Howdy!
I am feeling good in Germany so far. I feel like I’ve adapted well to things like public transport and navigating society without speaking German. My host family has been pleasant, they are a very nice couple, but it still feels like I’m invading someone else’s home. Due to all our schedules, we’ve only been able to have dinner together twice, so I am hoping that awkwardness will get better when we’ve spent more time together.
My biggest challenge so far has been my sleep schedule. I often find myself totally exhausted at 4pm for no reason, or waking up in the middle of night and being unable to go back to sleep. It makes it difficult to be present on the trip or pay attention because I’m so tired. Even with that though, I have really enjoyed the variety of experiences so far. Going to Trier over the weekend and seeing the landmarks there was amazing. The mudwalk was also such a unique opportunity, I don’t think anyone I know has ever done that or likely will ever do that.
I think the experience that has resulted in the most growth for me is staying with my host family. I have to be very aware of the way I’m behaving and presenting myself, and being respectful of their culture and rules is very important to me. This makes me feel like I’m much more intentional and thoughtful than when I am at home.
Overall, I am very excited for the rest of the trip, and I can’t wait to see what else we will get to do!
In regards to your host family, its interesting to put it in such way that we are being forced to be very vigilant and courteous as a guest in their homes. I wonder if this will make us better hosts and more courteous guests as we return back to the states.
ReplyDeleteThe weird daily fatigue is real as well. I think I took two random naps in Norderney and I never nap back home. hopefully as we become more accustomed with their day night cycle we'll be able to sleep better.
Ultimately, I do not think we need to feel like invaders. My host mom barely speaks English, but through communication I've already began to feel like family. I hope things get better for you as the study abroad continues.
I also felt a little awkward at first with my host family, but I've found recently that being able to spend more time with them through dinners and time off I've felt less of an invader like you said. Hopefully you'll get to spend some more time with them and start to feel comfortable. The sleep schedule thing is also such a hard problem too, since everyone around you is so adjusted and you're struggling to keep up. Most times when I'm jet lagged it gets better at most after a week, so maybe now that we have more time to rest here in Bonn you can get regulated.
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