Clocks

I don't wear my watch to tell the time. I wear it to remind me of the time I have left. To remind me that time doesn't stop. To remind me of the value of seconds and minutes and hours.  It's consistent, rhythmic, ongoing, and fragile. Time slips away and before you know it, you're wishing for another second or minute or hour.

I always think about time. The time I have been here in Germany, the time I have left in Germany, the time I spent preparing for Germany, and the years I spent dreaming of Germany. When I go back and think of the 11 years I dreamt of the exact life I have now, it's amazing. It reminds me that the 211 days here are so special. These days are gifts-- everyday is one that I can only experience once in a lifetime. This year will be something I can never relive, not only because I am on exchange but because every year is one you can never relive.

My exchange has taught me the importance of time. It taught me that everyday life still has a goal, still has value, because these days are the ones making up the 302 days of my exchange. I give myself a goal for everyday at school, and I always work to achieve that.  Everyday I should learn a new word, meet a new person, experience a new type of food, and undergo another hardship because that is the point of this year. It has made me realize that there should be pressure on everyday, no matter whether you are on exchange or in the town you have lived in for your entire life. Everyday is important and sometimes it takes getting out of your element to realize that.

DAS IST SO BERLIN

Everything they say about Berlin is completely accurate.
Berlin is most definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing city, but is beautiful in an entirely different manner. It's where grunge, rebellion, and hipster-dom breed, where all the kids who want to screw their parents over run away to. Berlin is where colors paint the dirty streets, where there's an art project around every corner. It's a hub of artistic expression, innovation, and movements for change.  It has a sort of elegance, where modern movements meet the rich roots of history.
 Berlin represents the history of Germany from the 3rd Reich to the DDR, where these world altering events took place. It is the city where Hitler propagated fascist ideas, but the same city where Angela Merkel sits today, proudly governing a modern, moderate, democracy. The city reminds you of the unfortunate history of the nation, but makes you so proud of what Germany has come to be. Berlin is inspirational, elegant, modern, and full of experiences.

My 24-hour trip to Berlin was certainly not enough time to do the city justice, but was enough time to evoke some emotions. From the Reichstag, to the Brandenburger Tor, to the Berliner Mauer, to the Holocaust Memorial, no city better represents the history of Germany like Berlin. As I saw these sites I could imagine the bombing of the city to ashes, the oppressive ruling under communist rule, and the final victory as the wall fell.
 Especially moving was the Holocaust Memorial. This memorial recognizes the millions of Jews killed during WWII and reminds people of the reality of genocide. What looks like just a flat field of flat stones, turns out to be a hilly maze of large square masses of rock. It has many rows of these large square rocks, that all increase in height as you go deeper into the maze. You feel lost, confused, unsettled, and in the dark, especially scared. It was a thought- provoking representation of how the Jews felt during this time that made me realize the reality of history. It was unbelievable, but I thought it was especially well done.
After seeing this memorial, our group also saw the government building in Germany called the Reichstag. This was an incredibly interesting building that mixes old exterior architecture with an entirely modern interior. What I find very special is the glass dome on the top of the building. Through this dome, people are able to watch their government in action. I find this to be such an amazing idea because it shows that the government has nothing to hide. I think that is very special and represents a true democracy.
Berlin was an amazing trip, that allowed me to experience history as well as have an amazing time with my exchange friends. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to see the city, and look forward to seeing it again in the future.

 The entire group by the Berlin Wall

 My favorite quote on the wall

 Reichstag

 Me by the Berlin Wall

Brandenburger Tor

November November November
 I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write another blog post. I just had to wait for something exciting to happen so the post would be worth it!

On Friday my family celebrated Thanksgiving. I found it important to bring some American culture to the Germans, and boy did they learn something about America. All I could say to them was, " America has never really been know for being a 'healthy' country".
Our Thanksgiving was lovely, complete with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, veggies, and apple and pumpkin pies. It went surprisingly well for what I expected and it definitely tasted like home. It was also the first Thanksgiving I have actually participated in preparing, so I am proud of the work my host mother and I did to make such a great meal.

