My First 24 Hours in Deutschland!
Authored By:
Hallo Leute!
Today I am writing to you from Deutschland! I arrived yesterday morning and after a quick line at customs, retrieved meine Taschen (my bags) from baggage claim. I then walked out two large double doors and heard "Sabrina!" My host family had travelled four hours to pick me up at the airport. I ran over and was warmly embraced by them. We quickly got into their car and drove to the nearby town, Mainz, to eat breakfast. We sat down at a restaurant that overlooked the Rhine River and ate pankakes, sausage, and eggs. It was delicious and the views were incredible. A fun fact about the Rhine River is that it flows through most of Germany, so if you were to follow it, you would encounter a surplus of old castles and uniquely charming villages located on its banks.
We then got back into the car and drove about three and a half hours to Einbeck, for a "coffee break." Einbeck is a lovely little town full of old architecture and has what I consider the "classic German charm". A fairytale feeling, like you are walking through streets described in a storybook. The streets are lined with cobblestones and houses have plaques stating they were hundreds of years old. We sat down at a café and I ordered for the first time ever auf Deutsch. I asked for "heiße scholkolade" (hot chocolate) and the waitress asked me "mit sahne?" or "with whipped cream?" (cue my first German mistake) and I responded "Ich bin" (I am). This clearly makes no sense and therefore I have to laugh at its ridiculousness because I could not tell you what was going through my head at this moment. Although I thought I should include it in this blog for future CBYXers to see that they shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes when speaking in German because I learned a new word that I will never forget because I associate it with this experience!
We then got back in the car and drove on the "Autobahn" or the highway until we reached Lehrte, the town I will be living in for the next 10 months. My host family has done a tremendous job of making me feel welcomed and at home in Germany. Looking ahead, this year is as exciting and it is scary and I couldn't be more grateful to have the opportunity to experience it all. This year will bring light to new challenges and unexpected victories that I am so excited to document right here!
Stay tuned and Bis dann,
Sabrina