Welcome to my Homepage!

This is more of a general blog where I share my experiences of living in Germany. It's not going to be perfect, nor complete. However, I hope for it to at least capture my favorite parts of living here. Being an exchange student and a first time visitor, I find that every day brings something new and exciting. That is what I want to share with the world. That is why this page was created.

> Deutsch version here <

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Tuesday, Aug. 26 - 26/8/25

My first blog entry! I've been here for almost a week, and I've loved nearly every moment of it. There seems to be this sort of charm that's difficult to find in the everyday American lifestyle. Though, that may just be my opinion. A lot of what will be written in here is.

So, where to start? I will say I barely made it to Germany to begin with. My flights were delayed and redelayed... finally I ended up at the Frankfurt International Airport (even if it was a day later than expected, lol). Not that it wasn't worth the wait! Very much the opposite, actually. The family I'm staying with has been nothing but kind and considerate towards me. I hope to pay back their generosity by fully investing myself into their culture. My speaking skills are not where I'd like it to be, but from what I've heard that's just part of the experience. I will improve. I'm sure of that.

I've settled down in a small village roughly an hour away from Cologne, the name of which I should probably keep confidential. I'm not quite comfortable with sharing all the details of my new life. What I will say is that I find it to be absolutely gorgeous. I'm greeted every day by the sight of dense forests and the green meadows that adorn the outer edges of the village. It's so quiet, when you walk around you can hear the breeze rustling through the trees. If you pay close attention, you can smell fresh baked bread from some of the houses. I feel as if I'm in a dream.

And the food, too! My god, if there's a reason to visit here it's the food. Though I think I've eaten more wurst than I've had in an entire lifetime. Chocolate, too. What comes to mind is that anything you'd use peanut butter for in the States, you'd substitute for chocolate here. It seems to be a staple. And if you want my advice, try the buttermilk lemon ones. They might be one of the best things I've tasted.

It's difficult to make friends here when you don't speak much of their language. I mean, that's entirely on me, but I hope it's something I'll overcome as I get better at German. I start school tomorrow, so I'll take that as a chance to meet more people.

I got the chance to travel to one of the bigger cities nearby yesterday, that I could write extensively about. Unfortunately I'm tired, and I think reading of all the details may bore you. I do feel compelled to add that the public transportation system here is quite... interesting. Especially if strangers find out you're a foreigner, they'll most likely try and make conversation. It's best to avoid that. ESPECIALLY if said stranger does not seem mentally well, which was the case for me. But more about that another time.

So to close this entry out, I'll attach a photo of this church we passed by earlier. Absolutely stunning.