20:00 at the Wasch-n-Fun

To do laundry in my apartment, I have to knock on some stranger's door and buy some tokens to put in the machines. Like a carnival, but not as fun.

Instead, I decided to trek to Stühlinger, one of my favorite areas in Freiburg and only 10 minutes or so from my apartment. I found a place called Wasch-n-Fun, and I thought hey, it's Monday, I'm down for a good time.

For a while, it was just me and the furious sound of the washing machine. Like everything in Europe, washers and dryers are very small--like little R2D2s, with little buttons and knobs and strange, sad noises. My wash went through a lot in that hour. It started very gentle with a kitten-like kneading of the laundry. But after 45 minutes, the machine was shaking so furiously that my detergent was doing the Virginia Reel from corner to corner. I had no one to turn to to affirm the normality of the washer violence, as I can on airplanes during turbulence, when I gage my fear based on a rough evaluation of the other passengers' grips of their hand rests.

Student-types filtered in and out with their IKEA bags, sharing a smile which translated to "yeah, I ran out of underwear too."

Then, an older woman came in with a bouquet of flowers and began to pick up stray pieces of lint. I asked her if she needed help; she answered in muddled German, "no, we already have me, three Koreans and one Indian man working here."

So went my laundry experience. Not quite the romantic, meet-cute adventure you see in the movies, but at least I won't have to wear my bathing suit tomorrow.

Communication Frustration

I've discovered recently: once you* begin learning a language and you are stuck somewhere between first-day-of-class novice and nearly flawless fluency, communication is a hot, sticky mess.

Sure, you're happy when you understand what people are saying. You pick up on colloquialisms and try them out on your friends, who are in the same position as you--eager to learn, dying to be understood. You write it down in your notebook when you get home, promising yourself that you will look at it again and again until it becomes as second-nature as Ich liebe dich.

Ganz einfach. Only not.

You begin talking to native speakers, you settle comfortably into the conversation, and suddenly words are bouncing off the tip of your tongue like little frogs. You're rolling now, it's like you're speaking in tongues--but for real! People can understand you! Aber du sprichst sehr gut deutsch!

Then, your brain pulls a fast one. What is that word? How do you say "hole" auf deutsch? I think it's Lauch...or is that "leeks"? What about Lücke? But isn't that "gap"? You mean it isn't the same thing? What was I talking about?

And it's gone. The German is no longer quite as impressed as she was when you were going on and on about how strange you find German banks. You've lost her; she's speaking English now.

*It's probably just me.

Willkommen in Freiburg!

I have been in Germany for a week now and already I've met so many new people and seen so many familiar faces. My trip started perfectly, with a visit from Evan who drove several hours from Massachusetts to the Newark airport to hang out, calm me down and bring me fresh produce. I will remember it for the rest of the year as my last American experience: sharing a red pepper and some watermelon near the baggage claim, listening to impromptu serenades by an airport custodian.

But once Evan had gone and I sat alone near the gate to Frankfurt, there was no one sharing food or exchanging witticisms with me. Immediately, it dawned on me that I would not be in Germany for a vacation or for a summer, but for nearly a year. Adolescent worries about the first day of school showed their ugly faces as I wondered: Will people like me? Will people think I'm stupid? Will they think my shoes are ugly?

Frankfurt

Since my arrival, it's been a rollarcoaster. Luckily, my dear friend Marc picked me up from the airport and totally hooked me up with a phone, a day of free transportation around Frankfurt and a comfy futon. It was nice to see old friends again--Marc, Denisse, Felix, Lisette, and others--and I couldn't have imagined a better welcome. As I recovered from my jetlag, I became reacquainted with Frankfurt and all of its green and gastronomical splendor.

Cacti in the Palmengarten

Marc posing pseudo-naturally on a bridge

Frankfurt skyline from the Palmengarten

The first test was done, but next came Freiburg. Having lived in paid-for student housing all four years of college, this apartment and banking stuff was new to me. It didn't help that you pay your rent in a way that I've never heard of--in Germany, there are no checks. People know one another's bank account numbers and they transfer money that way. I had a minor freak-out, and then it was over. I embraced my new life here.

The apartment is really cute--not a lot of rooms, but just enough for me. Schade that there's no oven--but there is a magnetic stovetop, a french press, a microwave, a fridge. I think I can deal with that. As long as I can have my morning oatmeal (Haferflocken) and coffee, life is pretty good.

Altenberg/Köln

Almost immediately after my arrival, I had to leave for Cologne for an orientation. I had booked my tickets ahead of time with an arrival 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet the other teaching assistants, thinking that would give me ample time. Not to mention the infamous pünktlichkeit of the German train system. However, it was for naught. Somewhere between Bonn and Cologne, there was a Personenschaden, which sounds like a horrific type of accident. So me and several others had to get off the train at Bonn and get on the U-Bahn, a much slower and less comfortable mode of transportation between the two cities. Luckily, I met a few other Fulbrights and we were eventually able to split a Taxi to Altenberg, a church/Hostel/conference center in the countryside.

