After 48 hours between uncomfortable plane seats, ten-hour-long layovers and watching my favorite Anime series, on a Friday, I arrived in the beautiful overwhelming greenery Vermont is and after another hour long ride I arrived at the campus of Middlebury College. Here, I joined a seven-week Language Program that supposedly immersed you 100% in the language of your desire from the ten offered altogether.  The first couple of days were like a summer camp with entire days to lay under Vermont’s sky, to eat Vermont’s creemees, tour the little there is of the Town of Middlebury and all the authentic expensive shops, and to handle the jetlag. Sunday afternoon, all students had to sign the infamous Language Pledge, which was a contract per se, binding us to speaking, reading, and writing only in the language the students are here to learn. You are also allowed to get in touch with the outer world every now and then, but, of course, you should keep it at a bare minimum and in the privacy of your own room  (For those of you scolding me: This is the only thing I am doing, other than talking to my family, that is breaking the rules. I promise!). So, I understood very well what that meant, but I couldn’t quite imagine it.

With signed pledge and with limited German-102 abilities, the next day was very difficult. Not only did the four-hour-long class conversations (on German Literature,Culture and Grammar) were baby-talk-like to impossible, but the table conversations in the cafeteria were dull and quite embarrassing. And in the times I was free, I struggled between my best friend that is the online dictionary, the loads of homework and things I left way back in blocks 3 and 4 of last year (sorry, Christiane). And some good German music, too!  Tuesday was similar to Monday, but a little bit better. Besides being honored by the first convocation of the new President of Middlebury College – Laurie L. Paton (Welcome, Ms. Paton!) – Wednesday was, as well.

With a couple of identity crisis in the newfound little empty German part of my brain along the way, every next day became better. Now on the eleventh day here, and at the end of the eight day since the Language pledge started, I talk to my professors, still poorly, but at least I talk. I obliviously make mistakes much like the ones I did in fifth grade learning English, but I really learn. I make jokes and laugh at my failures and I make friends in German. Perhaps, it took a couple of days to adjust to such a tempo (during the summer!), but I am seeing a steep and probably a tad bit frightening, but a learning curve that is going to make this summer great.

During the past eleven days a lot happened and even more so will happen in the next couple of weeks, but there is only little space and time to reflect on them. After all, I still have some homework to do. However, I will try to make it short(er than this!) and clear, and post something new every weekend. I will sometimes take a more analytical standpoint and talk about the learning environment, the social interactions, the attempts to be funny in another language etc. and how they altogether mold a new identity with a different train of thought, a different awareness for words, and even a different taste of music. Other times I will talk about things that have happened along the way, things that have caught my attention, identity crisis and weird things I tend to reflect on.

In the meantime, stay tuned for the coming reflections!

Yours sincerely,
Andrej Blazhevski