Saturday I went shopping in Cologne with a few friends. It was a great day, riding the train and exploring the city. I saw the Cologne Dom, went to Urban Outfitters, and saw the Rhine for the first time. It was good to see a large and well- known German city for the first time. I am looking forward to visiting more major cities (such as Berlin next weekend!)

Other than that, my November has been pretty average. I have had made a few "Ausflugen" to Munster, Paderborn, and the Dortmund Zoo. All were short day trips, but it was nice to see more cities in Nordrhein Westfalen.
 I am starting to see preparation for advent which makes me very excited for Christmas!
I also recently just switched into the 10th grade. The 11th was too hard, so I made the executive decision to do what was better for me. I think it is going well and all the change will definitely pay off in the long run.

It's already crazy to see that 3 months have gone by. I am definitely getting a lot better with German speaking, while my writing a reading could still use some practice. I am really enjoying my time here, and though sometimes I miss home, I know that every minute of this experience I learn something. Every minute I am building myself up. Every minute I find another piece of who I am, knowing that this exactly what I was meant to do.

Sonstiges

Everyday I become a little bit more German.
From trying raw hamburger meat (called Mett), to FINALLY opening a beer bottle with a flashlight and a marker, I am beginning to shed my American skin.
Last week I spent on the North Sea on an island called Langeoog. It was a beautiful island, very isolated and tranquil. There were no cars on the island, so I got to make good use of my not so great bike riding skills! Overall the trip was very great, allowing me to see another part of Germany and meet many fantastic people.
Before vacation started I had a pretty eventful week of school. First I met another AFS student from Chile and helped him to find his way around the school. It really made me realize how far I have come in being able to communicate and find my way around since my first day of school. There is nothing I love more than helping people who I know could totally use the help in such a hard transition. The language thing was a bit of a struggle, me wrestling between Spanish and German and then just resorting to English. Overall I think it is very comforting to help other exchange students, which further convinces me of the idea of becoming an AFS Volunteer and a host sister when I go back to America.

Also at school, I recieved a 1+ in my gym class! It's good to know that I am excelling in at least one class I am taking. As for my other classes, learning the content is a very slow and agonizing process.

I did become a bit more involved last week as I went to my first swim practice. It was a great workout and reminded me of how much happiness I can find through endorphins. I am hoping to further pursue swimming in my year here.

After 2 months away from my doggy I have been very deprived of my daily dog cuddle time. Although nothing can compare to my wonderful Jilly, I did find a dog I could walk in the neighborhood. She is a Dachshund and is named Lucy :). I am very excited to have a real dog to spend time with. I also received a stuffed animal from my host family that looks just like Jilly, so that was a very thoughtful gesture.

As I talked to my wonderful, inspiring, mother she said, "This is a marathon not a sprint. You are at mile 2". As a short distance runner, it made me realize how much I rush things and how quickly I expect things to fall into place. I am not the kind of person who likes to take my time in doing things, or who likes to run more than 1 mile before being  done with it. But it is true, that all things fall into place with time. Now, not only am I taking my time with learning the language and figuring out my life here, but I am also trying to go for that marathon and not just the sprint--figuratively and literally. I run a bit farther everyday and someday I know I will be running that marathon.

PICTURES

The first attempt

The final victory

Lucy the dog I walk

Mossi and I on the beach in Langeoog

Langeoog Wasserturm 

Me titanicing with the German flag

Over-edited rainbow picture

Me and the Jilly look-alike <3

Metamorphosis

Exchange is metamorphosis. It's a constant change affecting you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It tears you down and tests your endurance, but never fails to build you back up. It brings you into an entirely new mindset.  And most of all, it is the change that transforms you into something entirely new.

Metamorphosis is no easy task. Just ask all the caterpillars out there, who dream of beautifully spanned wings and the experience of flight. Those caterpillars know that they aren't going to spontaneously transform into a beautiful butterfly. It takes hard-work, dedication, frustration, and preparation to be able to persist through various challenges and attain a new identity.

Back in America I was a caterpillar, anxiously awaiting my spontaneous transformation into a butterfly. I saw the pictures, heard the stories, but never FELT what this change would be like. I knew what I was and what I wanted in America, I was a confident young caterpillar.

