as i was walking back to my "home" from the metro today, i started compiling a list in my head of things i appreciate having in germany that i don't have in texas and things that i miss! i felt like it was worthy of a blog post.
here we go...
PROS OF GERMANY
-it's location:
being only a couple hours away from all the other countries in europe is pretty awesome. this semester in europe, i have plans to travel to france, other towns in germany, spain, switzerland, ireland, scotland, czech republic, austria, italy, & england. yay europe, woo europe, love you europe.
here's another way to put it all into perspective: to get to paris, you catch a train that takes about 3 hours. the distance from where i'm living now(bonn, germany) to paris, france is the equivalent distance of my home(granbury, texas) and college station, texas. consider your mind blown.
-flights are cheap:
and by cheap, i mean cheap. all of the flights i have booked, with the exception of spain, have cost me around 50ish euros. it's typically more expensive to take the train than to fly somewhere.
-being a kid and growing up here would be ridiculously awesome:
example: teaghan's host dad hans has a daughter who is currently on a field trip to iceland for ten days. yep, iceland. oh and ramy(my host brother) just returned from a field trip to another country. i want to say it was austria maybe? um hi. my "field trips" in texas consisted of visiting the local historical jail in granbury and walking aimlessly around the ballpark in arlington. no big.
-the bus/metro system:
YOU DON'T NEED A CAR HERE. IT'S AWESOME. (sometimes). i love the metro system here! it's so nice to be able to catch a ride going anywhere you want around the city annnd europe. whether it be a local, regional, or global train...they're all awesome and i desperately wish the united states had a system like this. gas here is more than double than that of the usa sooooo cars just really aren't needed. come on tejas, lezzzzdothis.
-there's no humidity here!(!!!!!!!!!!!):
the fact that i can wake up, straighten my hair, and have it stay perfect all day long says it all :)<3333
-the fast food:
it's ironic that i even titled this one that considering their version of it isn't even in the same ballpark as what fast food is in america. how should i put this? america's fast food consists of just awful greasy stuff. sonic, taco bell, schlotzskys, mcdonalds, chicken express, burger king, etc. the list goes on and on. i'll even include chick fil a on it! you know why? because here "fast food" places are these little bakeries where everything's baked daily. (think sandwiches and sweets). the bread here is better, sandwiches are filled with vegetables, and the portions are much smaller. the sweets obviously aren't good for you buuuuuut who cares! everything's fresh, nothing is fried and all around, you just don't feel bad/gross when you grab something to-go here. i honestly don't think i'll be able to eat fast food when i get back. no way joseeeeee!
-elizabeth's cooking:
erin & i got the traditional living so we have a host mom who cooks for us every day. it's so nice walking home from a long day of school & having a full blown meal waiting for ya.
it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. and i'll leave it at that.
-the shoes!
i'm obsessed with the shoe stores over here.
o b s e s s e d
they're cuter, the quality is so much better, and everyone here dresses so much nicer than they do in texas! it's nice knowing people know how to dress up outside of my little bubble consisting of granbury/texas a&m.
ps: i'd take back like 10 pairs of shoes with me if i could. i mean, i've already bought 2 pairs within the first month...maybe i will? oops.
CONS OF GERMANY
-having to pay for water in restaurants:
to anyone reading this: appreciate getting free water! it's always a sad day when a simple glass of tap water costs you around 3 euros. there's no refills either! in france, a glass of water cost around 5 euros. liquid there was about the same price as half or more of a meal! eeeek.
oh and did i mention there's no ice here? yea.
-having no ceiling fans/fans anywhere:
i really really really miss my bed back home. the mattresses aren't as thick here, which isn't a bad thing. it's just different. but more than anything, i miss having a ceiling fan! sleeping without air circulation is no fun.
-the snow:
snow used to be something that fascinated me. that was until it snowed about maybe 10 days out of the month i've been here! the snow here is pretty...until it turns to slush...and then it becomes really annoying. you have to remember that it takes forever to melt too! it's been a rare day when i've gotten into bonn & not seen snow anywhere.
-paying for bathrooms:
just know that in order to use the bathroom, you have to pay up. and if you don't pay up, they have guys down there whose job is to clean the bathroom and they expect you to tip them.
-the gym:
anyone who knows me knows i'm obsessed with fitness and working out! i've joined the local gym down here called mcfit. it's actually really nice. think 3 stories with weights and cardio machines. however, the cardio machines are really really strange. back home, i typically run for 1-2 hours. howevaaaa, here the machines kind of tip down at a strange angle. my tendon in my right foot is still messed up from gymnastics & it's painful to run! total firstworldprobz.
oh, and the people here working out don't where typical work out clothes! they wear clothes you'd see someone wearing to run errands into town in. and they don't really wear running shoes either! just normal shoes. it's odd. oh and no one speaks at the gym really. which is even odder.
-lack of a car:
i miss my car! it's crazy thinking i haven't driven in a month now. i miss the freedom of hopping in my car and going to pick up groceries or simply driving to friend's houses. wah
-dillards
my happy place.
-the food:
back home, i typically eat pretty clean! therefore i miss....
fruit, yogurt, greek yogurt, fish, soup, rice, fruit, fruit, fruit, and chips and salsa...oh and mexican food. AND SUSHI. and avocados. and more fruit. hah, the key word was "pretty"...and now i'm hungry again. that's all for now!
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