Language Camp: Germans, Germany, and German

Hallo Aus Deutschland! 

I can’t explain how crazy it is to finally be typing those words, at long last, from the comfort of our youth hostel in Würzburg, Germany. 

It’s hard to believe that it was only 2 weeks ago that I landed at the Frankfurt airport, ready to begin this great trip. So much has happened in so little time. My mission today is to give you an idea of what the first weeks of CBYX look like, both from a logistical and emotional perspective. 

First, I want to give you a little information about Würzburg and what we do at Language camp. 

Language Camp is an intensive 4 weeks filled with German language lessons, practical culture lessons (like how to use the Deutsche Bahn, or German train system), and group trips to further immerse in German culture.

Würzburg is an absolutely stunning, stereotypical German Baroque city. Our youth hostel is near the middle of the city, only maybe a kilometer from the touristy downtown area. Just this week, we have had several excursions to places like “The Residence” (sort of a mini Versailles), the “Rothaus” (where we were formally welcomed to the city by the mayor), and even the Japanese Gardens! It's really a perfect location.

German lessons have already been super helpful, and it is extremely motivating to see progress in my language skills. Coming into this whole program with next to no German, I am really enjoying the learning! 

On the topic of learning curves, though, I will be honest and say it has not been all sunshine and rainbows. I am struggling with homesickness, and am making a concerted effort to manage it wisely. The most helpful thing for me is to just admit it and talk about it with the other students here. I am also pretty tired, but again, with good management (i.e. naps 😁), my sleep schedule is getting better. I am learning that the critical thing is to take charge of taking care of myself. 

One last thing I want to talk about is how great the GIVE (the German organization running language camp) counselors and staff are. They are here and supportive at all times, flexible, inviting, and really just what I need in such a crazy month. They treat us as responsible young adults; a totally different attitude from camps in the U.S. It's wonderful. 

All in all, between 30 hours straight of travel, adjusting to a new country, being surrounded by a foreign language, freely exploring one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and adjusting to an entirely different schedule, it's been an exciting, exhausting couple weeks for me. I'm so glad to be here and can't wait to see what will come in the next couple weeks! So until next time, Auf Wiedersehen!