But every little caterpillar must endure the pain, frustration, and loneliness that comes with the time in the cocoon. First of all you're upside down so that makes everything harder, plus everything inside of you is changing. Everything is different. Everything is difficult. Everything takes a lot more effort. But what a goal you have to become a butterfly. And that's what makes it all worth it.

Right now it is tough. There are days when my world is upside down, where nothing makes sense, and where I don't feel like I belong. There are times when I feel like I am stuck in between two identities, who I was and who I want to become. It's very hard to have to evaluate myself in such a way, thinking about what I want in life and who I am. Caterpillars surely do their fair share of thinking while in the cocoon.

But then things turn around. The physical changes will begin to transpire. I will dress like the others, do my hair like the others,  and speak like the others. As this happens I will begin to understand what life is like, the way people act, and my role in society. Lastly, my emotional changes will leave me feeling satisfied with who I have become and why all of the challenges made me what I am. That's why the exchange is worth it.

I can't wait to be a butterfly. But no butterfly becomes a butterfly without enduring metamorphosis.




Thank you to my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade teachers who drilled the idea of metamorphosis into my brain.  Creds to you.

One Month!

When 20 teenagers from different backgrounds, cultures, and languages can come together and bond over one uniting experience, you know it's true friendship. After AFS camp this weekend, I now have friends from China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Chile, Turkey, Brazil, Canada, and Portugal.

Every exchange student was so friendly and it was great to know that so many people are having the same experience that I am. We are all familiar with the frustrating moments, the confusing moments, the lonely moments and the exciting moments, and that's how we bonded. With very few people in my daily life who actually understand what exchange life is like, it was refreshing to meet other teens who could really relate to the things exchange students go through. I found that exchange life is all about surprises, frustration, and frequently changing emotions. 

It made me proud and sad at the same time to realize that I have been here for an entire month today! It has felt like forever, but to think I only have 9 months left is already so sad. I realized how important every day here is, and how I have to make the most of my time here. I can't let something bad ruin my day because one bad day, is one less that could have been filled with happiness. All of the exchange students inspired me to keep doing what I love and I realized that through this experience we will all grow up. The people running the camp were my age, but I admired how much they knew about themselves and all they knew about the world. I can't wait until I can be an AFS USA volunteer as well! 

Everyday here I meet a new challenge, I meet new people, and I learn more about myself. And that's all I could ask from this exchange. I am going to stay optimistic when things get bad because I know I can do it. I know every one of us can do it. Whether you are from Portugal or Turkey or Japan, everyday presents the opportunity for you to shape the world and shape yourself. 

Smileys, Döners, & BK

You really can't fully appreciate children's cartoons until you're an exchange student- FACT. With my limited German abilities I find myself watching a lot more TV with my little brother than anything else. But this level of German does help my language skills a whole lot more than the News, which is way over my head.

My language skills after about three weeks here are... improving I guess? It is hard to track your own progress as a language speaker, because in the blink of an eye you're suddenly fluent. I can't wait until that happens. But until that day when I can understand everyone and express every thought I am thinking, everything is either stuck in my head or let out in broken, butchered German. School is still impossible but I am just going with it. Laugh when other people laugh, look like you're reading the text, and "smile and wave boys, smile and wave".  One valuable thing I have learned at school is how to improvise--and that's enough for me. 

Some things I find quite comical: smileys, weather broadcast, juice. I will explain. 

Smileys- you will undoubtedly get a smiley in EVERY message you receive from a German. I guess they're just very friendly over text, I'm not sure. But that's just one of those little cultural things you have to adapt to so, :-). 

Weather broadcast- I don't know why they even bother having the weather broadcasted here. 9/10 times there are little rain clouds over every major city on the map. They should just put one big cloud over the country and call it quits. So yes rain is just an accepted part of everyday life. 

Juice- This is going to sound so weird and random but people here love juice. Not just any juice- Apfelschorle specifically. People walk around school with 1L bottles of it, which I find to be a very large quantity of juice to be drinking in one day. But I am not hating on Apfelschorle. It's soooo much better than apple juice. 

