After an endless list of things to do and after a last minute drama with a broken suitcase and too much stuff, I finally made this long awaited trip to Germany for my year abroad.

I wasn't really nervous, or excited, or worried, it just didn't feel like it was happening, even when I was on the plane it felt as if I was going to suddenly wake up from a dream. But alas I didn't and the plane took off.

We then landed, collected our stuff, and met up with a few other English assistants and found our way to Cologne city centre and waited for our coach to Altenberg.

When arriving at our accommodation in Altenberg, everyone thought the same thing...it looked like a cross between a prison and Hogwarts, however more the latter, so I got a bit excited and couldn't stop telling everyone!

I then met my roomie for the next few days, who, like everyone else at the course, was lovely. To cut a long story short at Altenberg we went to a few "how to teach" lectures, then made lots of friends over some nice 1.50Euro German beer. It was like being a fresher again! The course not only gave me confidence to go on to my town to teach and speak German, but I have some great memories from there and was sad to leave somewhere that looked like Hogwarts, or have I already mentioned that? ;-)

So after leaving Altenberg, I ended up walking around Cologne looking for people to sit with because I stupidly booked my train 3 or so hours after everyone else, so I had to find things to do!

Then, came my second problem of this German adventure, after the broken suitcase; my train was late so I missed my connecting trains! Yes, you heard me right, a German train was late; so much for living up to their stereotype for being efficient!

So I ended up being over an hour late to meet the girl I'm staying with, who was panicing, was calling everyone, thinking I was lost, or worse! Funny now, looking back!

I arrived at my new home and was greeted so warmly by my new "family", everyone was so nice and made me feel so welcome that I didn't think to be worried or homesick.

The warmness I had recieved from the family did not stop there. I was happy to find that the school I was to work in for the next year, were just as friendly and welcoming. They looked upon me, not as an outsider, but as someone who was not only there to teach, but to learn from them as well. I was introduced to everyone in the staffroom, which was a bit embarrassing, then I was presented with a "Schultüte", which is something German and Austrian children are given on their first day of school...google it ;-)

This week I haven't really been teaching, more introducing myself and seeing how German schools work. The children have been told to ask me questions, my favourite few are "Have you been in Buckingham Palace?", "Do you drink tea?", and "Do you like clotted cream?", nice to see the stereotyping isn't just one way!

On the social side of things, I have met a lot of lovely people through my German "sister", Jana. There was a wine festival in the town called "Winzerfest" which lasts a week, so I'll be back up there again this weekend trying out the local wine; being cultural, obviously!

As for the food, well, I have tried my first Bratwurst, my first Currywurst and my first Schnitzel, and all I can say is, German food is totally underated! I will definately come back 10 stone for the worse!

So, in a rather large nutshell, that is it I think. I'm having a great time, and will write again soon, so that each blog isn't so long!

:-)

xxx