This has kind of been my mantra on this trip. Never in a million years did I think I'd study abroad. It always seemed expensive and time consuming, and irrelevant to music therapy. I can distinctly remember the day my friends and I decided to go on this trip, so I have to periodically remind myself what I've gotten myself into.
I've needed this reminder more frequently this week, and it took until today for me to realize why-- I've gotten used to it here. After just two short weeks, I'm noticing the German text less. My reaction to German speech is faster ("Do you speak English?") and I'm picking up more common phrases (Hallo, bitte, danke). I can read the bus maps and street names, and can understand bike laws and signals. My functioning level has increased and I'm doing things I never thought I'd be able to do, like taking the train to Munich or finding my way around unfamiliar cities.
As for this trip's relevance, I'm learning so much! My favorite class this week was our percussion seminar-- the professor that taught us had so much useful insight into playing percussion, constructing rhythms, and using our bodies. It was such a welcome challenge and a much needed opportunity for nonverbal communication amongst our group. For me personally, it built onto what I learned in my percussion class last semester: there is so much history and technique behind hand drumming alone and I would love to invrsy the time to really learn it. Unfortunately that is just not possible in one semester, let alone one seminar.
It's funny how the two weeks we've been here have seemed so long, but the two weeks until we leave seem so short. I'll definitely continue to seek new experiences and relish the time with this wonderful group!
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