The J-term 2020 trip was a great success for the group and myself. This was my first time leaving the U.S., so it is certainly something I can cross off my bucket list. This experience has solidified that I want to increase my traveling immensely. Also I think it has helped increase my motivation for pursuing the IEP. Hopefully, I can continue this motivation and am able to carry it throughout the next 5 semesters.
My first goal was to order food in German, which I did complete. Starting simply by only saying what I would like and adding "bitte". Due to my allergy, I actually spoke a lot of German when ordering and helped me to work out of my comfort zone.
Second was to try to speak more. This trip has improved my German more than I thought even possible. My pronunciation has made extreme improvements. I was forced to repeat a lot of common phrases which I will now always be able to say perfectly.
Third, was to get snapchats or social media contact info of Germans. I became friends with multiple Germans over the trip. I succeeded with flying colors on this goal. Between phone numbers, Snapchats or Instagram I must have added 10-15 people. One night in Heidelberg I even played cards with 8 German college students and added most of them. This was amazing and I have made a lot of great contacts. Some I even cannot wait to come back and see again!
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