When I left to go to college, my university told me that I had to take at least four language classes. I was tired of taking French, so I decided to learn something new and different. And if I was lucky, I told myself, I might even like this new language.
It turned out that I definitely liked this new language! It was strange and difficult, like trying to talk while catching popcorn in your mouth. The challenge was part of the fun though. The culture and the history were interesting too. German identity can be traced (researched) as far back as the Roman Empire, and many of the world’s great artists have lived within these borders or spoken this language. As I learned more of the language, myself, I realized that I wanted to focus my work on German and German-speaking people.
I studied German at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and I studied for four months in Lüneburg, in North Germany. When I graduated college, I decided to apply for a program where I could teach for a year in Austria. They sent me to live in Saalfelden, a small skiing town in the Alps mountains. While I was there, I worked on my teaching and language skills, and I applied to graduate schools. I returned to the United States and spent two more years studying German language and literature at the University of Maryland. I applied to return once more to Europe, and I was stationed in the town where I currently live, Landau in der Pfalz. You will hear much more about Landau very soon. I arrived here just a few weeks ago after a short orientation in Cologne. I am still settling in, and I look forward to telling you more about my first impressions of Landau in my logbook and in the other pieces to follow!
