I don't feel like a guest here anymore. I also don't feel like just an employee. Though I still have a lot to learn about my host family, in particular their personalities and habits, I feel more and more like a part of the family every day. The best example of this occurred last weekend. One night I had mentioned to HD that I wish I had some peanut butter to eat with my apple. Two days later, I came downstairs to find some peanut butter on the counter. FYI, peanut butter is incredibly American. They have it at most grocery stores here, but it's not even close to being a staple in German households. Neither of my HP had ever had it before. Even though I'm still having trouble with the kids, I'm confident that'll only get better the longer I'm here.
I've fallen into more of a rhythm concerning daily activities. On weekdays I do some combination of the following: exercising, exploring the city, visiting with the neighbors, and running errands. However, I've barely been to any of the tourist attractions, so I'm going to start visiting two or three per week.
The one thing I'm really missing here is friends. Having people my own age to hang out with would be the one thing to take this experience to the next level. I joined a website called meetup.com to try and get out and meet people. Hopefully something comes of that. If not, I may look into some kind of class I can take, like cooking or photography, or I may also try to get involved in an adult sports league. I have to keep trying until something works for me.
Some things I've learned so far:
- I have the capacity for a lot more patience than I realize - I just need to channel it more.
- Kids are hard work. They're little jerks half the time, but the half when they're adorable makes up for when they're not.
- There's no reason to be embarrassed of my German - it will get better and people are always patient when I'm having trouble expressing myself. Honestly, it's probably better than I give myself credit for.
- Despite all the drastic changes around me, I have to keep doing things that are so distinctly "me," things that keep me grounded, aka going for a run or reading a book per week. Such trivial activities bring a sense of normalcy to an otherwise new and stressful situation.
- Sometimes you have to go drastically outside your comfort zone, and you'll be all the better for it. I actually knew this one before, but I've realized just how true it is this past month.
Here's to seeing what the next month holds!
The one thing I'm really missing here is friends. Having people my own age to hang out with would be the one thing to take this experience to the next level. I joined a website called meetup.com to try and get out and meet people. Hopefully something comes of that. If not, I may look into some kind of class I can take, like cooking or photography, or I may also try to get involved in an adult sports league. I have to keep trying until something works for me.
Some things I've learned so far:
- I have the capacity for a lot more patience than I realize - I just need to channel it more.
- Kids are hard work. They're little jerks half the time, but the half when they're adorable makes up for when they're not.
- There's no reason to be embarrassed of my German - it will get better and people are always patient when I'm having trouble expressing myself. Honestly, it's probably better than I give myself credit for.
- Despite all the drastic changes around me, I have to keep doing things that are so distinctly "me," things that keep me grounded, aka going for a run or reading a book per week. Such trivial activities bring a sense of normalcy to an otherwise new and stressful situation.
- Sometimes you have to go drastically outside your comfort zone, and you'll be all the better for it. I actually knew this one before, but I've realized just how true it is this past month.
Here's to seeing what the next month holds!
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