Has it really been one month since I left for Washington DC?? It feels like it has been such a long time since I have left Seattle, and I really miss my friends and family back home. However, in the last month I have made some good friends and found a home here in Köln as well.
InsbesondereI’ve found a soccer team and community to play pick-up soccer with. As per usual, I am one of few girls on the pitch, if not the only one. There are actually less women who play soccer here than in the USA it seems, but I think that just makes it more fun ;) Danielle, in case you had any doubt, holding up my half of the BashBros over here, sending lots of love to BashBros Seattle! |
The soccer team that I play with is all women though, and it is the absolute strangest thing to be playing with all girls again. But I like the team and have quite a bit of respect for a couple of girls on the team, particularly because they are welcoming but still point out areas where I need improvement. I am very happy to have found a community to play soccer with, but I really think I need to go buy a ball at this point.
I also got to dance this weekend, and oh my mother of pearl I missed dancing. This weekend was salsa, but I’ve found a couple places with Lindy Hop and Balboa, which I am syked to hit up. Finding activities like these have been a really important part of feeling at home here. It’s a shame I have to leave at the end of September, but I’ll just do the same thing in my final placement. During our first week here, we talked about home (“Heimat”) in German class; what does home mean to you? Naturally this could be one’s friends, family, or city. It could be a daily routine and a community, and the people, places and things one grows to love. But it could also mean language, and I think it is easy to take the latter for granted, especially growing up in America. Although America is a melting pot, salad, or what have you, there is no need to learn a foreign language in order to be a part of the community there- speaking English is simply enough. |
That being said, speaking English is not enough here. Although I still have a million and one improvements to make, I have slowly started to feel more at home as my German develops, I form closer relationships with my host family and classmates, etc. However, what sealed the deal and made me feel content for the first time in weeks was getting to dance and play soccer. A big part of home for me is the activities I do, particularly the physical activity and exercise. I feel content, at home and generally happy now that I’ve found places to dance and play soccer. That is home to me.