Letzen 3 Monate

Hi, everyone!

I haven’t written a blog in a very long time, which I apologize for. Possibly it’s a sign of me becoming more integrated into life here in Germany. As I live here for longer, life becomes more normal and I find fewer topics to write about even though I know everything would have been fascinating to me just 7 months ago. 

Of course, being able to look back on my growth and all the things that have become “normal’ to me is incredibly cool. Knowing the best cafes, seamlessly navigating public transportation, not needing constant access to Google Maps, and understanding the German around me are all major signs of progress that I sometimes forget to appreciate.
Since writing last, I’ve made many new friends, signed up for a B2 German class outside of school, got a climbing gym membership, and visited my family in England!

Many of my new friends have come through switching around my classes at school and meeting exchange students who have just arrived. My circle of acquaintances and friends is growing and I’m beginning to see Hamburg is not such a big city after all. I’m reminded daily that it’s a small world. Now that I’ve changed to the sport and biology profile (my school separates students into different academic tracks), my peers have really warmed up to me! I think this is mostly because my German has improved. 

I signed up for a B2 German class through the Volkhochschule in February and since then I have had three hours of night classes per week. It has been very helpful and I’m contemplating signing up for an exam to prove my progress. In my class, I’ve met many international people with fascinating stories about why they’ve come to Germany. They inspire me to try working internationally at some point. 

I’ve recently found the perfect climbing gym for me because it’s big and close to my school. The atmosphere is similar to my gym in Colorado so climbing there has brought me a welcomed sense of familiarity. The best part is that it’s located in a bunker from World War II! 

During my two-week break from school in March, I went to visit my family in York, England for the first time in 6 years! Flying internationally by myself for the first time actually went quite smoothly. When I first arrived at Manchester Airport, I found it really overwhelming to hear everyone speaking English around me! That was a really strange feeling so I’m curious to see what I’ll feel like returning to the US in June. Of course, I became quite re-accustomed to English during my 8-day stay and maybe even picked up a bit of the Yorkshire accent! My short trip to Edinburgh via the train was the highlight of my vacation. I’m always astonished by how easy it is to travel within Europe. My flight back was only an hour and suddenly I was back in Hamburg preparing to head to a retreat outside of Berlin with my host family the next day. 

I have lots more travel plans coming up which I hope to write about. This week I’ll be visiting a fellow exchange student and his host sister in Berlin. In a few weeks, I’ll be off to the Nordsee, then to Paris, and in late May to Düsseldorf! 

I’m very excited to make these last three months memorable traveling, bonding with my host family, and meeting new friends!

Bis zum nächsten Mal!

Sarah