Other than these weird things I have noticed, I have basically been living a pretty normal German lifestyle. On Thursday (Donnerstag) my brother and a few of his friends went to eat Döners. So now it is a "Dönerstag" tradition. And yummmm thank god for the wonderful Turkish cuisine. 

On Friday I just walked around the neighborhood and then stumbled upon HEAVEN. The fact that there is  a huge and wonderful department store called Kress 5 minutes from my house is unreal. After this discovery, shopping therapy is now going to be playing a large role in my ways of getting rid of stress. Shopping sees no barrier of language, and that's why it is such a beautiful hobby. 

Saturday I enjoyed some Burger King and yes, it is internationally exactly the same. It felt good to be home. 

Apart from these small adventures I have been having a good time living the everyday life. When I got homesick my wonderful host family provided me with s'mores and a stuffed animal of my dog, so I couldn't ask for anything better. 

Next week I have AFS camp for my region so that will be great to see everyone again and meet more exchange students living in Germany! Until next time! 

Jenna 

"Aufenthaltsgenehmigung"

Aufenthaltsgenehmigung. Rather than simply saying "visa", Germans choose to take the more difficult route by making us Americans struggle to say and spell this excessively long word. It took me about 5 days to finally memorize it, but the moment I could roll the 22-letter word off my tongue was a moment of great pride. It was that moment that I knew I was getting it.

My first full week in Germany has been great! Full of language learning, various adventures, and many interesting people, Arnsberg is starting to become my home. I officially started school on Wednesday, and I found it to be different here. Classes are only 45 minutes, which is really convenient for those of us who have very short attention spans. My schedule is a bit different because I am an exchange student and need certain classes for my high school at home, so I end up taking less classes than the other kids. Because of this I get to wake up late on Mondays and Fridays which is pleasant.
Teachers here are very personal and helpful, so I generally enjoy my classes. Obviously English is a blast because I basically dominate, and I also take German history in English which is very enjoyable. On the other hand, economics, biology, and Deutsch are a bit more challenging to participate in. In these classes I basically just sit there reading a dictionary, but I know once I get the language these classes will be great!
At school people are all very nice and help me out when I am totally lost. It's quite a complicated system the school has with two buildings you must switch between, but it does feel very similar to college life.
Apart from school, which is boring no matter what language you're learning in, I have had some other very fun adventures. The family went to a castle as well as very old churches. They say " Germans don't understand how large the U.S. is, just how Americans don't understand how old Germany is". It's very true though. Some of the cities date back to the year 800, which is nearly unfathomable for me to imagine.
I am so lucky to have such a wonderfully compatible host family here as well! They're all very supportive and have been great in helping me adjust. I already feel like part of the family!

Here are some other "culture shock" things I have noticed in my time in Germany:
- Everyone needs Hausschuhe. I had to go out and buy special house shoes to wear, but in the end it is a very practical concept to wear shoes inside the house.
- Practicality is another thing that is totally German. Why do we pay a euro to get a cart at the grocery store? So people don't steal them to use them personally. Why do we bring our own bags to the grocery store? So there is no question of "paper or plastic"? Why does the little ring on the water bottle come off with the cap? Obviously for recycling reasons. Everything here MAKES SENSE. America should learn a few things from the Germans about practicality.
- The windows here "Kipp" meaning they can tilt. Therefore you can get some fresh air without having to be too cold. This discovery was basically the definition of "culture shock" for me as I realized doors could basically come off of their hinges just so I could get a little fresh air.
- Water is always bubbly water. No questions asked.
- "Go big or go home" is America's motto. That's not really how it goes here.

Luckily, I am generally accustomed to German culture from my many years at Waldsee and the way my family raised me at home. I have the recycling thing down thanks to my lovely parents! Waldsee is basically SPOT ON with every cultural thing we learn at that small camp in Minnesota, so I am very impressed by that.
Overall everything is going very well and I am enjoying myself as I learn more and more German!

