Language Camp

     I've been away from home for a little over two weeks now, and time really has gone by more quickly than I could ever have imagined. My days here at the Schloss are spent playing ping pong, learning German (obviously), participating in orientation sessions, eating, and getting to know my fellow exchange students. We've done a million different things since we got here, most of which I can't recall at the moment. There are lots of semi-interesting little differences between Germany and the USA that I've already noticed. For example, you have to pay for a plastic bag if you want one when you check out at a store. Even trivial things like this are thrilling right now. We're still in the exciting beginning phase.
     The last two nights we went into town for a festival. The first night I got a taste of Bundesliga rivalries when we watched the Dortmund-Bremen soccer match in a pub and decided to learn the Werder Bremen fan song so we could sing it obnoxiously whenever we felt it was called for. Then, last night, I had my first Spaghettieis and watched fireworks from our mountaintop. So it's pretty much been like that one Mary Kate and Ashley movie.
     This coming Saturday is the big day when I will finally begin to understand what I've gotten myself into as I leave this American safe haven for real Germany with my host family. I am extremely excited, somewhat nervous, and pretty sad too. Schloss Wittgenstein has become home and I love being around the people here and getting the closest thing to my dream British boarding school experience as possible. I love our busy days of meetings, games, and food, and the huge windows that open all the way, and bread I eat every day at breakfast, and the ping pong table, and singing all the time in class. I even love the hand towels we have to dry off with after showering, and curtainless showers that make the floor get all wet, and the dryer that doesn't work, and the fact that there isn't any hand soap. But this isn't what I came here for.
     The next step is the real challenge and the real reward, and I'll handle whatever this year throws at me with poise and a Jim face.

Today's Song: "Into the Wild" by LP

Yours, Anne

                                                     
                                                                         Our room

                         View of the soccer field and most popular ping pong table from our window

                                                                        Spaghettieis

Our fantastic windows. They open two different ways and you can sit on the window sill quite comfortably.