I'd like to apologize for my last post. Not because it was untrue or offensive or blasphemous, but because it was, as Beth Costello Dubuque put it, "just meh." She was right, it was a pretty "meh" post to start off a blog. I'm hoping that I will be able to inform you all about my goings-on and eventual class-learning, and perhaps entertain in the process. So with that in mind, you can ignore that last one and I promise to do better.

So, let's (re-) begin.

Holy shnikees, I'm going to Germany!! I'm leaving in one week, Thursday October 1st at 5:25 PM from Boston, and flying all the way to... Montreal. At some point I will fly from Montreal to Frankfurt and then I'll turn on the German brain and try to catch a train to Kassel. I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out, considering I made my way from Frankfurt to Marburg by myself two years ago. Of course, I missed my stop and had to backtrack, but that is irrelevant. My only goal this time is to not fall asleep and end up in Denmark.

I still don't have tons of details about my class schedule, but I think that's because I haven't actually registered for anything. I have my first module the week of October 12, and then after that your guess is as good as mine. My class schedule will be different than I am used to. I'll have 40 hours of class for one week, and then a week to write a paper or something, and then another week to prepare for the next 40 hour week of my next class. So it's a one-and-done deal, with each class/"module" taking roughly three weeks of my attention, and then I don't have to think about it again. It will take some getting used to, but I'll manage. I have 13 modules to take, but I'm not quite sure in what order/when I will take them. In case you aren't familiar with the patented "Amywurst 2009" way of approaching things, the basic mission statement is to wing it and see what happens. Things usually work out.

However, I'm not totally flying by the seat of my lederhosen. I have secured a place to live, and that's really half the battle. I will be living in a flat on the second floor of a house owned by Maria and Knauffi, who are friends of friends. I've been in contact with them quite a bit, and they have sent me a picture of my new home:

Yes, that's my balcony you see there. So if any of you visit, you'll have a place to sleep.
I also have a flatmate. Her name is Qingqing, and she is from China. She's arriving a few weeks after me, so I'll have to make sure the place is in good shape when she arrives. We've e mailed a few times, and she has excellent English, and she's very sweet. She is getting a PhD at Uni Kassel, so she is not in my program. But she is looking forward to spending time with me and being friends, so that will be nice.


But I haven't left yet, so let's focus on the here and now. I've begun to think about packing, which is a good step, although I have yet to put anything in my suitcase. I did buy a killer new suitcase, though, so it's a start. I honestly think I could fit in this suitcase with only a little discomfort, so I should be able to fit most of my necessary belongings inside. I also picked up some of those fancy "vacu-pack" bags; y'know the ones where you put in 473 full size towels, then seal the bag and use your vacuum hose to suck out all the air, and the bag is reduced to the size of a post-it note? Right. Those will help a lot. Other than that, I've been putting together some boxes to mail over. I don't need everything right away, so I can stagger these supplies.

My departure date is a mere seven days away, and so one would think that I'd be planning to spend the next week in prep mode. I could, but I'd get sad and then go insane, so I'm going to go to Maine instead. It's a fantastic weekend to go, too. The weather is going to be quintessential New England Fall weather, and there are farm fairs and pumpkin festivals to enjoy. Not to mention a ride in a hot air balloon. Yeah, you read me right. Hot air balloon ride! I've always wanted to take a ride like this, so Tom and I are going to cast off and see the world. I wonder if there's a harness to tether me to the basket...

So thanks for reading, and I will be sure to put some pictures up after this sure-to-be stellar weekend.

Let's Begin

As most of you know, I'm leaving the country again in a week and a half, (October 1st). But this time it's not a vacation, and it's not a short study trip. I'm leaving for a year to (hopefully) get my master's degree. I'm excited, nervous, antsy, etc etc. Frankly, I haven't prepared much yet, so it's still not totally real. I mean please, I still have eight whole days before I leave!

I'll be living in the city of Kassel, which is just a few hours north of Frankfurt a. M. I have two lovely friends who live in the city, so I'm not totally on my own. I'll be studying at the Universitaet Kassel, and in a year I will hopefully have a master's in higher education administration.

I can't really say for sure what will happen between these next eight days and when I have that degree, so you'll just have to stick with me to find out.