun making appearances every so often. Small bakeries can be found at almost every corner filled with amazing breads and sweets. Kelly and I have frequented the Einkaufzentrum (mall), bakeries, and San Marco (the most amazing Gellaterei) many times for amazing snacks of gellato and pretzels. Almost everyday, on our way to school, we take a path through what they call a park, which seems to me more like an enchanted forest with smooth green trees that soar into the sky and amazing little dirt and cobblestone pathways.

Everyone around here (and I really do mean everyone including our 70 year old neighbor) rides bikes in Oldenburg. Which brings me to the story (among many!) that I have chosen to elaborate on a little more. After taking the bus (which was very expensive) and walking everywhere for about a week, Kelly and I decided to search for some old bikes to buy. After hearing that a friend of a friend may have some old cheap bikes, we hopped on a bus after class and rode down to city center. We got out at a bus stop which we vagely remembered from the late night weekend visit to the same Wohnheim we were going to meet the student at. After walking around aimlessly for about 10 minutes or so, we decided to ask for directions...in German. After finding a nice saleswoman, we intently listened how to get to the correct street...and actually understood all of it! We arrived at our desired location in about 5 or 10 minutes and the friend of a friend showed us his very old and very...unusable bikes. We politely rejected and headed out of the dark bike room. On our way out we decided to walk rather than take the bus home...about 2 and a half miles away. On our way home, we stoped in at various little shops as well as San Marco's (for our daily scoop of ice cream), and decided last minute to look in a little used bike shop. The man there spoke no english. We slowly stumbled through our German, explaining that we were looking for cheap old bikes. The prices of the bikes seemed somewhat expensive, but we thought we would give it a try. He pulled out two seemingly nice bikes and told us (all in German remember) to ride down the street. After trying to explain to him that I had not ridden a bike in many years, he simply laughed and said "Geht!". And that was it, we were off! I felt extreamly shaky, but then it all came back to me (there is that saying...it's just like riding a bike...). We turned around at a gas station and returned to the bike lot. We both noticed the 105 euro price tag on Kelly's bike (there was none on mine) but we chose to ask for a price anyways. He suprised us both when he said fierzig und funfzig (40 and 50 euros)! We immediately agreed and then realized that we had only 75 euros between the both of us. This didn't seem to bother him too much. He told us to take the bikes, and return the next day with the rest of the money. And that was it! We became proud owners of our very own German bikes, joining our fellow Oldenburgians. And we did it all auf Deutsch! Since then I believe I have spent more time on my bike than I have walking...

Ahh Paris

My weekend trip to Paris was...well...amazing! It took about 5 hours on a bus to get there and another 5 to get back to Saarbruecken, but it was all worth it. On Saturday morning Caroline and I arrived with our small amount of luggage at the bus stop around 5:50 am and found our giant red bus quickly. After loading, we promptly fell right asleep. We arrived in Paris around 11 and the bus driver took us around to a variety of amazing and famous sites speaking the whole time in German. Due to my current status of the German language, I, unfortunately, did not understand the majority of his explainations. It didn't really bother me all that much though; I was really just happy with the knowledge that I was in Paris! We soon arrived at the Montparnasse tower which we were able to go to the very top and observe an amazing 360 degree view of Paris. Fifty-six stories above the famous city provide quite the sight. Soon after we arrived at the Eifel Tour and took a boat ride along the Seine. Later in the night we walked around the Champs D’Elise with the most magnificent view of the Arc De Triomphe. After running across gigantic streets that were in no way divided into lanes and narrow alleys that pretend to be streets, we found a Flamkucken Hause and sat down for a truly French meal with French lemonade, Flamkucken after Flamkucken, and an amazing ending of Crème de Brule! Flamkucken, for those who do not know, is a very thin pizza type dish with a white sauce and ham and onions…ah c’est magnifique! And the Crème de Brule was beyond words it was so delicious. That night we stayed in a Holiday Inn (who knew they were in Paris!). In the morning we had a wonderful breakfast and then set off to stroll the streets of Paris. We had 4 hours until the bus would again pick us up, so we decided to head over to Le Louvre. After viewing the gigantic mass of people in line, we opted to head for a smaller part of the museum which was all about fashion. On exhibition was the famous designer Sonia Rykiel, which I have to admit, was incredibly strange…but it was just so exciting to be in the famous Louvre! We also saw a whole exhibition on jewelry, and for those who know me well, this was quite the treat! After the Louvre, we wandered through the narrow streets filled with Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and little boutiques. Again and again we would turn the corner and find a magnificent and ancient building towering above us as if hidden in the streets of Paris throughout time. After our very French lunch of a baguette with ham and cheese we headed back to the bus for our ride home. It is quite the understatement to say that I enjoyed Paris. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Seine River…it all holds a magical feel not soon forgotten.