Week 1 Reflection
Howdy!
The plane ride to Frankfurt was pretty rough. I had a middle seat, and the plane had some turbulence. They gave us a lot of food, however, almost too much. For my first flight alone, it was not bad, and I was able to find the meeting point in the airport very easily. I had gotten there about 30 minutes before the decided meeting time, but some people had been there since 6 A.M.! We were ready to leave, but had to wait for the last person who had gotten lost for almost two hours. I was exhausted and just ready to unload and get out of the airport. One of the main things I noticed about the mostly gray airport was the smell of cigarettes almost everywhere. Smoking is a lot more common here than in the United States, which is something I had to get accustomed to since I hate the smell of cigarette smoke. After the last person was rounded up, we got on the charter bus to the AiB.
On the ride to the AiB, we passed beautiful vineyards and the Rhine River. There were many cute little towns and large houses up in the hills. I fell asleep on the way until I got to Bonn. When we arrived in Bonn, I noticed that it was a bustling city with a lot of people out shopping, eating, traveling, or working. The first major shock was probably the lack of English (which was expected, but it was still a shock). I only spent a little bit of time at the AiB until my host family came to pick me up. By that time, I was exhausted from having to drag my luggage everywhere. That night we had tortellini with tomato sauce, and I met the other student staying with me, Olena. She is from Ukraine and has been to many other European countries and is currently studying in the United States. That night, I unpacked and showered. I was nervous for the next day because I still did not know the people in the group very well.
The next day, we met Mara at Five Guys for our orientation day. Olena had shown me where the bus stop was and what time I should take it the night before. In the morning, I followed Victoria and Ally to the Five Guys. We then all walked together to the AiB, and it was so awe-inspiring walking through the city in the morning. When we walked in, Rike had a flag and a sparkler since it was the 4th of July. It was cute and nice of her. We then all walked together to the AiB, where we had our orientation in the classroom. The orientation was quick, and we were let out at lunchtime. I decided to go home because I was tired, but ended up taking the wrong bus (I got back on the same bus that dropped me off). Apparently, the buses have different directions even though they are the same number. So it took me almost an extra two hours to get back home. This made me sad because I was already so tired and did not understand a lot of the things around me. I was able to find the right bus, and by that time, it was almost time for dinner.
The next day, we went to Marksburg Castle, which was beautiful. The stone carvings and the idea of old wealth were fascinating. I was starting to get comfortable. I think this was the day Thomas asked me for my name, which he probably regrets now (joking).
So far, my experience has been amazing. This country is beautiful and has so many weird quirks. Being with a new group of people that I do not know much about has been the most challenging. We are all so different, which is a great thing, and that will draw us closer together. In the next journal, I will talk more about the trip to Nordeney and meeting Dr. Wasser (the Tai Chi master).
Caio!
Payten Jackson
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