Zwei Tage...

Making some preparations:

My friend who studied in England last semester has a Vodafone, which she has generously agreed to lend me for my trip. All I have to do is buy a German SIM card (SIMkarte, incidentally) once I get to Frankfurt. I'm writing down the necessary phrases:

"Bitte, ich habe ein Handy mit einer U.K. SIMkarte - ich brauche eine Deutsche SIMkarte. Kann ich jetzt Gelad an mein Handy beitragen? Wie viel kostet man, Amerika zu telefonieren?"

Und so weiter, und so weiter. I'm also writing down the necessary phrases it'll take for me to get to Kassel in one piece. Fingers crossed.

Packing is going well. My goal of one suitcase seems within reach, though I'm packing an extra bag for all of the steins and pint glasses I'll be acquiring as souvenirs/gifts. I've packed 7 dresses, 6 tank tops, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, some cardigans, and some stockings. It seems like very little, but you actually need very little to get on. Plus, it's Europe. I'll feel like I missed something if I don't indulge in some clothes shopping. Especially when my trip is paid for. =)

More packing and prep tomorrow, and a last (!) dinner with my family. Then a good nights sleep and JFK at 6 or so on Saturday. It's coming so quickly! No time for second guesses, I guess.

The way is clear
The light is good
I have no fear,
Nor no one should

(and who can tell
What's waiting on the journey?)

Love Katharine (loves Sondheim)

Fast da...

15 days until I leave!!

I've heard from my host family - The Krämers - who live relatively close to the DIALOG institut. Google maps tells me it's a 52 minute walk from their door to the school, so the bus ride should be maybe 15 minutes. Excellent! Their email to me was quite enthusiastic, also, so I'm very content to be spending a month with them.

An excerpt that is proving VERY useful for my planning:

"Im Juni zeigt sich hoffentlich auch endlich der Sommer. Zur Zeit ist es hier herbstlich kalt, es regnet viel und die Natur und die Menschen sehnen sich nach Wärme!"

Which means:

"Hopefully summer will finally come in June. Recently it's been unusually cold - it rains often and the plants and the people are looking forward to warmth!"

Which really means that I'll be packing a few cardigans and an umbrella. I'm happy with the forecast though - I'm not a fan of hot weather, and I'll be grateful to get away from the Urban Heat Island that is New York City for a bit.

Since finals are finished, I can really begin to focus on preparing myself language wise. I bought a copy of Kafka's short stories in German, just to keep myself in practice. I don't want to be rusty when I get there. Maybe it's time for some German movie watching, sans subtitles if I can. Das Leben der Anderen, anyone?

Tschüss!

- Katharine

I'm not in Germany, yet

I'm planning and waiting. I've purchased my flight ticket, my rail pass, and I've made my guest house reservations. I'm making packing lists in my head, trying to figure out how lightly I can travel while still being able to clothe myself. I'm practicing my German. I'm waiting. My departure weighs heavily on everything else I'm doing. As such, I procrastinate, in part by creating this blog 28 days before I leave.

Yes, I am counting the days.

The Plan:

I will be studying in Kassel, Germany for a month, through a cheap but excellent program run by my home college, Hunter College. I have, gratefully, received funding for my trip from the Macaulay Honors College - a whopping $3,400 dollars, which takes care of airfare and my rail pass, among other expenses. I will be chronicling my studying and living experiences with the DIALOG Institut and my host family, respectively.

After my program ends on July 2nd, I'm on my own. I will be putting myself to the test and spending the next 13 days in Germany on my own, traveling from Kassel to Berlin, then on to Munich, then Heidelberg, ending in Frankfurt. The "on my own" part is frightening but exciting - I get to explore my ancestral country at my leisure. Jawohl!

I can't say much more as to the future contents of this blog; it pretty much depends on what Germany decides to throw at me.

Ich kann alles ertragen. =)

Tschüss!

- Katharine