(Other) Madeline Stories

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines…” Sound familiar? Those are the opening words to the iconic Madeline story that inspired my name. Growing up I dreamt of someday living in Paris where I, Madeline, could live out my own story-book life. As middle school concluded and high school began, I switched from French classes to German classes, and before I knew it, I was in college minoring in German language. Now here I am living in Munich for 10 months. Blissfully blindsided on how that played out to say the least.

I am a Minnesota native and diehard Golden Gopher but Ellicott City, Maryland is where I call home. I’m used to having a few thousand miles separating me from my loved ones, but the ocean is a new obstacle that adds $$$ to any potential reunion. Thus, I will not be heading back until the very end, unlike many of my classmates. I see this as a positive challenge that will push me to make the most of this opportunity. Whether that is getting a job, backpacking, or joining some organizations, I am set on immersing myself. Although I quickly learned that most people in this area speak impeccable English, I hope to bring my German fluency to the C1 level through conversation and regular practice. I want to form genuine relationships with the people I meet, eat dozens of pastries without worrying about the calories, and maybe even figure out what I want to do with my life along the way.

From an American perspective, it’s hard enough for most college students to fit in one semester abroad. It’s nearly unheard of for an American student pursuing a four-year bachelor-degree to go abroad for an entire year. See, I’m not crazy, I just caught the travel bug from my family. My mom moved to the United States after nearly 20 years living in South Africa. When I was six my sister took a gap year and completed a Rotary exchange program in Brazil. Not long after that my oldest brother went to Paraguay, and a few years later my other brother spent a month traveling through Europe. Thanks to them, the dream of travel was instilled in me from the very beginning. Once it got to the point when I had to decide where I wanted to go, I knew I needed to be in a German-speaking nation given my minor. I found the Junior Year in Munich affiliate program on my university study abroad website and worked with 4 different advisors to make the possibility a reality. So, one month in, I am starting a formal blog to document MY stories rather than trying to follow in the footsteps of a fictional character.

Until next time,

Madeline