Down to the Wire

Today, being November 8th, marks the one month countdown. Quite honestly, I can't believe it.

I never thought I would like German this much, or Germany for that matter. However, after my experience in Italy I know one thing: culture shock hits me most when I know nothing of the language. At least with German, I knew enough of it to get around in the first couple of weeks here (thanks to my German phrasebook and asking a lot of questions the first couple of days). After one day in Venice, I was ready to leave Italy. I think what made it worse was that it LOOKED like Spanish and I felt like I should know it, but, of course, it's not Spanish.

But, I've returned. I was at the hospital yesterday, but we'll talk about that later if I feel like it... honestly, I feel horrible and I've been put on bedrest.

I should be working on a paper that's due this Friday, but I haven't even touched it. These last two weeks of school will be the hardest because I'm not just finishing up the semester; I have to also worry about packing and getting home. Believe me, English everywhere will be a shock. I know I should be working on the paper. I have time... but I might just do it tomorrow.

My German 105 class has ended so that means extra time for me in the afternoons... and I get to hear less bitching from everyone. That's been the most annoying part of being on a non-language intensive program; everyone is here to be on a safer version of the "back packing through Europe" phase in their life and the parents support it because it's called "study abroad." Bunch of crap in my opinion. Europe is now a Mecca for all twenty-somethings to go on a fact-finding, soul-searching journey before the "real" adult life begins. And, thanks to the wonders of modern-day tourism, every soul-searching adult can buy a t-shirt of the brief Nirvana they've found here. And thanks to the wonders of other countries realizing it's important to learn more than just their own language, these twenty-somethings are free to use English all they like.

I'm ranting I know. It's this whole 11 day Fall Break thing. Everyone finally stopped bitching about not having enough time and they went somewhere. When they come back, they'll continue to bitch about having classes.

Ah. But I'll shut up. I have too much to rant about today. Maybe later I'll talk about it.

Cheers.