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Tag: student life

In the Beginning: Bureaucracy and Visas

In the Beginning: Bureaucracy and Visas

Getting accepted into a music conservatory in Germany was a huge accomplishment. I had found an apartment, unpacked my suitcase, opened a bank account, bought a bike and a mattress (huge purchases considering my budget), and got my Meldebestätigung, a type of resident registration providing proof of your address, necessary for a lot of bureaucratic procedures here. I got my public transport ticket which was a free monthly pass included in the tuition, or should I say, it basically was…

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In the Beginning: Why Germany?

In the Beginning: Why Germany?

So…why did I chose Germany anyway? During my Junior year of college, I participated in a study abroad program in Freiburg, Germany, located in the Black Forest. The city and the location were quite dreamy, to say the least! I not only studied German at the university, but also music performance at the conservatory. I played in a few student orchestras, with rehearsals in the evenings after classes, and also went on a few tours with these orchestras (like to…

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In the Beginning: A Taste of Asia, Europe, and Things to Come

In the Beginning: A Taste of Asia, Europe, and Things to Come

My first time abroad was actually also the first time out of the Midwest, and boy was it a shocker! My family didn’t really go on vacations besides out East to my Aunt’s house in Pennsylvania, so I hadn’t seen a lot besides corn fields and museums during school breaks. While that was a great way to grow up, I had no idea what to even think (or even to think) about anywhere far away. I was and still am…

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The Sun Shines Brightly in Eppendorf

The Sun Shines Brightly in Eppendorf

I had an appointment in Hamburg the other day and since it has been so warm, sunny, and summer-like (yes, 70° and sunny is pretty much borderline spring/summer in Northern Germany, ha) here, I couldn’t resist a mini stay-cation. The kids were at my in-laws’ place for the afternoon and my appointment was over in no time, so I got to have some downtime and enjoy that part of town like a tourist! A very relaxing thing to do –…

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In the Beginning: Arrival in Hamburg

In the Beginning: Arrival in Hamburg

I will never forget my first evening in Hamburg. I still have this image burned into my brain: I had booked a room at the youth hostel at the harbor for a night or two around my audition day for the conservatory. The hostel is perched on a little hill directly at Landungsbrücken, the main S-bahn train stop for harbor visitors. As I sat eating my dinner while gazing out over the harbor from the floor-to-ceiling hostel dining room windows,…

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