Getting Lost in Heidelberg

                Traveling around the city of Heidelberg has been an adventure.  On the train ride to Heidelberg on the first day, a fellow passenger began talking to me.  He showed so much interest in music therapy and why I had come halfway across the world to learn more about it.  It was a welcoming first conversation to have with someone from Germany on the day I arrived. 

Since then I have taken the trams and the buses back and forth from the apartments to class every day, usually with one or two of the other students on the trip.  In our first days here, there were two times that we were somewhat fiercely yelled at by people on the trams, which is unnerving enough without adding in the fact that the yelling was in German.  The first time, the shock of someone speaking angrily to me in a language I didn’t understand was enough to make me at a loss of words and unable to think of how to respond.  Then second time, it turned out the man from several feet away was simply yelling so I could hear him and was actually trying to be helpful.  Despite these two occurrences, I’ve found that the people here are just as wonderful as the beautiful city of Heidelberg.  Almost every other person I have come across has been friendly and helpful, showing patience with the language barrier.

One of the best parts about traveling around Heidelberg has been getting lost (no, really!).  There have already been an embarrassingly number of times when those with me and myself have had to walk a long ways because we have gotten off at the wrong tram stop.  I’ve found that each time this has happened we have discovered a small gem of the city and explored parts that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.  On Tuesday, we found a neat music store with of course music books and instruments, but also cute musical coffee mugs and other items that music stores back home don’t have.  Another time, we found a bookstore tucked away down an unfamiliar street.  The same street had a store where we finally found some Kinder eggs and much needed delicious chocolate.  These unplanned excursions have yielded some of the best discoveries yet of this beautiful city and I’m excited for more to come.