Nach Freiburg from Georgia

Hallo Alle!

By the time you read this, I will have spent a week and a half in Freiburg! Let me tell you, if you weren't excited enough before coming, you sure as heck are gonna be STOKED! I'll sure tell you this though, your flight will definitely be one of your longest flights. Not because the direct flight from Atlanta was only 9 hours, the intensive selection of movies, or because you might have a nice comfy seat, but rather, you'll be too excited to even sleep! 

I can tell you personally that the entire flight experience is a perfect way to ease into German. From flight attendants speaking English and German, to having the option to put the movies in German, to just having a packed flight with German speaking people! The moment you get on that plane, you begin your immersion. 

Speaking of flights, I'll be talking about my experience leaving the U.S. I was allowed one checked bag, one carry on, and one personal item on KLM Airlines, and honestly it's all I needed. I packed two weeks worth of underwear and socks and a couple of shirts and shorts. I also packed jeans and some dress pants. I forgot a couple of jeans, so please bring a couple, as Levi's jeans are about 115 Euros (no kidding). Brought my electronics, books, and a pair of shoes on my carry-on. My drone was my personal item. It all fit in my bags, with space to spare. I also recommend that you don't bring school supplies with you. Not only are they bulky, but they add on unnecessary weight to your bags.

Landing in Frankfurt was a really pleasant experience! I got off, went through immigration without any trouble, got my bag, and went out in search of a currency exchange and bus to the train station. I recommend bringing about $200 USD in cash to immediately exchange to Euros. It comes in handy when you're arriving in Freiburg as (in my experience) it is way cheaper to pay with cash than card. I was charged 3% international fee on every purchase using cards. Once in Freiburg, just withdraw money from ATMs and, if you have a Bank of America card, you can withdraw money from any Deutsche Bank ATM without an ATM fee (Global ATM Alliance). 

Taking the train was pretty easy. You'll need to take the ICE 107 train that heads to Freiburg. If you're nervous about using German to navigate, plenty of people speak English, so no worries! 

Being in Freiburg has been an amazing experience for me. I've met so many people, learned much more German, and have gotten the chance to speak with native speakers every single day. The food here is absolutely delicious! I definitely recommend you try Döner once you can. It's honestly so beautiful here, and I can't wait to see what these next few months have in store for me! I can't wait to show y'all what I've seen, what I've experienced, and what I've lived! But I'm afraid that will be in my next video. On my next video you'll be able to see the beauty of Freiburg! I'll be recording my moments with IES Abroad and our excursions, so stay tuned!

Auf Wiedersehen!

-Juan