From Deutschland to Dutchland

I'm back.  I spent the past week in Germany!  It was an ideal vacation.  Adventure every where.  Bike rides, and canoeing.  I can't describe it all here.  There was too much.  Just too much.

I am happy.  But I miss Bavaria and my family there.

Robert's dad sort of changed everything though.  We sat down on the banks of a river and he asked me simple questions.  What is important to you?  What do you want to have accomplished when you die?  What is the biggest danger to the world?  I answered my simple answers.  I'm good at language, I want to do something to make people's lives better, I think the root of all evil is fear.  And he very simply responded, Ok, clearly you have to do something with language that reduces people's fear.  Simple as that.  Why did I not see it?  Forest and trees and all that!

I told him about an idea I had.  I would love to work with American students who are studying abroad in Germany.  I would be a mediator, an intermediary between the students and the scary German bureaucracy.  I would arrange their appointments for them, I would tell them what they needed (passport, birth certificate, etc.) I might even go with them to get the paper work done.  I would also offer cultural advice.  I'd warn them, for example, that Germans don't make friends the way Americans do.  I'd tell them that Germans are quiet on the train.  It's the little things that make moving to a new country so difficult.  And not speaking the language, of course.  

Rob's dad again very simply said, ok, so do it.  Just like that.  Forest.  Trees.

My plan right now is this.  On Tuesday I have an information session.  The session is designed to help incoming students get all their paperwork and junk organized.  I've done this all already since I came early (and that was the inspiration for the whole idea: having no one around to help me fill out my very important documents written entirely in Dutch) and I only really need to register for classes during the session.  However, I'm going to be taking notes.  I'm going to figure out what students need to have to be legal and happy here.  Particularly for the Americans.  We have a rougher time than the EU kids.  And I'm going to talk to the information session people.  Maybe I can work with them!  They're doing exactly what I want to do!  

In the longer term, I'm looking to Germany.  After my masters, I think I'll head back there to see if I can find the sort of work I'm interested in.  Munich is my goal right now.  But Berlin isn't out of the question.  None of the university towns are out of the question.  Nothing is really out of the question! 

At the end of my time in Holland, I have no where that I have to be.  After Berlin I had to go back to finish my bachelors.  But now I am free.  That's scary, but exciting.  So very exciting!

Today was quite wonderful.  Beautiful weather!  I went shopping since I had no food.  I then organized my apartment, talked to my mom, and went to the Burcht to write in my journal.  I also bought an extension cord.  My electricity doesn't work, and there's nothing they can do until Monday, so I'm in the dark.  So, I got an extension cord (which I needed anyway) and plugged into the hallway plug.  My computer works, and so does my brand new used tv!  And Doctor Who was on tonight!  Twice!  

Now I'm sitting with my door open so I can have a little light, and I'm watching German tv.  Just to hear the language.  I suppose I should watch Dutch tv, but for some reason I feel like the show has to be really interesting.  I guess because I'd have to actually pay attention to understand.  German can just sort of run in the background.

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible."  --Christopher Reeve