Week #17 in Germany

This past week we went to Munich to celebrate the New Year. This was the third year I've rung in the New Year in a foreign country, and by far the most beautiful. I've never seen so many fireworks in my life. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, watching the spectacle with a huge smile stretching from ear to ear. I couldn't think of a better way to say, "Happy 2011!"


I am now entering my fourth month in Germany. The last time I spent this long in a foreign country, I was entering my final days. After four months in Graz, I was regretting that I couldn't stay a few more months. Of course I missed driving my car, holding my puppy, eating Mexican food and doing a thousand other things I could only do back home. But I was sad to leave Graz after only five months, because by the fourth month I could see progress. After four months in Graz, I was beginning to understand conversations on the bus and I was starting to feel fairly confident while speaking with a stranger in German. I knew if I could stay only a few more months, I would be able to perfect my German even more. And I knew that if I left after only five months, I would lose most of my progress. But I had to go home. And, as predicted, I lost most of my speaking skills. Having classes in German isn't the same as constantly being exposed to the language. When you live in a foreign country, you learn the language even when you're not trying.


Once again, I am starting to feel the way I did in Graz. I am able to understand the majority of the conversations on the bus (even with the Badisch dialect) and I am able to communicate more freely. As much as I miss home, I'm excited that I don't have to go back yet. I've only just begun to explore how far I can stretch my German abilities. I can't wait to see my progress in the next few months!