Town and Country

I must say that the area I am living in has definitely exceeded my expectations. Coming from Vancouver, I thought that I would probably be impressed with the nice architecture and quaint villages. However I did not expect to be so in love with the surrounding countryside. It is very beautiful here, with small fields of corn, wheat and grass that have paths that were once roads running through them. The town itself is charming and typically German looking, and at this time of year, people’s gardens are full of flowers.

Last night, Thomas and I went out for a walk in the nearby fields and through the town. We saw a lovely sunset, and the church whose bells I enjoy so much.

We ended up going to bed very late, because we were talking with Thomas’ parents and I am pleased to say that when I concentrate, and am asked things that I can sort of answer, I can -almost- have a proper conversation 😛 We also got up very early this morning, because we wanted to beat the heat on our walk to a nearby village of Reichenbach, where Thomas gets his hair cut. For that reason, I am quite tired now, although on the upside, I think my jet-lag is mostly gone.

For dinner tonight, Thomas’ parents made a nice, typical German meal of schnitzel, Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) and salad with homemade dressing. Everything was delicious, and I look forward to having a lot more schnitzel this year 🙂

Tomorrow, I am going with Thomas to the city to register for his school and to see the city a bit. I’m quite excited!

The Arrival

I don’t think that it struck me that I was actually going to be in Europe until we were flying into Frankfurt and I saw neat little fields and cute miniature towns as far as the eye could see. The view from the plane was quite wonderful and I was so happy to finally be there. The plane trip itself was not too bad; it didn’t seem as long as I expected. Today, though, I feel a bit like the plane ran over me. My back did not appreciate sleeping in an oddly cramped space, and I clearly did not keep myself hydrated because I feel a bit hungover (I swear I didn’t get drunk yesterday!).

All these small annoyances are nothing though, because I am so happy to be here. My reunion with Thomas was everything I had hoped for, and we are happier than ever to have each other again. Thomas’ family has done a very good job of welcoming me, and I am already beginning to feel at home here. Although I did feel a bit overwhelmed yesterday because I wasn’t able to understand that much, and I was having a lot of trouble trying to say what I wanted to. I have realized that my German production abilities are mostly limited to telling people what I would like to eat, my address, what I did on the weekend, and what I studied in school. Unfortunately, the last three topics have not come up, so I have found myself with little to say.

Thomas and his family do not live in Karlsruhe proper, but rather a little town just outside of it. It is quaint and adorable. One of the first things I heard this morning was church bells ringing; it made me inexplicably happy.

The house is colourful and full of light. It manages to stay cool, even though there is no air conditioning and the temperature outside hovers around 30 degrees. All of the appliances seem pint-sized compared with our larger North American models. Despite the relatively small size of the kitchen, everything is well organized and works well (I am absolutely positive that my family could not survive with such a small dishwasher!).

Today was a very quiet day. I didn’t feel that well when I woke up and I still have a slight headache, but I’m sure it’s nothing a good sleep and lots of water won’t fix. We may go for a walk later, once it has (hopefully) cooled down a bit, to look at Thomas’ neighbourhood. He has done a great job of making me feel comfortable here and welcome. He came to the airport with a nice orange and yellow rose, and when we got home there was a beautiful bunch of Calla Lilies (my favourite flower) on the table.

I haven’t taken many pictures yet, but I’m sure I’ll take some tomorrow so I’ll post them then.

So how is Vancouver without me? Do you think you could live with tiny European appliances?

❤ Sid

Up, Up and Away

I’m feeling slightly better now that I’ve realized that all the shit stuff that I need for a year will fit relatively easily into my suitcases and in fact, I’ll probably have some room to spare. Which is excellent because I’m positive that I will be doing some shopping in the next year.

I am very excited though, despite the stress of packing and organizing things for a year of being away. Of course I’m excited to see Germany for the first time, enjoy some very HOT weather, and get acquainted with the city I’ll be living in, but most of all, I’m excited to see Thomas again. 7 weeks is a very long time, and we’re both happy that it isn’t any longer!

For those of you who don’t know (or those who have forgotten!), I’ll tell you a bit about my trip.

I’m leaving on July 19th in the evening. I’m flying direct from YVR to FRA (Frankfurt). Thomas and his parents will be picking me up at the airport after my 10 hour flight and driving me back to Karlsruhe, which is the city that I’ll be living in. Karlsruhe is in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, very close to the border of France and close to Stuttgart.

I have a Youth Mobility Visa which allows me to work and travel throughout the year, and I haven’t done too much planning of what I will actually do when I’m there, since a lot depends of what kind of a job I get and how much I’ll be making. I’m definitely looking forward to relaxing for a few weeks though; seeing the city, catching up with Thomas, and getting to know his family. Also, getting my brain used to German all the time. I’m not too worried about communication, but I certainly have moments of panicking, thinking that I’ll not be able to understand anyone or come up with anything to say. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see!