Food culture in Germany is very different than in the United States but I have had little difficulty adjusting to it. Since I have been here, I have tried many new and interesting dishes. For example, wiener schnitzel, dönner kebab, currywurst, and jellied meat. So far, the best dish I have tried has been dönner kebab which is of Turkish origins and has become very popular particularly in Berlin. Essentially dönner consists of thin strips of meat that are carved from slow cooked rotisserie lamb which are then placed in between delicious Peta bread and topped with vegetables and sauce. Sometimes when I have had enough German cuisine, I will order something from an American fast-food chain, but I have also found the food there tastes noticeably different than the American counterpart. It is also very interesting to me that a country that drinks so much heavy beer has a population that is so thin and healthy in appearance. Nevertheless, German beer has been one of the highlights of my entire trip and I will certainly miss it when I return home. 

Connecting with the locals has been slow because in Germany I have found that small talk with strangers is less common than in the Southern United States. However, it is much easier to spark up a conversation during the evening hours usually in clubs or bars and I have made many friends using this method.  

My host family was an older couple in their fifties who lived with an adorable Chinese Shar Pei puppy named Luna. They were very kind and welcoming to me and the other students staying there. Every night they prepared large portions of authentic German foods. Dinner time was very important to my language development because I could really exercise my speaking abilities. My host family could not speak English and the other students were slightly more advanced. This created an environment of varied German speakers from the A2 level all the way to native level.  

Since starting my internship in Potsdam, my typical day begins with me waking up at seven in the morning to prepare for the workday. I usually get off around four in the evening and return to my apartment where I meet with my roommate before going to dinner or the gym. Any free time I have is filled with visits to historical sites or reading German books or watching German films. I am very satisfied with my study abroad experience and grateful for the opportunity.