Most of the students of Colorado College arrived in Germany on Saturday August 22nd, 2015 and some others trickled in days after. Our host families greeted us warmly upon arrival. My host mom and sister picked me up from the airport, and showed me around town. During the car ride, my mom had asked me what I knew about Lüneburg, to which I answered: Not really anything. She gave me some guidebooks and I have since learned a lot about the “city built on salt.”
In the first couple of days, many of us students wondered what this city had to offer… and we found many avenues of interest after a bit of exploring. The first day after class I went on a walk through the woods, and then realized that this was my study abroad experience. It is not London, nor Paris. It is not crammed with tourists. In just a couple of days, we found the magic of this small city. The old town has houses from the 1500’s and the streets have cobblestone that invigorate our bike rides. The residents are very friendly, and they appreciate my limited German skills when trying to order ‘essen’ or asking for directions. There are plenty of ice cream shops, which we have discovered, too. Xan’s host family even has cows and a farm while others live closer to the downtown area. The diverse, yet cozy, atmosphere made Lüneburg’s charm grew on us quickly.
In our first week of classes we learned all about Faust. In class we discussed the historical background and literary significance of 3 versions of the Faust tale. Faust is an old legend that Germans are very proud of. My host mom was very excited to hear I was reading the story, and was shocked when she found out I had never read it before. Faust was a treasure to read, and Lüneburg is a treasure of a town.
Since walking through the woods on the first day, wondering why I chose to study abroad here, I have learned a lot. I am grateful to Colorado College for setting up a great program here, and I am enjoying getting to know locals, as well as my classmates whom I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. All in all, this trip is going to be amazing and we will remember it forever.
