Prior to this week, I spoke English for the majority of my time at work, with an occasional German conversation.  Seeing this as a waste of language practice, I asked my supervisors to only speak German with me.  I’ve been hearing all German thus far, which helps me learn.  But speaking helps me learn so much more.  It has been a great week of speaking/thinking in German.  However, it is exhausting.  I can’t wait to get back to the group to speak English.  The results will certainly be rewarding, so I’ll try my best to keep up the German for the remainder of the trip.

The great relationships I’ve made with my coworkers have made every day so much more enjoyable.  Time flies by much faster when friendly people are around and work is relaxed.  This is something I worried a bit about the first few days.  It took me a little bit to get comfortable, but now that I am, workdays go by seemingly fast and I leave happy with my day’s work.

The midpoint is approaching quickly.  I have been extremely pleased with the food and how cheap it is to eat.  Especially when shopping at the grocery store, it’s easy to leave with a lot of food for a small price.  Each weekend there seems to be something cool and unique to do.  Most things are only a train ride away, so multiple activities are possible within a day.  Because the sun stays out so long (6am to 9pm), outdoor activities are an option the whole day.  I look forward to the possibility of travelling in the upcoming weeks.  So many great European countries are so close.