Speaking another language is like driving a manual transmission car. With a manual transmission car you have fun driving, you stay alert, and you have a lot to pay attention to what you're doing. With language, understanding is a little bit harder, speaking takes a lot more effort, and you often don't know the exact translation for what is going on- but you figure out what you're supposed to do. Often times I have no idea what the words mean but somehow I understand the meaning.  Language is difficult, but it is also a fun challenge to overcome, just like learning how to drive a manual transmission car.

These first few days have been good with my family. We went to Kirmes, a carnival in the town, and saw many animals and rides. I saw much of Arnsberg and the many different sections of the city. Tomorrow I start school so I hope that goes well. It all feels like a vacation now, but I know it will soon all become real to me.

I am already beginning to lose some of my English, which is very surprising considering I have spoken German for only 3 days now. I have begun to talk in English as a German would ( hence the present perfect I just used there).
I can't wait until I am really settled and comfortable here because I know it will be great! I love Germany!
Tchüss,
Jenna

Thoughts on the Plane

Okay I didn't think I was going to be super hard-core about blogging, but hey, it happens. So many exciting things are happening right now that I can't express them through any other way than writing. 
Starting with the people I've met in literally 24 hours of being here- they're some of the best people I know. We are all motivated, driven, culturally interested, and connected by this huge life changing experience.  Everyone I talk to has something interesting and exciting about them, I just can't imagine how many amazing people I will meet in this ENTIRE year. My goal for this year is to ultimately befriend as many people as possible in order to create many lasting friendships. 
AFS is also a very inspiring organization. You don't realize how important being an exchange student is until you really get here. You realize you are a youth ambassador representing your country, and I realized that my generation is the one that is changing the world. It's so amazing that 77 teens from America are all culturally interested and courageous enough to dedicate a year of their life to living in Germany. It's even great talking to people outside of the AFS organization because I feel like I am representing something that I really care about and is really respected around the world. AFS is such a community and I definitely will consider volunteering after my experience abroad. 

Personally I already feel this experience changing me. I feel so natural doing this- like it was kind of my destiny to do this. There's no reason to be anyone but myself in this setting, and it feels like complete bliss. A challenging experience of living abroad is when you realize who you want to surround yourself with, what you want to do with your life, and why you want to live your life. I really feel a purpose in my exchange to Germany and I know I will leave with tremendous growth. It's all so real and it's all so great. No matter the challenges face, I know I will never regret this decision. 

Orientation Day

Today was a great day full of meeting tons of amazing intercultural and international people. Despite the fact that we were forced to sit in a crowded ballroom all day, it was a great day. I met people of all varieties and all different language levels, all of us embarking on the same journey to Germany together. It is great to know all of these fellow Americans who are experiencing the same things as me, and as exchange students we stick together. It's crazy to think the next time I will see everyone- most of us will be nearly fluent. All 80 of us have really bonded in the matter of hours, so I can only imagine what it will be like after sharing so many similar experiences. We are all in positive and progressive mindsets, which is a good alternative to the nervousness I felt before. We are all very ready for the next few days and are beginning to understand all of the real factors that will impact us as we live abroad. As sad as I was to leave earlier today, the experience I have had and will have, makes all of that sadness disappear. The hardest part was just leaving my home, and once I overcame that I was off! Ich bin wirklich so begeistert!
Gruß Jenna

The Final Goodbyes

My final few days have been hard ones--saying goodbye to my best friends and family. No goodbye is easy, especially when it is with someone very close to you. It's hard to see so many people sad on my own behalf, but I know that they are also happy for me.

We had my going away party a few nights ago, when all of it hit me. Some of these people I won't see for another 10 months. 10 months is such a hard concept to grasp, and how many things can change in that time. As sad as all of it is, I am going to have so many distractions in the matter of days that being sad will not be on my mind.
My last few days in America have basically been just embracing the beauty of being an American. I have to say, I have taken full advantage of my Netflix account and have binged on that, as well as luxurious American cuisine. Other than Netflix, my dog, and a good burger, there's not a lot that is specific to solely America, so I know I will find great things to do in Germany other than eat food in my bed with my dog....

