Pre-departure Study Abroad blog assignment 1

Danielle Taylor
Sept. 10, 2014
Kirsten Sheppard
OVS203

          From a young age I have wanted to travel.  My wanderlust was matched only by my adoration for the past, and it seemed only natural that I carry that thirst for knowledge over into my dreams of traveling across continents.  I wanted to be able to absorb the history of countries I visited like a sponge soaking up water, and I finally have the chance to start that process by studying abroad in Germany during the spring semester of 2015.

          First and foremost, my ultimate goal from this trip is to understand what I'm learning about.  It would be pointless to travel abroad and begin learning about a foreign country without fully comprehending the information being presented to me.  I hope to understand not only the historical context of Germany's past, but also better comprehend their cultural practices, their values, and what makes them German.  A secondary goal, though still important to me, is to gather a firmer understanding of the world around me.  I have never been out of the country, and as such I am still incredibly naive of how other countries and people operate.  Reading only can bring so much light to one's understanding of foreign regions, and the only true way to stay afloat when submerging oneself is to keep an open mind!

          So far, the real excitement has yet to settle in for me, and instead I'm truly paralyzed about being away from home for long, let alone in another country.  My pessimistic nature tends to get in the way of logos, so I have already run through a million scenarios of what could go wrong (losing my passport/money, not understanding my classes, not being able to make friends, having trouble adapting to the culture, etc.), but I'm also excited to be able to challenge myself to overcome any of these situations that might arise.

          Three things I intend to do while I'm there are have as many conversations in German as I possibly can, further my comprehension of the German language and culture, and make friends that are not only from Germany, but that are also from other countries and are just as nervous, terrified, and ready to blossom into respectful ambassadors of our schools and countries as I am.