After a full day of class, I thought I should update my blog now before I completely run out of time!

I do want to back up a bit and catch you up on the last week here! I moved in with my host family on Wednesday. I live with a fantastic mother and father, Heide and Siggi, whose three kids are grown and out of the house. Heide is a 1st grade teacher and Siggi is a moderator for the government. They, or rather we, live in a townhouse in the Southwestern part of Berlin, about 25 minutes outside of the Stadtmittel. I have loved getting to know both Heide and Siggi a bit as well as share stories and questions about each other’s countries. They are so open and inviting and truly treat me like family.

We had our orientation to the FU-BEST program the latter half of last week, which included a great historical tour of downtown as well as an unnecessary tour of the campus we won’t use. In any case, it provided an avenue to bond with and talk to the other students in the program, whose home campuses are scattered throughout the U.S. (and one in Canada). The program also organized a pub outing for the students and our student assistants. One of the assistants is from Bremen and I, of course, got very excited to talk about Beck’s and sing my song about Werder, Bremen (soccer team)!

I had the day off on Sunday and Heide, Siggi and I went to Potsdam, a town about 15 minutes from our house. We walked on the frozen Himmelsee where there were hundreds of people out with their sleds, skates, and well-packaged children enjoying the beautiful, but cold, day. A tradition I think the U.S. needs to take up is the selling of bratwursts and gluhwein (a sweet, hot wine) on frozen lakes. We got a gluhwein half way through our walk and a kaffee on the way back—it definitely made the weather more bearable.



This morning I started school! I was placed in the highest German class, which I’m still not sure I feel comfortable in. Most of my classmates have been doing this program since August, one did all of her high school in German, and the other two have German boyfriends! We will have to see, I was definitely a bit intimidated!

Besides German and a foreign Language, I am taking three political science classes: one on transatlantic relations, one on conflict and security in Europe, and one on contemporary Germany and its place in Europe. I have the other two in the next few days and am excited to get into more of a routine for the next three months…

Tja. I hope you’re all doing well. I am especially sending good energy to those at Seattle U who started their second week of classes…

Lots of love!
Deine, Tess