Culture Shock

I'm really curious as to how I'll deal with culture shock when I get to Germany, or if I will go through this feeling at all.

You see, when I went to England I didn't feel any sort of shock about my new environment at all. Granted, I do know the language of that country, so perhaps that's why I didn't feel anything related to culture shock. But it was definitely different from America; I just didn't feel overwhelmed in a bad way by the differences. I loved learning about them! It was such an adventure. I'm not sure if I felt this way because I was only there for 10 days or because I speak English fluently, but I hope that my transition in Germany goes smoothly as well.

I am most worried about not knowing much German, because I know that being in an environment where English is not the primary language will be a huge adjustment for me. I have never been to a place where English is not primary. I am blessed to live in a cultural melting pot in the US, so I hear other languages all of the time, but English is always spoken because I live in America. And in England, English was always spoken because I was in the UK (not exactly the same as American English, but close enough so I can recognize it and easily talk to everyone). I guess I've been to Mexico, but the few times I went I never had to deal directly with the culture or the native people. I wonder how I'll react when I hear everyone speaking German instead of English all of the time. I know that many Germans, especially in the big cities like Köln, speak fairly good English as well, but they are not native speakers and they won't just go yelling English in the streets. I definitely need to learn more German, and really study hard when I get there. Thankfully I'm immersing myself in Germany, so I will have many opportunities to improve and then the language barrier will slowly go away.

I also don't really know what life is like in Germany yet. What are their grocery stores like? How do people normally travel? What do people do with their friends when they just want to hang out? When are mealtimes? What's the pace of life like? Things like that. I'm very excited to learn though, so I'm hoping that my excitement plus my experience with another culture previously are signs that my transition to German life won't be difficult.

I'm just really glad I found a family that is really nice and fun. I think that will make adjusting to German life that much easier. If anyone has any advice on dealing with moving to a new country, I'm all ears!

Köln

I'm back from the dead! My thesis is fully formed now, but still needs a lot of editing. Thankfully I can take a bit of a breather from it now!

I am so excited to live in Germany, especially the area of Germany that I am going to: Cologne! Or Köln, as it's also called. I have always wanted to go to Cologne. Not only does it look like a beautiful city, but it is full of history, the people are supposedly very open and friendly, and it is home to the UNESCO world heritage site, the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). There's a lot more to it than just this, though, as I am slowly finding out. Every time I learn something new about this awesome city, it makes me even more excited to live there. Here are some of the long list of things I want to do in Cologne, which I'm sure it will keep growing the more I learn:

1. Karneval

Rio may be well known for its tropical and festive Carnival season, but apparently Cologne has one of the largest Carnival celebrations in the world. The whole city parties all day, every day, for a good week, and EVERYONE dresses up. It's like the German version of Halloween! And I love Halloween. Mostly because you get to dress up, and I love dressing up. I will definitely be having fun this coming Karneval season!

2. Rhine River

Cologne is situated right on the Rhine River. The river actually runs directly through the city. I find this supremely awesome. I LOVE cities on the water, whether they be on a river or on the ocean. And areas just south of Cologne on the Rhine are known for their wine and beautiful scenery. And I love wine. So not only will I be living along a river (seriously am in love with that), but I will be >thisclose< to some amazing wine country. Adding to that, this particular area is the home of the Riesling, and Rieslings are one of my favorite kinds of wine. I am going to be in heaven.

3. Kölsch 

Cologne has its own kind of beer called Kölsch. While I'm more of a wine person than a beer person, I do enjoy one every now and then, and I am very interested in trying something so iconic to Cologne!

4. Christmas Markets

These can generally be found in all of Germany, but I'm still really excited to go to one when I'm in Cologne! They look so adorable and fun! I went to one when I was in London, and while it was obviously not a real German Christmas Market, it was still pretty cool, and I can only imagine how great a real one would be.

5. Kölner Dom

So I've known about this site for a while, since I've wanted to visit it for a very long time, but I couldn't not include it! It is amazingly beautiful. And old. And I'm quite simply a huge sucker for old religious buildings, particularly cathedrals. This will definitely be a highlight. I want to climb all the way to the top!

6. Architecture

This is not a specific thing or spot, but just generally the architecture of the city. I found out that Cologne was almost completely leveled during World War II (so sad!), but some old buildings (like the cathedral, thank goodness) survived. As a result, the city is a beautiful mix of historic German architecture and modern architecture. I find the juxtaposition between old and new particularly fascinating in architecture, so I'm excited to explore all of the beautiful buildings that I come across!

7. Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum

Well, that was a mouthful! I am slowly getting used to German, but it's a process. Basically this translates to the...wait for it...Imhoff Chocolate Musuem!!! I'm not even kidding, there is a chocolate museum!!! This city was made for me, I swear. I love chocolate. Soooo much. This is a must-see. I will probably visit at least once a week and get fat.

8. Römisch-Germanisches Museum

Cologne was originally a Roman settlement a very, very long time ago (yet another super awesome thing about Cologne). This museum has a large collection of Roman artifacts found in and around Cologne. It is definitely something I must see at least once!

9. Kolumba Museum

This museum apparently has a really cool mix of ancient religious and modern secular art, which sounds extremely interesting. Plus, it has views of the cathedral. Definitely visiting.

10. Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum

This museum is all about touching everything, which is an amazing concept. It focuses on cultural diversity as well, which is yet another thing to love about Cologne. So excited to visit. Plus, right next door is an old Romanesque church that now houses a small museum of Medieval Christian art. Totally up my alley!

11. Wallraf-Richartz Museum

This is one of the biggest museums in Cologne, with an extensive collection from the 13th century to the present day, which means I am pretty much obligated to explore the whole place. I am an art history major, after all!

12. Cologne Zoological Garden

This is one of the oldest zoos in Germany. Normally I'm not a huge fan of zoos because of animal confinement and treatment, but I think its nice that this zoo puts animals in their natural habitat.

13. Claudius Therme

Natural mineral thermal bath spa. 'Nuff said.

14. Klosterkirche Groß Sankt Martin

Aka Great Saint Martin Church. Another cathedral, yay! This one was mostly destroyed in World War II, but it has since been restored. So yeah, definitely going.

15. Padlocks of Love

Probably not the official name, but that's ok! I've been noticing that many areas around the world have a setup like this now. I know there is one in Paris and one in the Yellow Mountains in China. This one is located next to the Hohenzollern Bridge on the Rhine. Basically, you get a padlock and engrave it with your name and your lover's name, and then you lock it to this fence that has a bazillion such padlocks on it and throw the key in the river. And then your love will last forever! Aww. It's pretty cute. I have to check it out just to say I went. And hey, if things continue to go well with the guy I'm seeing, maybe we'll do one of our own :)

Well, that's all I have for now. Gosh I'm so excited just looking at this list. I don't know how I'll manage to leave Cologne with all of the cool things to do. I was planning on at least traveling to Paris and other areas of Germany, but there is so much to do in Cologne alone! Ha, that rhymed. 

My goal is to do all of these things (at least!), and report back once I've experienced them. With pictures, too!