Guten Tag!

Allo! I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to update you all, but as I’m sure you know, I made it to Germany!  I’ve been in such a transition lately, in which internet has not always been available.  Two weeks later, and I am finally on my own computer with wifi!

I can’t even fully describe to you how beautiful this part of Germany is!  It is absolutely gorgeous!  I can’t believe I am living here.  It hasn’t quite hit me yet, and hearing from other BFA staff, I’m not sure it ever will.  I feel like I’m living in a fairy tale—rolling green hills up against the forest; adorable houses with blue shutters; church bells ringing every 15 minutes; cows, horses, and sheep everywhere; fruit trees decorating the greenery.  It’s amazing!  I love taking walks through town and even up through the orchards and vineyards.  A few times we’ve even picked blackberries on the side of the hill!  Anyways, so far I am loving being here—definitely still in my honeymoon phase of culture shock. J

Holzen, where Storch dorm is located, which is where we stayed for the first 10 days.

 To give you an overview of what I have been up to the past 2 weeks, let’s just say it’s been extremely busy.  After arriving here in Kandern after traveling through 5 countries in 24 hours (with no difficulty in layovers or luggage—praise the Lord), I pretty much hit the ground running.  We have had meetings galore everyday for the past 2 weeks.  The first week mainly consisted of German language class and driving lessons.  Learning how to drive a 9-person van using a stick shift in Germany has turned out to be quite the adventure.  The roads and road signs here are very different.  So let’s just say I spent the first few days driving out in some cornfields to just get used to the stick.  This past week we had more orientation meetings about bank accounts and policies for the new staff, and this next week we will be having an all staff (residence life and school) orientation.  So here come more meetings!

This is pretty much what everywhere looks like where I'm living. Beautiful. 

For the first 10 days, all the new RAs and I were living in one dorm which gave us all the chance to get to know each other better as well as allow the dorm parents some time to choose which RA should go in which dorm.  So for the first week, I felt as if I was in a fish bowl, with all the dorm parents scouting me out.  But alas, I got chosen to be apart of the Wittlingen dorm (pronounced Vittlingen, and often simply referred to as Witt, which would sound like Vitt in German)!  The Witt chicks are commonly stereotyped as quirky and random; so I feel like this is going to be a good fit for me. J And so I moved into my new home for the next 2 years last Wednesday and am slowly yet surely settling into my new room. 

Trip to Freiburg (45 min away) to get an RA's computer fixed

Just some facts about my dorm: For one, Witt is ginormous!  With 21 girls and 1 boy (dorm parents’ son), we have one of the largest, if not the largest, girls dorm this year.  Out of the 22 highschoolers, only about 2 or so will have to share a room.  The 250-year-old dorm likewise consists of 3 RA rooms, an apartment for the dorm parents, and 2 guest rooms!  It’s massive!  The dining room looks like a restaurant with its booths and nooks!  That’s probably because Wittlingen at one point used to be a gasthaus (guesthouse) with a bar and dance hall.  During the World Wars, some Nazis actually came over and carved a swastika downstairs in the basement!  And in the back yard, we have apple and pear trees and a pumpkin patch!  I love it, although the layout of the dorm is really odd—it’s quite maze-like with different towers and random passageways, but it’s great. 

RA trip into Basel, Switzerland, for an evening. 

In terms of staff, I am RA-ing with 2 other wonderful RAs and 2 dorm parents, who have 2 high school kids of their own.  All of us besides one RA are all new this year, so the one returner has been so great in helping us get adjusted to duties and schedules around the house.  I love the staff I’m working with!  Some of the other RAs and staff in the other dorms have been saying that Witt probably has the sweetest people working in the dorm.  I’ll take that as a compliment! ;) So the 5 of us staff have been working hard getting the dorm ready for the girls to come next Sunday and Monday (August 21 & 22).  We’ve been doing some painting and just redoing a lot of different rooms to lighten up the old place.  It’s all been really fun, but quite exhausting. 

Farmer's Market one Saturday morning in Lorrach (nearest city, where our dorm goes grocery shopping).

If and when we do get some free time, us RAs are usually hanging out playing games and getting to know each other—bond before all the students come.  One night we all hiked up to a castle, another day we drove 20 minutes across the border to Switzerland, and today we drove to the cute, cobble-stoned city of Freiburg to Ikea to get some necessary room items like sheets. 

Part of an orchard we walked through. 

The beauty that is known as Germany.

So in a nutshell and a rather long blog, that has been my life the past 2 weeks.  I love bonding with all the different RAs and other staff, but I really just can’t wait until all the girls get here.  Only one week left!!

*Pics of my dorm/room soon to come!