Pre-Trip Thoughts from Roxy!

On Saturday, I graduated from the University of Michigan. Yesterday, I moved out of my home of two years. And tomorrow, I leave for Munich. To call the past week a whirlwind would be an understatement.  But I cannot think of a better way to go out of undergrad with a bang than through this trip to Munich. In the fog of everything that has changed in only a few days, one major excitement is crystal clear.

I am stoked for Munich. I went to Berlin in 2010 with German Theater, and it ended up being one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I can't wait to do it again in another awesome German city. My goal is to have even more fun and learn even more!

In terms of expectations, well...who knows. I know one thing: The weather is going to be pretty rainy and gray the first week. I am crossing my fingers that it will get sunnier so I can romp around the alps and explore the streets of Munich to their fullest. But, of course, rain and gray will not stop me from living each moment on this trip to the fullest.

I expect to see lots of amazing theater, learn more about the area and culture from Janet and our guides, and have fun. I also expect the best kind of exhaustion. I expect to learn more about art and writing...I am setting my creative juices into gear so I can fill up my hand-made journal with memorable musings.

But, overall, I try not to expect - and rather just go in with an open mind and ready heart.

Pre-trip thoughts

This trip won’t be my first time in Germany, or Munich for that matter, so while I already know a bit about what to expect in the way of food, travel, scenery, etc., I have not yet really been introduced to the theater or artistic scene.  I am excited to immerse myself in some new aspects of German culture and use the opportunity to discover things about these subjects as well as about myself.

I expect this trip to feel more productive than most of my previous European travelling.  It looks like we will have lots to do, but I know it will be rewarding.  The living situation is also different from what I have experienced.  While this trip is structured and scheduled, it will require more independence and responsibility than the family and school trips I have been on before.

Another thing I am really excited about is getting a chance to further improve my German.  I know from my brief exchange in Tübingen that three weeks of immersion can go a long way.  My German was nowhere near as strong as it is now on my last visit, so I am looking forward to using and building on the language skills I have acquired over the past semester.

That being said, there are some things I am nervous about, mainly the drawing and painting.  This is something that is new to me in every way, not just in Germany, so I’m not sure what to expect at all.  I hope that after some practice I can gain some confidence in this area, and perhaps it will help me with the identity aspect of the trip, which I am also a bit uncertain about.

In general, though, I expect this to be a fun, exciting, and educational journey.  I haven’t even left yet but I already feel like it’s going to end too soon! 

   

My Expectations

I leave for Germany in 3 days and I haven't started packing (whoops).  Three words that sum up how I feel right now would be anxiousness, nervousness, and excitement. I've never been to Europe and I've never been on a trip this big before.

I know once I get there I'm going to be reserved but once I get comfortable with talking to people I'm confident I'll end up wishing I had opened up sooner. It's all part of the adventure process though. I expect this trip to be an eye opening and almost cathartic experience that opens up my eyes to all the new things in the world I have yet to see. I'm excited to bond with a great group of people and to explore a new world.

I'm excited that I'm going to be keeping a personal journal and that we're all going to be blogging during the trip on here. The fact that I'm going to be able to see professional operas is something I'm really looking forward to.

Besides losing all of my belongings, my greatest fear is that I'm going to forget to internalize every moment on this trip. I know the three weeks is going to fly by very quickly and I want to get the most out of anything I can.

I'm so excited for this trip to happen. I'm excited for the new me that will emerge after all the workshops, performances, and people I meet. After talking about this trip for so long it's finally happening. So here we go!

Welcome

Welcome to our study tour blog. 

Dear Students, please use the labels (post settings) expectations, favorite places, etc., and add your own labels in Germany so that it is easy for others to follow our blog. I'd like each of you to post about your expectations before you leave for Munich.

Dear Friends and Family, We will try to make sure that at least one person makes a post every day (between May 2-23) so that you can follow us on our journey.