Finally Here!
First Impressions
I'm going to start from the very beginning, because my first impressions were so lovely. Germany is beautiful! From my seat by the window on the plane, I was enchanted by the red terracotta roofs contrasted against the rolling green fields. Windmills dotted that landscape in a way that you rarely see in America, and never see in Kentucky!
My host family picked me up at the airport and, as we drove from Munster to Werne, I fell even more deeply in love with the scenery around me. Those little terracotta roofs were all attached to rustic homes. The trees were covered in fall foliage. This was a hot autumn in Kentucky, so the colors on our trees were not nearly this brilliant. Though the weather is nearly the same as it is back home, it's a little bit warmer here and, usually, a little bit cloudier.
As Life Goes On...
I've been in Germany for a week and a half now and I feel that I have a pretty good sense of what life is like, especially when compared to life in America. First and foremost, things aren't that different. People are people, wherever you go. There isn't this big moment where you realize that life is completely different from the way it is back home. I am constantly struck by the similarities between my host family and my family back home. The meals we eat together consist of talk of the day, jokes about and between one another, and, whenever we eat out, the father always jokes that whatever we are eating is not as good as what the mother makes. The teen son is surly in the morning, but loves his family and his girlfriend. In town, they still have to post signs telling you not to drink water from public fountains. Basically the same. Sometimes it's hard to believe I'm on an entirely different continent.
However, there are many striking differences between society in Germany and in America. The cities are cleaner. Everyone recycles. More people bike or walk, even when it is very cold or raining, and the cities are built to accommodate that. Public transportation is more common and more reliable. One of my favorite differences is that there are outdoor markets! Twice a week! With local owners selling bread, belts, fruits and vegetable, etc. I love strolling the streets of Werne, smelling the baked goods and watching life go by. Oh, and there are dogs everywhere! All over the cities, on the trains, on the bus, in stores, everywhere! I love it so much! My host family doesn't have pets, so it's nice to see all the dogs being walked by loving owners.
