I always get really emotional on September 11th. It's the only day where I'm really ever patriotic. I think a lot about how it completely changed our country, but how it also changed my life. I really don't think I would be the person I am today had I not lived to see my country attacked. It's one of the reasons I started informing myself about what was going on both in our country and in the world. I never wanted my world to be shaken like that again. It's weird though because I was so young. I was just 10 years old when it happened, and I didn't really fully understand what was going on. It's weird to go back and to look at what happened now. It's weird to think about how one day such an enormous event in my life will be forgotten.
I've spent as much time reflecting about America as I have spent ignoring it. Yesterday was the first day in a while that I actually cared what was going on at home. Part of my decision to come here was because I wanted to get away, I wanted to leave my American identity behind. I was so sick of the petty politics and the inefficiency of our representatives. It was the first time since Obama was elected that I was actually losing hope. I wanted to get away from that. But yesterday I actually cared. And it's just disappointing for me to look back and to see what's happening to our country. I can really understand where all the European criticism comes from now. It's pathetic, honestly. And I just keep losing hope. I don't want to. I want to believe in my country and I want to be patriotic and I want to believe that things will get better there, that someday we will be respected as a legitimate world power again. I want our country to be strong, I want us to move forward, but it's just so disappointing when I see all those who are trying to prevent any kind of progress, just for the sake of doing so.
I feel like I'm rambling now, and this isn't really what this blog was meant for, so I'll provide you all with an actual update on how I'm doing.
Things have been going alright this past week or so. Classes are really getting going now, and I have a lot of reading to do. But it's not too bad, and my classes are interesting for the most part. I decided to drop my Theories of Development class. I just could not understand what was going on. I might try it again next year when I have more of a basis for the class. I think I'm going to take a Bio Ethics class instead. It's supposed to be kind of interesting: a combination of ethics in medicine/science but also an exploration of the philosophical side of ethics and morals. So it should be OK.
Lately I've been a little homesick, but not too bad. I've been pretty busy, so it hasn't really bothered me too much. Skype helps as well haha. It's great, it's almost like being at home with my family :)
Last night my friends and I went out in Bremen which was fun. We didn't end up doing what we had planned, we just went to a bar in the Viertel which is where all the students hang out. It was really fun. I really like my friends here, they're all so nice and chill and fun to hang out with.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to go to Hamburg with my host family which should be really fun. I'm really excited. I'm not sure exactly what we're going to do, but, as always, it will be nice to spend time with them. I had so much fun with them last weekend at the block party. I really do feel almost like a part of their family.
That's all for now, folks!
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