And so the Journey begins...

After 16 odd hours of travel and an overnight stay in Columbus, I arrived in the beautiful town of Athens, OH on January 4. Having to leave my family and friends behind was sad, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. But excitement was definitely the overwhelming emotion I was feeling. And so far, Athens has not let me down. On the day I arrived one of my new roommates, Alex, picked me up from Columbus and after showing me around Campus, took me shopping for my first Walmart experience. I must have looked like a freak in there, because he kept laughing at me (or maybe with me?). I have never seen so much stuff....aisles and aisles full of just stuff. I have since found a very nice little grocery store near the University Commons that has become my go-to, and of course for a little piece of Heimat there is always Aldi.

My new home, the University Commons, at dawn.

After having a couple of weeks as a Bobcat under my belt, I'm starting to get into a routine. My classes are challenging, but fun. Besides the GLC class I am enrolled in “Pop and High Culture in 20^th Century America”, “Social Inequalities and Social Change” and “Feminist Theory”. It does take a little time to get used to the strict rules on homework and attendance, but it is definitely manageable. The Professors here are incredibly nice and very helpful – not that they aren't in Germany ;). That has been my overall experience with Americans here, they are extremely welcoming and helpful: like Kara, who after talking with me for not even 5 minutes invited me to her birthday party or Chris who has been taking me to great restaurants and bars. Top Tip: Cuban food is amazing and everyone should try it!

On my second day in Athens the snow surprised us...

So, let's talk about the weather. When I arrived in the States it was a nice 10 °C outside and seemingly overnight Athens turned into a -15°C Winter Wonderland. You know it's cold outside when the snow starts to freeze! Since then we've been going back and forth between freezing cold and mild sunshine. Right now it's a snowy -4°C, but who knows how long that will last. It is true what they say: If you don't like Ohio weather, just wait 10 minutes...

I honestly can't wait what the rest of this semester has to offer and I'm certainly looking forward to exploring not just Athens, but some other cities in the States on weekend trips or during Spring Break!