My Class is Nearly Finished!

I'm writing this post at a time when I'm down in the dumps. Here's why.

Before coming here, all I could focus on was what was up and coming. I was super excited about all of the adventures I was going to have, all the great experiences and memories I'm going to make. But now that I'm here, it's like I'm randomly just started living someone else's life and stopped living my own. I've left behind an entire year back home with my wonderful friends at IU. I see them posting pictures and other things that I would normally be experiencing right now. But I'm not.

Now, I know I'm incredibly lucky to be able to be studying abroad here and gaining these wonderful things, but that doesn't make the fact I'm missing out on my life back home any easier. As I'm wrapping up my first month here, it's crazy how quickly time actually has gone by. You think you've prepared  yourself emotionally, but there really isn't away to fully be ready for it. I know that in 10 months I'll look back and miss my life here, but now it seems like such a far away dream that I'll be back home. I really  must sound like a spoiled child right now. I apologize.

Anyway, on to more positive things. I'm basically done with my intensive German class! Tomorrow is the last day, and we literally are only watching a movie. It's barely a school day in my eyes. As exciting as it is, I look back on what I've gotten out of this class, which is actually a lot more than I realized while actually taking the course. First, I definitely gained more confident speaking German. I mean, that does not mean at all that my German is anywhere near where I want it to be, it just means I'm less afraid of being judged for incorrectly saying something or having a thick American accent. For those fellow foreign language learners, losing the fear of judgement is actually kind of a big deal.

Secondly, I've gained more confidence on grammar concepts that before coming here, were completely an obstacle to be overcome. For example, Konjunktiv II. It's something that exists in English, but it is way more developed and intricate in German. I've been working on trying to integrate it into my speaking skills (with moderate success) but it still remains a topic that I've mastered only on paper (well, mostly mastered).

Thirdly (and this one is the corny one), I've met many people that I wish I could get to know better, but sadly many of them are leaving at the end of the week. They were only here for this particular course. Perhaps our paths will cross again in the future, and I wish you the best of luck in your futures.

Lastly, I've gotten 3 credit hours for a 400 level German class completed in 3 and a half weeks. Like, that probably sounds stupid, but that's the quickest and possibly most effective 3 credit hours I've ever completed. Hurray for me!

Outside of class, there isn't a whole lot to report. I'm in the process of setting up an audition with the Freiburg Student Orchestra next month. They're playing Beethoven 7 at their next concert which REALLY excites me. (I wrote this post while listening to this symphony :D) It's one of my favorite Beethoven symphonies. So hopefully that goes well. Also, this past weekend I spent quite a bit of time with the Pfaffenweiler community band (which I've talked about in my previous post) and that was interesting. I played at the reopening of a hall which had recently received renovations. I was again publicly welcomed to the community and to the band. Then Sunday, the band traveled about an hour and a half to this village of re-built farmhouses from the 1600s. It would have been really a pleasant experience, except the whole day was basically the sky peeing on us and me trying to stay dry, and then also marching awkwardly with my oboe. (Luckily it was NOT raining during this time). Overall, it was definitely a good, relaxing weekend that allowed me to recuperate. It is still exhausting living a majority of the day in German. I hope soon it's not. But it's unlikely.

Things I am looking forward to in the upcoming future?

• No classes. No early mornings. Sleeping in.
• The other IU students and I are planning a trip to Europa Park (well, I think we are going to)
• Time to just sit and read while drinking coffee. I'm enjoying Eragon in German right now. :D
• Hiking through the Black Forest. I hope to accomplish this soon, before it gets too cold.