 “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly
secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer
meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in
movement there is life, and in change there is power.” -Alan Cohen
Hallo! I am Peter Humbarger, and I am a gregarious
sophomore at Allen D. Nease High School. I have two sisters that are both in
college, so I live at home with my parents, my bearded dragon and my cat.
When my sisters come home, I always enjoy hanging out with them at the
beach, movies, or wherever. My whole family is very inspirational to me, and
helps me through difficult times. They are definitely one of the biggest
things that I will miss when I am abroad.
Swimming is a major part of my life, being that I spend
about two and a half hours at the pool every day. Hopefully they have a swim
team in Germany. I also have an affinity for music, which I find very
relaxing. I played violin for 10 years, and my love for music will always be
with me.
When I found out that I was going to be studying abroad
for a whole year, it was somewhat surreal. The reality of living in a
foreign country away from friends and family for a whole year still has not
sunk in, but I am very excited for something different. Although there may
be difficult times, this process will be an amazing experience, one that I
will never forget. The wisdom, independence, and knowledge that I will gain
from this will be unparalleled. It is a life changing experience, and I am
so grateful to have been chosen to take part in this program. I would like
to thank everyone that is making my exchange possible. |
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After “untying the piano from my bum” (Daphne Cameron), I decided
to write my first journal. It has been a little more than 11 weeks since I
stepped off that plane in Hannover, and I have loved every minute of it. From
the different language, to the people’s attitudes, I have had an amazing
experience so far.
In the first month that I was here, I realized that no one
back in Florida could have ever prepared me for what I felt in my new home.
The feeling of normality, the feeling that Germany really isn’t that much
different as I thought, and that my life isn’t drastically changing to the
circumstances. It’s interesting to think that before I left, we did so much
preparation and work to come to a country, but in my opinion, I like
learning from my mistakes in the language, I like realizing subtle changes
in my lifestyle without me knowing of them taking place, but most of all, I
love the people. In Germany, and the rest of Europe I assume, people are not
judgmental, and very open-minded about things. For example, I went into a
German sauna for the first time last week in Berlin in a hotel, and was
blown away when I saw both naked men and women in the same room. People here
are not prudes like they are in America, and it is quite fascinating.
Family: When I first met my family at the airport,
they seemed like a nice family that would be very welcoming, and they turned
out to be that exactly. They have been very hospitable, and have made my
experience here all the better. I will not say that they are perfect, as no
family is, but I really lucked out.
School: School in Germany is quite peculiar, and
much different than school in Florida. I go to a Gymnasium, which is the
highest level of school, and am in the class 10Music. I am taking a total of
12 classes, and have 24 hours of school a week. One thing that I am not a
big fan of is that the teachers move from class to class, not the students.
Therefore, I will have all the same classes with all the same students for
the whole year. The even crazier thing is that these people have been in the
Music class since 5th grade, meaning that they have had the same 20 people
in their class for 5 years!
Language: The German language is actually extremely
difficult. Much more difficult than I had expected when I started doing Live
Mocha. I had no idea that the 3 ways to say “the” and all of the adjectives
would change, according to if you were talking about where you were, who,
whom or what. It is sehr schwer. And I am yet to have a dream in German.
Food: One word: Delicious! The food here is truly
magnificent. From the schnitzel to the goulash, I love it all. And, I
haven’t even had to try very many weird things, which is nice.
Things that are different from America:
- People greet each other with hugs and kisses to the
cheeks.
- Bread is eaten at every meal
- Buses are the main means of transportation for
teenagers.
- Walk in closets are a luxury.
- Houses are much smaller due to the lack of space.
- It costs thousands of euros to get a license, and you
have to be 18.
- People aren’t fat.
- Soccer = Life
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