Passports and Paintbrushes

I can’t believe I’ve already been here one month. It feels like it has gone by both lightning fast and also incredibly slow. There have been so many hurdles to cross (even now I’m writing this on a German keyboard and I have no idea where any of the letters are, so it takes an eternity!). One second I feel on top of the world, like I could conquer anything and excel at life, and then the next second I feel totally helpless and uninformed. Expat life is quite the rollercoaster.

But recently I took a breather and spent a few hours walking around a beautiful park in Mannheim, watching the bright orange leaves fall gently to the ground. Fall is here and I’m lucky enough to be here to experience it. Below are a few photos and stories from the past few weeks. Enjoy!jMy first day in the city of Weinheim, by beautiful new home.Some of my colleagues from school and I went to an alpine slide after work. It was so much fun and the view wasn’t too shabby either.The children in the language intensive classes at my school worked together to perform a play. They come from over ten different countries and speak many different languages. Many of them are refugees who have not lived in Germany more than two years. But they performed incredibly well in German, and it was obvious they were proud of themselves. The whole show brought tears to my eyes. It was touching to see people from such different backgrounds coming together to make something new. The play was covered in the newspaper and hopefully this experience will be replicated in other schools in Germany.CofffffeeeeeeeeMet up with another Fulbrighter for a day in Heidelberg. That place NEVER gets old.Moore Haus will always have my heart.Hope you’re doing well!