On Thursday, I leave for Washington D.C.  in the early morning for orientation. I am super excited to meet all the other American AFS Students and I think it will be a great way to meet people in the same situation that I am. Friday night I will be taking a plane to Frankfurt, Germany and there starts my adventure as an "Austauschschüler von Amerika". Language-wise I am pretty confident in where my German is and I know that I will pick it up so quickly once I am immersed. More than anything I am very excited to meet my host family! I can't wait to see the people and home I will be living in for the next year. I will be going to school on Monday which is a bit nerve-wracking, but I am just going to play up the whole " I am a cool American exchange student" thing and hopefully it works for me. 

My feelings about leaving up to this point: super excited, beyond nervous, a bit nostalgic, sad about my friends and family here, but still so ecstatic about the new life I will be living in just 4 days! 

Tchüss Amerika! Bis 2014!

"Live for Yourself"

Last fall I wrote this for my English class. I thought I'd share it because it basically explains the way I live my life and the reasons why this year abroad means so much to me.

            Every person is blessed with one life. The thing about this one life, is that it is the one thing each person owns entirely. Everyone has the ability to call the verdict for their own life, but it is their choice of whether they will take action to do so.

Knowing who you are is such an important aspect to your life. Though it may not be clear of what the future looks like for yourself, it is most important to understand your character, morals, and dreams. Once you understand yourself, and you have a spark lit under you, you have a straight shot to reaching the goals you want for life. But why is it, that so many people are snatched from the dreams they work so hard for? The reason people begin to lose sight of the things that are truly important to them, is because they are pressured by outside influences. Friends and family, though they are very important parts of your life, should not be the ones directing it. These people are the ones who have the biggest impact on you, but also have the most opinions about you. In my life, my friends and family impact me so much, but I do not let them control the life decisions I make. As I hit the submit button on my application for my junior year abroad in Germany, my friends and family flashed before my eyes, but they did not keep me from doing the thing I most desire in life. I did not let the idea of missing them stop me from doing what I want to do most in the world. I took direction of my life, and made sure I wasn’t living for anything but myself. John Mayer sings, “Dream your dreams but don't pretend,

make friends with what you are” which displays how one should be true to themselves and accept who they are.  In the same sense, people are also restrained from truly being themselves because of their fear of other’s opinions of them. The thing is, I could care less about the way people perceive me. I speak my mind, I am who I am, and I don’t let peer pressure, or the society I live in, affect my character. I don’t fit the usual norm: I listen to different music, wear clothes unlike others in my grade, and pursue things no one would ever imagine, because that is who I am, and I will not allow myself to pretend to be anything I am not. This is a very hard thing for people to do, to defy society and be who they are, but that is the direction one must take to make their life their own. It is so important that one makes their life their own, and never loses sight of the things that are most important to them. Travel the world, be different, follow your dreams, do something crazy, but just never lose sight of yourself. Life for yourself, and don’t let anyone or anything change you. 

"Live for yourself", that was my motto for this project. I think a lot of people saw this as arrogant, but I don't think I would be embarking on such a life-changing journey in just a few weeks if I hadn't lived for myself. I chose the route that I wanted to take, and I had to do that by defying a lot of societal norms and really sacrificing a lot. It's as if I no longer have dreams, because those dreams are my reality. 

40 Days

What always seemed surreal is finally real. My plans that were once just a far off dream, are now a reachable reality.  In only 40 days I will be on a plane on my way to Washington DC to meet thousands of other teen exchange students like me, all of us embarking on a life changing experience abroad. It is a very exciting thought but is also equally as nerve wracking.

Preparation for my time abroad in Germany is a difficult thing. There are surely many things to prepare for, 95% of them being mental. To be honest, physical preparation is the easy part- bring a 50 lb bag to Dulles airport and you're golden.

Mentally preparing on the other hand, is a whirlwind process of constantly changing emotions. It changes from excitement about the wonderful host family I’ll be living with (who I have had yet to talk about), to being scared by the idea of having to make entirely new friends, then sadness about leaving my family friends and community, then nervousness as I realize all of it is going to be in a foreign language. Although I can’t face all of these emotions, I am as ready as I will ever be for the journey ahead of me.

