Sorry to take so long...

Hello Everyone! So I have been meaning to write something for the past week, but it seems that I have been devoting large quantities of my free time to napping. However, I am full of energy right now and I decided I should update this before more people get on my case about it.

Anyways, I have been in Germany now for 2 weeks and I absolutely love it. There has been a lot to see and do which is good because it keeps me busy and then I don't have time to be homesick. Although I do miss you all terribly!

We started the ILP (intensive language program) last week. It is going very well. There are about 30 EAP students and there are 3 different classes. Apparently the class I am in is considered the Oberstufe (or the upper level class). We took a placement test the Wednesday after we arrived and they used our scores on the test and a short interview to decide who should be in what class. I'm not sure how, but I ended up doing very well on the test. I guess I really did learn all that grammar in German class and I just never realized it. :-) So our classes are from 9-12:30 with a half hour break in the middle. It doesn't seem too intense so far, except that we have two reports and a paper to do in the next 5 weeks, but other than that it is fun and it forces me to speak German which is exactly what I need.

I have met a few more Germans from my floor and the other houses in the Siedlung and they are all very nice. I have also hung out with Helene (the German girl across the hall that I met as soon as I got here). We go on walks together around the city and talk. It is a great time to hang out and get to know each other. She is super sweet and a great friend to have. I am very thankful because before I arrived in Germany I had read how it can be really hard to meet people in the dorms and make friends. So it is a real blessing to have Helene around.

Since the semester doesn't start until the middle of October a lot of the German students are at home or on vacation with a few sticking around in the dorms studying. Due to the low number of Germans to interact with the Americans have sort of been sticking together so far, but it is a good chance to get to know each other before we split off into separate classes. We have classes together in the morning and then most of us eat in the Mensa (cafeteria for lunch) then we either walk downtown, stop by the market and buy food, or head back to the dorms to eat/nap/watch TV/ or attempt to work on homework. We have also had some parties and pot lucks that have been a lot of fun. Some people went to Hamburg and Kassel over the weekend, but I stuck around in Goettingen and went to a really nice church yesterday. It was an evangelical baptist church and the people were so friendly. I went with one of the other Americans and we talked to some people afterwards and then sat down and had coffee with a few people. It was neat to meet some older Germans and families rather than just students.

I have also seen a few movies dubbed into German and have been quite impressed with the amount of dialogue I understand. I watched Chocolat with one of our German orientators and some other Germans and Americans, Volver (a spanish comedy--which wasn't that funny) with a few Germans from my floor, and then Superman Returns with Melis (EAP student) and two Germans from her floor. We've also gone out to a few bars and clubs to check out the nightlife in Goettingen. So all in all I am having an amazing time so far and I absolutely love it here. Some things are a little different and sometimes more complicated, but that makes it new and exciting.

Oh I have also managed to set up the internet in my room, get my bank account started, get a Handy (cell phone) and buy some German shoes. So I'd say I have been pretty productive so far. Ooooh and Saturday night there was an amazing thunderstorm which made me very excited. The weather has been a little weird, mostly cloudy and cool with some rain or sprinkles almost everyday. There have been a few warm, sunny days but not very many. It doesn't quite feel like summer, but oh well, nice break after the heatwave.

I promise I will put up pictures soon, but after typing this essay I don't feel like it. I hope everyone is doing well and if you have any questions or want to know more about anything just send me an e-mail at aconnell@umail.ucsb.edu or my Goettingen address at a.connell@stud.uni-goettingen.de. Oh I also have an address here in case you feel like mailing me a letter!! but since I don't want to just put it up on the internet for anyone to see, just send me an e-mail and I can give you my address here.

(P.S. Leave me comments or send me and e-mail and let me know how you are doing...I love hearing from you guys and I miss you all!)

Deutschland

I have arrived. I was a little nervous at the airport as the plane was boarding because they still hadn't given me my boarding pass with seat assignment, but it turned out fine and I even got to sit in the exit row which gave me lots of leg room and a less claustrophobic feeling. The flight was uneventful (which is a plus) and I arrived in Frankfurt, got my bags, met up with the group and then we got on the bus for a 2.5-3 hour ride to Göttingen. Then we stopped at the dorms and got a welcome packet and the keys to our rooms. The room is pretty nice...it has a sink, desk, bed and large window and quite a bit of closet space. It is not very big, but it is enough room for one. I will try and put on some pictures of it soon. The girl who lived there last year was an exchange student from Davis and she left a few things in the room (she probably moved out only a week or so ago.) So I now have a German hair dryer, two rugs, a small bottle of nail polish and nail polish remover and a few other random shower items. The rugs and the hair dryer were nice to have.

I am currently sitting in the library and having a horrible time typing because I keep hitting z when I really want y. I should be able to set up the internet in my room either tonight or tomorrow so that will be nice. Everyone from EAP is nice and we have two very friendly German girls helping with our orientation, Cathy and Carola. Yesterday when I was moving my stuff into my room, I met the girl who lives across the hall, Helene, and she gave me a tour of the dorm and we had tea and pizza together. Then a few of her friends showed up so I met them too. I realized how slowly my brain processes information after extended travel. I was pretty tired and my German was pretty pathetic. Later Cathy took most of the students living in the Siedlung downtown and to the supermarket.

Today we had a welcome breakfast and filled out paperwork. Later we are going to the bank to set up our accounts and then we have a dinner tonight at the Kartoffelhaus (Potato house.) Well I suppose that is the update for now. I plan to put up some pictures soon when I get the chance, just wanted to reassure everyone that I am still alive.

I'm leaving for Germany today!!

In less than 10 hours I will be sitting on a United flight bound for Germany. I can't believe that the year for study abroad has finally arrived. I have been counting on and planning for this trip since I started taking German in 8th grade. That moment is now and I am so excited. It is going to be like starting college all over again. I am going to a new city by myself and I am going to be meeting so many new people, except this time I have to do it all in a foreign language. Wow, this is it. I will be outside of the United States and not speaking English for a year. All I have to say is Germany here I come!