So originally this weekend I thought that I would try and go for an overnight to Dresden or Nuremberg or perhaps another German city... or somewhere in Switzerland... And then, as it crept closer to the weekend, I decided I'd just change that to a daytrip... and then, by Friday afternoon, I found myself planning on staying in Freiburg the entire weekend. It was nice. The weather was finally warm and sunny and I didn't have an abundance of expectations. My friend Brad and I grilled on his terrace Thursday afternoon, discussed club business for next year, and just hung out and relaxed, then met up with some friends. Friday I skyped some friends back at home, then went for a picnic along the Dreisam -- the river that flows through town, before sitting with friends on a balcony listening to music and enjoying the night. Saturday I went hiking around the Schlossberg -- one of the mountains right along the edge of town (and I mean right -- there's a road that separates it, but it's effectively the same divide as College Ave is between downtown State College and campus) then texted some new friends for evening plans. While on the way into the city, I happened to find this one kid on the tram whom I've never actually spoken to in person; he was, however, an exchange student back at Penn State and I had messaged him earlier about an international affairs club on Facebook. He was extremely friendly and we talked about student life in general -- both back at Penn State and here. He mentioned how he had spent most of his time in the library the past week, studying with the help of four shots of espresso and some burgers, and how he'll always remember pulling an all nighter there the night of July 21st and 22nd, and I laughed, thinking how some things stay very much the same across cultures, because I definitely have friends who have done the same at home (I'm looking at you, Ben and Patrick). Finally Sunday I did some readings for class and then met up with some friends to watch Germany pay Ukraine in their first game of the EUFA (I think that's the name... in German it's just the EM or Europa Meisterschaft).
So, although I didn't go off exploring, I was quite satisfied with remaining in Freiburg this weekend. I felt like I got to experience life more as a student and less as a tourist, especially since I started recognizing people that I knew and spending time with friends that I have made here. I think it's important to get to a place in your study abroad experience where you begin to feel comfortable and at home in your abroad city, and I'm glad that I'm settling into that point.
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WillkommenFollow my adventures studying abroad in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany for the semester. Archives
June 2016
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