Gemütlich = Comfortable, Cozy, Snug, Homey

I arrived in Freiburg on September 1st. Today is September 30th.

I still don't really know what to say about it. When I moved to Ann Arbor for college freshman year, I don't know when it finally hit me that I lived there. I remember thinking sometime in October, this is a nice place I'm at, and I sure have a lot of homework, and my room is really cozy, but none of this really adds up to anything. It probably didn't help that I visited my family all the time. Sophomore year, East Quad was home immediately. There were a lot of people just a knock or a hallway away, and always easy alternatives to whatever I was(n't) doing. It was comfortable.

I take a long time to get comfortable. I can't decide if I've been here only four weeks, or already four weeks. Either way, it hasn't been long enough for me to add it all up. But that's okay, because there are ten and a half more months before I fly home. I hope they don't all go this fast.

I still feel like an idiot when I buy groceries, and I haven't figured out how to cook for myself constantly. Eggs, pasta, cereal, bread, and broccoli. Yum, but...even I need more variety than that. I don't know where I take the garbage. We haven't really divided up the storage space in the kitchen. Did I mention that my WG (Wohngemeinschaft = apartment-sharing community) is half empty? No German roommates. My room isn't totally set up yet, and my DVD player needs a TV and some friends who like pretentious films. I'm scared to ride my bike next to crazy German drivers, so it's still locked up outside my building. And laundry. Heh. Let's not talk about laundry.

But also, also, also—I am in Germany! Today I gave a woman directions and she told me my German was very good. Which was a lie, but kind. I gave a presentation last week and my teacher told me that I didn't seem nervous and it was interesting and really all I need to do is work on my German 'rrrrr.' Also not completely true, but nice to hear.

Here is one sum I've got so far:

Marisa + Germany = a lot of Milka
This photo was after two weeks.
Also, I need a haircut. Auf Deutsch...

5 comments:

careysue said...

Marisa,
I just found your blog through Ali of course and all I have to say is you're amazing!!

I hope you don't mind me looking every once in a while:)

It's just so exciting to see you in another country and that you're doing so well!

Be well.

Carey (Ali's mom) haha

Marisa said...

Carey,
It's nice to hear from you, and of course I don't mind you reading! It's nice to know I have an audience, haha.

Ali showed me the Fox 2 video. It was so weird to see you and your family on the news! Hope you and everyone else are doing well too. : )

dandelionia said...

This is just getting odd.

John said...

Did the teacher actually say you didn't seemed nervous?

Marisa said...

John, you're rude.