Count Down

I have less than a month before I head out of the country again. Despite a trip to Chicago, stressing over visas and interviews and papers and a few different miscommunications, I am set to fly off to Germany in the beginning of January. I keep saying that I'm more nervous for this than I was for Japan. And yet, every time I say it, I have a flash that I'm lying to whoever I'm speaking too. I'm not jittery or frightened. I just have a lot more riding on this trip than I did on my last one.

Despite the fact that it allowed me to complete my Japanese minor, I have no intention of continuing my study in Japanese. German, however, is the language that I hope to base part of my career on. Add to that, the fact that I haven't actually been in a German class in over two years...

I suppose, I'm more nervous that I will get there and be placed in a beginner class and be bored out of my mind. Yes, my grammar needs polishing and my vocabulary is laughable, but I do have experience with the language. I don't want to be in an introductory class. I keep having fears of sitting in class with beginners while reciting the German alphabet.

*shudder*

We'll see.

Preperation

I haven't been doing much writing lately, because, really I didn't go anywhere. Oh, I traveled a bit this summer. Went to New York City, saw the sights. But it's been months since then and I didn't even think to post.

Right now I'm starting my preparations for studying in Germany and Austria, starting in January 2010. Not much to say about it yet, other than I have my fingers crossed and hope very much that I will be accepted.

This, actually, is what inspired me to post. It's a quote by Mark Twain and I found it beautiful.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.