I met so many wonderful people here and reconnected with William and Mary folks, which was awesome. My roommate Melissa and 2 others will be in Freiburg or the Freiburg area, creating a fun support group here. We had to participate in a classroom simulation, and my group planned a lesson on American dating, which was really fun. German teachers were our mentors in the classroom, and all of them were really helpful and enthusiastic about our being there. They emphasized positive reinforcement--abundant in American classrooms but lacking greatly in German classrooms. One teacher said, "you may be the light in their day. They're just waiting for someone to tell them they did something well."

Freiburg

Freiburg is a thriving university city of about 220,000. Surrounded by wine and leading to the deep Schwarzwald, Freiburg is such an idyllic place to live. People surround you on bikes--students, families, bums--yet people seem to take their time here. It's very gemütlich, to use a German term (warm, friendly, cozy). It also enjoys the best weather in Germany, which doesn't hurt.

My neighborhood is wonderful and I couldn't have a better location. I'm near the Hauptbahnhof, the Uni and the Altstadt. Across the street is a beautiful museum, and nearby you can hear the flowing Bächle, or these little water gutters. They apparently cool the city in the summer. The legend is this: if you fall into one of these gutters, you are destined to marry a native Freiburger; being an American at heart, I need to watch my step.

The Gymnasium where I will be teaching is wonderful. The teachers are lovely and my Beratungslehrer is obsessed with country music and used to host a country music radio show. I will probably work 12 hours a week, 4 days a week. I am part of the Fulbright diversity program, which seeks to introduce the US to students who have had little to no contact with the country and its culture. Students with migrant backgrounds don't make it to the Gymnasium in large numbers in Germany; however, my Gymnasium has the largest number of immigrant students than the other Gymnasiums in the area. On Monday I go in early to watch the students receive their class assignments, which is supposed to be a pretty big deal. On Wednesday, my Beratungslehrer will show me the town before we participate in an English department conference.

One of the Uni buildings. The inscription above the entrance reads, "Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen," or "The truth will make you free."

Rathausplatz

The Theater

Small vineyard in my neighborhood

Museum next to my apartment

The Uni

Random meat truck, for your occasional Bratwurst craving

Bächle

Around my neighborhood

So, as of now, I have a few things in mind for my stay in Freiburg:

1. Become a guest student at the university

2. Take free dance classes every Thursday downtown

3. Visit schools other than my own (Grundschulen, Realschulen, etc) to see the differences in teaching and administration, and to introduce myself

4. Make German friends (Last night was a start--Melissa and I went to an overpriced bar and tried to liven the place up with our best dance moves. Only some found it amusing)

5. See Joachim Löw, coach of the German national soccer team and resident of Freiburg

6. Get a bike?

7. TRAVEL!

I'll try and write in this every week, maybe make it a Saturday activity. Bis nächstes Mal!

Expectations

This summer started out as most summers do: big plans for productivity and personal growth. There were extensive book lists, GRE flashcards, German novels to weigh me down as I listened to the cicadas outside. Well, I wasn't completely misguided.

With each passing day, I seem to view the world with a new pair of eyes. The things that happen to us--the job we take, the people we meet, even the food that we eat--shape our understanding of ourselves. As it turns out, I spent my time with some amazing people who have really inspired my creativity and lifestyle--such as my desire to take pictures and become a vegetarian (more on that later).

I just returned from six weeks at the Center for Talented Youth summer enrichment camp in Lancaster, PA. I arrived there in June with few expectations and with little hope of making real friends. By now, you'd think I'd have learned! One thing I have learned through travel is (as cliche as it sounds) to expect the unexpected.

For now, I will focus only on my lack of expectations of Lancaster. I thought that perhaps I would have to fight black horse-drawn buggies for parking spaces; instead, Lancaster had quite a bit to offer.

At least, picture-wise.

Pianos were scattered all over the city for people to pass by and play if the spirit moved them. Sometimes you would hear Beethoven, but usually "Chopsticks" (or in my case, "My Heart Will Go On") set the ambiance.

Downtown Lancaster is pretty diverse. The historic downtown area is home to a great variety of people and is not limited to upper-middle class liberals hoping to turn an old warehouse into an organic restaurant. There is little separation between socio-economic classes; it is almost hard to tell which houses have been revamped and which are lower-income. People shop where they live; as a result, there are numerous small markets, restaurants, used bookstores and cafes. Lancaster also provided me with my daily dose of Americana, which I will greatly miss when I'm in Germany.

Wohnung gefunden!

Great news! I officially have a place to live in Freiburg. It's affordable and right in the middle of the city! I won't be far from the school and very close to the University and the Altstadt. The Gymnasium where I will be teaching is right next to a park where a lot of students live, grill and play sports; my apartment is a two-minute walk from the main train station. I couldn't have a better location! My roommate seems friendly. She's studying to be a dentist and loves sports--she's going to teach me how to ski! My room is furnished and quite big with a lot of sunlight. I'm looking forward to moving in and uploading some pictures!

