orientation & city tour.

day 1 // friday jan. 12

Wade and I slept a full 10 hours the first night. We woke up still pretty tired but an AIB orientation all morning, then lunch at the outdoor market in one of the many town squares. We split currywurst and pommes before taking a walking tour around the area.

Europe in general is so rich culturally and visually. I love to see all of the old mixed with the new. Plus, the textures and colors make this designer gal very happy.

day 2 // saturday jan 13th

Jet lag, it's a real thing. I had no trouble going to sleep, but then woke at 3:30am was ready to go. Finally forced myself to go back to sleep after a few episodes of The Crown.

We had a scheduled AIB excursion today with all 4 programs (including students from LMU, Penn State and bio science students from A&M, too). We did a scavenger hunt of sorts along the river at Rheinaue Park. It was a cool (and cold!) way for the group to see more of the city and learn more about the history. After an afternoon exploring we had a dinner back at school for all students and host families

Also, don't forget for a more real-time look into our trip follow my instagram and be sure to check out the stories!

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guten morgen!

day 0 // thursday jan 11th

We made it to Germany! Day zero was a success. We flew out of Houston at 7PM CST on Wednesday January 10th and landed at 11:40AM (german time) on January 11th. Which means 4:40AM CST.

Successfully loaded 31 Texas A&M students onto the flight. The total flight time was 9 hrs and 40 mins—not too bad. I knew from my last study abroad that jet lag was going to be a real issue, so I forced myself to sleep a tiny bit on the flight. We landed and loaded a bus in Frankfurt to take the group to Bonn.

Wade and I got settled into our apartment (I will post pictures soon) and then got treated to dinner with AIB (our school) at a local restaurant & brewery, Brauhaus Bönnsch. I had flammkuchen (German translation is flaming pizza) with bacon, egg, potato and creme fresh). Wade had meatloaf with fried potatoes and peppers. Very tasty!

That's all for now. Here are a few of my tips for traveling for an extended stay, specifically during the colder months:

Outdoor Apparel - It will be cold and potentially snowing the first month of our stay in Germany. So we were sure to pack warm jackets, comfortable AND warm walking shoes, socks, hats, gloves, etc. Also, if you wear your biggest coat on the plane you can store it in the overhead bin once comfortably your seat AND it saves precious suitcase space for more shoes!
Layerable Clothing - Our trip will be cold, but the seasons will also change (unlike Texas). It is a good idea to bring layers. Under shirts, tights, etc. It is currently winter, but by the time we return it will be nice spring weather. Be sure to pack items that can be layered for warmth, then be worn separately later in the year.
Backpack - I would recommend a good (comfortable) secure backpack that you can travel with. Secure meaning a lot of zippers and inside pockets for valuables.
Copies of Passport - It is good idea is to bring a few notarized copies of your passport in case something happens to your original passport. You can make color photocopies (of the full spread including the signature page of your passport) and have them notarized (most banks have a notary). It is a good idea to put them in different places. i.e. hidden in your backpack, suitcase, and then keep one secure with your family back in the states. I would also recommend storing them in dry place like a ziploc bag.
Reusable Water Bottle - Europe is great about recycling plus buying water can be very expensive! Bring a water bottle you can easily attach to your backpack or suitcase when traveling.
Money & Fees - Talk with your banks. Be sure to let them know you are traveling abroad and discuss the ATM and withdrawal fees. Fees can add up really quickly, so using a debit card will be option B for us. Whereas our credit card has no transaction fees or extra hidden charges.
Converters & Adaptors - Do your research on your electronics and buy appropriate converters or adaptors. Most electronics now days have built in converters, so you only really need an adaptor.

Hope that was helpful! Excited for more adventure... and sleep!

germany!

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Like, really. It amazes me at the doors God has opened for Wade and I in our relationship so far. Wade wanted to go back to school? Boom—teaching job, bought a house, working remotely, etc. It has all fallen into place so smoothly that I have no doubt that God's hand was weaving it all together.

All of that to say, WE ARE GOING TO GERMANY.

Only for the spring semester, don’t worry, we aren’t moving away for good. Although after a semester in Europe we might not want to come back. If any of you have been following me for awhile (by that I mean like my mom and a handful of my mom’s friends), you saw the ridiculous videos Marissa and I posted while studying abroad back in 2010. If you are new around here, I studied with the same Germany-based program while attending Texas A&M in the spring of 2010. I traveled Europe with one of my best friends, Marissa. We made videos literally every step of the journey, we ate lots of Burger King, and we stuffed our backpacks full of sample Nutella packets from McDonalds. Sometimes I go back and watch the videos just to laugh at how dumb we were (also how young I look). You can watch our very first video here if it interests you, just know that you have been warned. Now, I get to do the same thing but with my HUSBAND—so crazy. Also, Ris is also going to make a guest appearance, so watch out.

I will be teaching motion design at the AIB in Bonn where Wade will be attending classes. We will be living in an apartment in the city of Bonn. Our hope is to explore and travel as much as we can with our school and work loads!

A little more about the city of Bonn, Germany.

The charming city of Bonn with its baroque buildings and century-old history is a modern and dynamic city with an exceptional international and diverse community. The richness of music, culture, science, business and nature, as well as its location at the Rhine River, make Bonn a hidden gem in the heart of Europe.

Since it is located in the heart of Europe, it is easy to reach many of our top travel destinations. From Bonn, it is only a three hour train ride to Amsterdam and a four hour ride to Paris. Many European cities such as London are also only a one hour plane ride away.

We depart on January 10th (WHICH IS 12 DAYS AWAY!!) and arrive back stateside on May 2nd. Follow along for travel posts, design inspiration and even (maybe) some European fashion tips. I will also be using Instagram story to document a lot of the highlights, so be sure to follow me on instagram. Feel free to join the email list too so you don't miss a thing.

That's all for now, I've got a lot of packing to do! tschüss!