First Time For Everything

Hello there! My name is Nicole Camejo and I am originally from Miami, FL. I will be a senior the upcoming Fall 2016 semester at the University of Miami (UM) where I study music therapy, specifically neurologic music therapy (NMT).

I arrived on Monday, May 6^th, at Frankfurt and felt quite nervous during my long, nine hour flight, reasons being that this was my second flight in my entire life and second time leaving Miami, and my first time leaving America to another country, along with flying without a friend or family member. On Sunday, a few hours before my flight, I remembered being so nervous that I decided to organize all of my sheet music, since 2008 until now, in a large binder while celebrating mother’s day. This was after brunch of course and greeting my grandmother and mother, wishing them a happy day.

I thought I would be a nervous wreck upon my arrival, finding it difficult to adjust since I had never met any of the other students or Dr. Keith. So many thoughts were running through my mind of how I won’t fit in or adjust well, but I was proven wrong. Since meeting the students and my professor at the Frankfurt airport, I have never grown so comfortable and felt welcomed by a group of individuals in a short amount of time. 

I adjusted quite rapidly, feeling the nerves and anxieties dissipating.  

From the airport, we made our way to Heidelberg, where we took the tram to our apartments for the next three and a half weeks. While on the way there, we came across the most beautiful scene I thought I would never see in my lifetime. I often dreamt how it would look to see them in person and could only imagine based on movies or TV shows, but there were mountain ranges before me, and I could feel stunned by the sight of their majesty.

 Now, keep in mind, Miami is below sea level, incredibly flat, and palm trees to your left and right. But when I saw this view, all I could think of was "Oh. My. God. There are mountains."

The scenery, the people, everything about Heidelberg made me think that this is all a dream. I would think "There is no way that I am actually here," and a few falls from my bicycle later, has me currently saying "Yup, I'm totally here."

From meeting the faculty of the University of Heidelberg, interacting with German music therapy students, going on small trips, popping several cherries (LIKE HIKING UP A MOUNTAIN!) and making new friendships during my first week has made my experience worthwhile, so far. I cannot wait for the next few weeks and continue to learn more about German Music Therapy and the history of Heidelberg, along with the many travels I hope to experience in Europe.