With such a wonderful host family already welcoming me, I know acclimating to a new life in Germany will be much easier. I will be living in the city of Arnsberg in Nordhein Westfalen. This is a Bundesland that is in the far west of Germany, with major cities including Düsseldorf and Dortmund. Arnsberg is especially gorgeous as it contains beautiful traditional German architecture and is located in the mountains. My family includes meine Mutter, mein Vater und drei Brüder. My 3 brothers are ages 9, 15, and 17, though my 15-year-old brother will be abroad so I will not meet him. My family has taken great measures to make me feel welcome such as sending me birthday gifts and coordinating Skype sessions. I already feel like part of the family! I feel very comfortable staying with this family because they speak English, live in a good part of town, and have experience with hosting students and being exchange students. My older brother went with AFS to America as a sophomore, so not only is he fluent in English but he will be a great mentor for me in my time abroad. I'm very happy with my host family placement and living in a male dominated household will be an interesting  change for me because I have never had brothers.

With only 40 days left, the goodbyes come more frequently, starting with teachers or upcoming seniors who will graduate before I will see them again. Many people said goodbye to me at school, which felt nice to know I would be missed. I've had all summer to spend with my friends and family so I have tried my best to give them my attention in the few weeks we have left together.

It's all bitter sweet but I am happy that the people who surround me now are supporting me no matter how much they will miss me.

Everything in my Scituate life is coming to a slow, temporary, close as I prepare for an entirely new beginning! It’s very scary but I am ready to finally do what I have always dreamed of!

Bis später

Until later

Jenna

Who am I?

 I am Jenna Brooks- a girl confined by her small town, but most definitely not defined by her small town. I live in Scituate, Massachusetts a beautiful coastal town with  great people. I live a fortunate life surrounded by people I love, but one day I realized that wasn't enough for me. So, what did I decide to do? Follow my dreams. Plain and simple.  I know that sounds all cheesy and cliche- but it's true. I've had one dream for basically my entire life and that was to live in Germany and immerse myself into an entirely new language and culture. Many people ask why I would ever want to the leave the comfort zone of my family, friends, my school, and my community to live in an entirely new environment? Truthfully, I can never answer it because there are an infinite amount of reasons why this will be the best experience of my life.
My experience with travel started at a very young age, sparking a life-long passion for exploring the world. When I was 4 years old, my parents were presented with the wonderful opportunity to bring my sister and me abroad to live in Hamburg, Germany for a year. Even though we were only kids, the experience changed both of our lives forever. In that year we gained an understanding of the world around us, exposure to a new language, an entirely new perspective on our lives, and learned how to deal with the constantly rainy weather of Northern Germany. I know these revelations may seem a bit advanced for a four year old, but there is no doubt in my mind that my intercultural passion is rooted in the experience I had abroad as a child. So basically, 4 year old Jenna left Germany speaking fluent Denglish (a mixture of German and English), with a passion in her heart for country she would not visit again until 11 years later.
After leaving Germany and moving back to the United States, my parents found it was important to continue to immerse my sister and me in the German culture and language. Luckily, they found the most magical place on Earth--CLV Waldsee in Bemidji, Minnesota. CLV is short for Concordia Language Villages, a place where children from around the world come to learn country specific culture and language. Waldsee was the German village where I went to as an 8 year old, and have continued to go to 7 summers later. Waldsee holds a dear place in my heart: it's a place where I learned language, culture, met my best friends, and where I gained my independence at a very young age. The people I have met there have inspired me to follow my dreams and take the chances I'd never dreamed of before.  So I decided last year at camp, after talking to many people and hearing their experiences, that I was going to spend my junior year in Germany through an organization called AFS that sends students on programs overseas.
So that is where my story begins! I have a love for Germany, its beautiful language (yes it is very beautiful if you listen to it), and I am excited to meet many new people along the way! It's great to feel my dreams are finally coming true and I am so very excited to document my journey through this blog! There are going to be highs and lows of this year I spend abroad, but this is just the beginning and I know it will alter my life forever.