I also found out that I can be a guest student at the University. Basically, that means I don't have to enroll or pay the 500 euro. They have a lot of awesome classes open for guest students. Ideally I would take a French class (I'll be about 20 minutes from France) and a class on education or immigration, but I think the French classes are pretty sought after.

Here is the school where I'll be teaching. They place a lot of emphasis on the arts and French--students actually learn English as their second foreign language. So I'll just be the lowly English teacher...

http://www.wentz.fr.schule-bw.de/

You can imagine my excitement when I saw that the film score concert included Titanic. I'm pretty pumped that I'm going to be at such a rockin' school.

Opa!

I chose the name "Wanderlust" for this blog because in German, Wanderlust translates loosely to "desire to wander/travel." My goal is to share stories of my time in Freiburg, Germany with the Fulbright program. I will be an English teaching assistant at a nearby Gymnasium, the German equivalent of a high school. I will also teach the Kinder all about American culture. I'm pumped--I also hope to do some volunteering and sign up at the University as a guest student. To be a guest student--just attending classes without the rights or responsibilities of an enrolled student--costs only 26 euros.

Apparently, Freiburg is closer to Italy than to Berlin. Maybe I'll even pick up some French!

Right now, I'm searching for an apartment that is cheap-ish; well-located, either near the school or the university; furnished; houses a couple of nice Germans; and finally, needs a tenant for the dates I will be there. Sound easy? It's not. I just had a Skype date with the first place that fits those categories. I think it went well...? The bedroom is large and has some great furniture, and the kitchen is just slightly larger than my Tazewell kitchen (wouldn't take much, would it?). The girl I spoke with was really nice, but it's her room

I'd be taking, so I wouldn't be living with her. The apartment is very centrally located--2 minutes from the train station and very close to the Uni and downtown Altstadt. I should find out on the 26th, she said. Even if it doesn't work out, there will be other apartments.

So although I won't be in Germany until September 2nd, there is still traveling to be done right here in the good ol' US of A! I will start with the Greek Festival in Richmond, which I crashed with three of my best friends--Alison, Paige and Katie. We call ourselves the Fearsome Foursome; rather, we were called the Fearsome Foursome and it sort of stuck in a

big way.

We haven't seen each other since the day after Graduation, so when Alison suggested meeting on Thursday for the GreekFest, I naturally jumped. Also because I love baclava. And spanakopita. And dolmades...basically all Greek food. I have to admit, I was skeptical that Katie would like Greek food--she's pretty picky--but we were all very proud of her!

Greek salad, dolmades, spanakopita and Greek green beans.

Me and Alison after our delicious meal. If you look closely, you can see a bit of my dolmades nestled next to my eye tooth. Snack for later.

Where can I get me a frock like that?

To our great surprise, Katie not only finished everything on her plate, but started to eat off of Paige's plate, too!

I wish I'd gotten a picture of the fortune teller and his wife who sold me and Paige some earrings. Not only were we asked our opinions on open relationships, but we had our palms read. Apparently, Paige will have few relationships (probably long-lasting, healthy relationships), while I will have many. Also, my dreams (not my ambitions, but my weird night dreams which involve car accidents, celebrities and tornadoes) tend to come true. Hmmm.

And so it begins.

In my room, there are bags still to be unpacked, but it is more or less becoming more of a refuge every day. Right now, the temperature is somewhere between pleasant and stifling. The AC is only effective when it is on high, although after 15 minutes, it feels like I'm living in an ice cream truck. Also, the knob is broken. Like many things in our house, I need to enlist outside help (in this case, a wrench) to turn it on. I even needed help adjusting the wrench, because it was so rusty. Welcome home!

I'm looking forward to reclaiming this room. It is such a strange time of life. I am now a college graduate who left home four years ago, each year packing all that I deemed to be necessary in boxes and arranging it differently every time. Having a space that reflects who i am has always been very important to me--the way that each space has morphed over time expresses (i think) a growth in maturity and creativity. Or perhaps just better feng shui? Maybe the only thing I've learned is to separate treasure and crap.

I will miss sharing my space with Alison. For four years, we had fun, late-night conversations about everything from guys to food to existential dilemmas, almost always ending in one of two questions: "So, are we really going to go to the gym tomorrow?" (Alison) or "what are you going to dream about tonight?" (me. I am still confident that you can plot out your dreams ahead of time, although the how is questionable). Sometimes talk didn't end with sleep--it often continued as entertaining mumblings, not always in English.

I miss Williamsburg already. I feel so much more at home at the Rec Center, for example, than I do at the Y. No matter what state I was in on Sunday morning, no one at the Rec seemed to notice or care. On my first day at the Y, there was hardly a person who I didn't recognize from school, work or some other context. I found myself feeling self-conscious the other day when I planned my transition from the elliptical to the weights, ultimately deciding against them when I noticed some guys from my high school hulking around them, comparing biceps. Also, Bodypump was cancelled here (tragedy!), so I'm feeling a little lost.

Mostly, I miss my friends. But I'm not too sad, because I know that Alison's birthday is just around the corner. Every time we reunite, it will be as if no time has passed at all.