ATHENS, OH ATHENS

A little more than two weeks have passed since we arrived in the US, and I’m ready to share some of my first impressions of our BA Plus adventure. If you want to learn more about our trip to the US, our very first days here, and my very helpful landlord, read Philipp’s blog entry - we travelled together and he wrote about it. For my first entry, I’ll take you on a little tour through the small town of Athens, OH instead.

Winter in Athens

Being German, I will start with the weather. Athens is notorious for rapid weather changes, which I learned the hard way during the first couple of days here. The temperature started off at a mild 59° f (15° C) the day I arrived and dropped to a bone-chillling 1° f (-17° C) only two days later. On top of that we had a nice little snowstorm. While this might have been a good reason to either not leave my warm apartment or stay indoors at one of the numerous local coffee shops, I decided not to, and instead braved the cold and found out how beautiful Athens is in winter.

Hocking River

Especially in my first week here, before classes began, the college town of less than 24 thousand seemed almost deserted. It was exciting to see the approximately twenty-two thousand students gradually breathe life into the streets, local bars and cafes, and campus as the beginning of the semester drew nearer. The Ohio University campus is frequently rated among the most beautiful in the country. The university buildings pepper the town in federal architecture – sometimes it feels like it would be unsurprising to see an American founding father walk around the corner. A picturesque running and bicycle path goes almost all the way around town along Hocking River. I can’t wait to watch as it changes this spring.

As one of my first cultural activities here in Athens, I accepted an invitation from my Critical Theory teacher Dr. M (as she likes to refer to herself) and went to a film screening in a charming local theater called The Athena. It was the kickoff to an on-going series of free films: Transcultural Encounters and Border Crossings which “looks at life in between two worlds, standing at the border.” The series delves into the issues of clashing cultures and immigration. On top of my considerable course load, I still have cultural adjustment of my own to do. More of this, Dr. M, my other professors and their exciting classes in about two weeks!