Brotherly Advice

My brother was kind enough the other day to help my mom and I move my fish tank from my apartment to my parents house.  With it being a heavier object, he could carry it down the stairs more easily than mom and I.  While he was waiting for the tank to be ready to be carried down the stairs, he picked up my study abroad to-do list and wrote a few things on my list.

I caught him writing on my list and decided to check out what he thought I needed to do.  It did not surprise me at all that what he added was humorous.  I later asked where I had to do the hokey pokey, at the airport before I got on the plane or at home before I leave, and he said it didn't matter where but it matters if I do it or not! I absolutely loved his piece of advice to avoid sitting next to a smelly fat guy. Let's hope that his advice was heard by the "seat gods" of the airplane!

Too Many Lists

As I near my departure for Germany, my notebook is filling up with many lists.  I have lists of things to do before I leave, lists for things to buy before I leave, lists of clothing to pack, lists for toiletries to pack, lists for what to pack in my carry on, and lists of things I need for my classes at the University.  I need a list to keep track of my lists! Its too much! I tackle my lists for about 5 minutes at a time or I get way too overwhelmed and then get a brain freeze and can't think of anything!

I am getting really excited to leave and hope all my flights over to Berlin go as planned.  The only thing I'm absolutely nervous about right now is that I'll be delayed from Chicago to JFK or the JFK flight to Berlin will be canceled.  My fingers are crossed for a problem free day of traveling.

My iPhone is now capable of making calls from overseas! Mom and I visited the AT&T store today and signed up for the World Traveler plan which is only $5 a month plus the cost of calls.  This is a great option because now I can call home immediately when I get to Berlin to tell them that I am there and okay.  I can then find a cheap pay as you go phone in Germany for local calls and contact with other study abroad students and friends that I have co-oping in Germany.

I bought a new camera yesterday! YAY! My old camera was having issues and wasn't very reliable so Mom and Dad thought best to buy a new one that I can count on! My choice is the new Sony HX5V! It has a good zoom without the huge size and has some great features. One feature I found really great for my upcoming travels is the iPanorama feature.  This feature allows me to "sweep" my surroundings and it makes a huge panoramic photo! Also, the GPS feature is wicked cool! The camera stamps the GPS coordinates into the info of each picture I take.  Then, if I forget where I took a photo, I click on the pictures information on my computer and it brings up a satellite map and shows exactly where I took the photo! Great for traveling! There are some awesome other features also but I do not want to bore you all!

I will be setting up an online photo gallery within the next few days for everyone to see my photos as well! I'll post the link on here when I get it up and running!

12 days till take off!

Getting excited!

I'm getting closer to my departure date (June 27th)! Yesterday I went to the AAA store with my mom while she booked our hotel for Paris! I am excited to not only study abroad but I'm also excited for traveling with my family! They are coming over after my time in Lüneburg and will be picking me up from there and we will be traveling throughout Germany and also Paris! 


I got my International Driver's Permit while at the AAA store.  It's exciting that I can drive while overseas.


Yesterday, I got an email from the housing department of Leuphana Universität Lüneburg.  I was informed that I have two options for housing during my stay.  One option is a residence hall suite on campus which I would share with 3 girls and 1 guy, all of whom are German residents the woman who emailed me thought.  My second option was an apartment in the city center of Lüneburg, which is about a 40 minute walk to campus.  I will be sharing the apartment with one American girl and one Korean girl and an American guy will be downstairs from me.   I emailed the woman at the university back today and informed her that I would like to live in the apartment in the city center.  I picked this option because of the location, it is about two blocks from the river and one block from the government buildings.  The downtown location will be absolutely beautiful and full of places to roam.  The buses in the city are very reliable, or so I've been told by several sources, and I plan to purchase and sell back or rent a bike while there.  Therefore, I do not see the commute to campus as an issue.  I am looking forward to going on adventures in the city and going to farmers markets (I've been told they are great in Lüneburg and all of Germany).


I am starting to write down all the things I still need to do and buy before I go.  The list was several items long when I first started thinking about it.  However, now that I am trying to write it down, I can't remember all I was trying to keep in my mind last week.  I am learning to write it down as I think of it but I still think I am forgetting important items.

About Lüneburg

Thought I would tell you just a little about my study abroad program. I am headed to Lüneburg, Germany! It is a wonderful medieval city that was not bombed during the war so still really has its historic character.

A half hour train ride will take you to the port of Hamburg, a big and busy place with a lot to offer. It is a frequent
weekend destination for students. But there are other cities nearby as well, including Bremen and Hannover.

More about Lüneburg:

- Bridges outside the town were rigged with explosives to be blown in the event of a Soviet attack.

- The university is located in the former British cold war military base. The old brick buildings have ivy growing on them now and have a more academic feel.

Here is the link if you wish to know any more about the program itself!

http://usac.unr.edu/programs/overview.aspx?program=3094

Hello All!

Hello everyone! I have created this blog to document my journey of studying abroad in Lüneburg, Germany. I plan on recording the entire process from before I leave until after I get back.

I am a student at the University of Cincinnati with a major in Marketing and minor in International Business. I love Bearcat sports (actually I love all things Bearcat!). I graduate in one year and can't wait to see what the world has to offer!

I hope to keep you all entertained with my posts! Happy reading!