Living in Berlin
Dear readers at home, Now that I have been in Berlin for just over a month it is a good time to tell you how and where I am living. I live in a part of Berlin called Schöneberg. Right down the street from where JFK gave his famous speech, where he said “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Super cool history in Berlin is all over and it’s even cooler when it’s just down the street.
I live around 30-50 minutes from where I go to school. I have many different ways I can go to school like with the S-Bahn or a bus or even a bike. Usually the trains run on time but sometimes they are a little behind, but even then I can make it to school on time by going a different way. Transport is awesome in Berlin and I have a super easy time getting into the middle of the city, too.
The apartment I live in is in an old apartment building. The stairs creak when you walk up, but it really adds to the experience of living there. The actual apartment I live in with my host family is nice a big. My room has big windows and there are even beautiful stained glass windows inside on the doors. The sun does most of the work to provide light inside and it is very beautiful when the sun shines in. There is a kitchen and a balcony and a few other rooms in total.
With me in the apartment lives my host family. Elvira and Attila are the people who are hosting me. Elvira is always home and makes me breakfast and dinner most days. I usually try to speak with her in German during meals and sometimes she shows me the German newspaper. Attila is often gone during the week for work, but every once in a while he is home and cooks dinner.
This living arrangement is very different to MLC. First off at MLC school is a 5 minute walk not a 30-50 minute train trip. On top of that, at MLC I live with my fellow students but here I live with a couple who cooks me food. Which is another difference that I don’t have the caf to go to whenever I want but instead I have more strict meal times. The biggest difference between living in the dorms at MLC and the apartment I live in here in Berlin is that my host family has a cat. Her name is Tabby and she is super shy but if I’m lucky she will come up to me for a pet. And at MLC in the dorms cats are not allowed so it is quite different having one.
All in all living in Berlin is great. Honestly, I don’t mind the longer commute especially because school doesn’t start till 9. And my host family is super nice and good cooks plus they have a cat. 
S-Bahn Station platform
First Impressions of the Land of 10,000 Sheep
This week has put me through a whirlwind of emotions. If you are reading this blog for all sunshine and rainbows, I’m afraid you’re in the wrong place. Life is certainly not wonderful all the time, even when you’re jumping into a semester of your dreams. I’ll be completely honest. I’ve felt more uncomfortable this week than I can remember feeling in years. I know that I am doing this in order to push myself beyond my limits, but I would be lying if I told you that this week has not made me question how much I can take. Of course, I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s have a quick recap.
Firstly, the airport in general. I can be quoted as saying that I enjoy flying and airports are entertaining, but I fear I may go back on my word after my most recent adventures. From flying into one airport in New York City and having to find a way to get to the other and board my plane to getting the middle seat of the middle row on the sleepless flight to Dublin, I can confidently say that I no longer look forward to flights. Alas, I survived and even made it through the 30-plus-hour day that resulted.
I think the hardest thing this week has been having nothing familiar to rely on for comfort. I’m forced to find familiarity with my flatmates and the places on campus that I’ve visited a handful of times. Besides that, everything that happens seems to add to my stress. Class schedule not working out, jumping through multiple hoops just for my emails to be left unanswered, my computer deciding to break the day before classes start, traveling to Dublin alone to buy a new computer, and feeling that I’m in the wrong place or that I should be participating in some activity. It’s been a struggle to find the joy in the stressful situations, but I’ve been pushing myself to focus on the future and keep my chin up through it all. I cannot truly control anything, so I have to remember that even in the loneliness and feelings of helplessness, I can always look to Jesus, the one who is always there for me and truly understands everything that I’m dealing with this week.
Anywho, on that note, I went to Catholic mass this week, which was very interesting. I went out of curiosity, hoping to find comfort from the word of God, but instead I found myself even more uncomfortable. The service was riddled with traditions and things that people do, but there aren’t explicit instructions on what to do. I struggled to find God’s love in the rigid structure and confusing liturgy. It felt like a scavenger hunt, but the instructions are in a whole different, unfamiliar language, and there is no one else there to show you where to start. As much as I find peace in the regularity and consistency of some traditions in church services, by attending this service, I gained the perspective of an outsider, and I can see how our services may seem daunting to those attending for the first time. I also realized how alone I am in my faith here. It will be difficult to keep myself accountable for staying in the word, but I find that it is the only thing that I can cling to for comfort.
I’m fully aware that this blog has been very negative so far, but I just needed to get those feelings on the table right away. Now that we’ve been through that turmoil, we can talk about the wonderful world of Ireland. Firstly, the people are so nice and willing to help with whatever you need. They are interested in getting to know you and are particularly interested in comparing the US with Ireland. I recently went on a walking tour of Dublin, and the guide was a perfect example of all of the people that I’ve met so far. The best way to describe her was cheery- full of laughs and a desire to show us her city. She put an emphasis on having human connections and going out of one’s way to talk to people in order to break away from a technologically advanced yet socially inept society. This week, I’ve been working on taking her advice by going out of my comfort zone and chatting with people that I run into, rather than just allowing silence to fill the air. My goal is to leave the interaction with a new friend rather than just a familiar face.
Along with the people, the weather is so beautiful- a mild range of 50-65 degrees with occasional sunshine, with scattered showers almost guaranteed every day. It’s in between the weather that you can never fully prepare yourself for, and I love it. It’s normal to carry around a tote bag here, so if I get uncomfortable with a jacket on, I can just take it off and put it in my bag. It’s truly a perfect system. It’s perfect fall weather minus the fact that the leaves are not crunchy due to the damp climate, a fact that I sadly found out after attempting a leaf stomp the other day. It was a heartbreaking realization made worse by the number of people who watched my failure… Oh well, we live and we learn.
While I have felt fairly uncomfortable for the majority of this past week, my flatmates have been a light in the loneliness. Since we are all in the same boat of not knowing anyone and having to figure out living in Ireland on our own, we have quickly teamed up, and I can already feel our connection growing. While we are all very different and are from all across the US, they are becoming the people that I rely on for comfort and familiarity. I find myself spending more and more time in the common spaces where the number of awkward silences is swiftly being overtaken by the number of laughs. I have people to explore Maynooth with and even Dublin if we are feeling up for an adventure.
Phew, I think that’s all I’ve got so far. For those of you who made it through the whole thing, I really appreciate you. It has already been a journey, and I’ve only been in Ireland for a week. As the whirlwind inevitably continues this semester, I look forward to getting more and more comfortable with my new environment and growing in my independence. Oh, I almost forgot, the picture for this month is of me next to the castle that is literally on my campus…?!?! Also, notice how green it is??? Europe is so cool. Ok, I promise, I’m actually done now.
All the love!
Mathilde
Wait… This is Actually Happening?!?!
These past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about my study abroad journey up to this point. From seeing presentations about studying abroad, to deciding to work towards doing it, to planning the last-minute details. I know that it may sound corny, but I genuinely cannot believe that I will be flying out of the US in two days. On the one hand, I’m super excited. This is something that I’ve been dreaming of for years now. A solo adventure to a country I’ve never been to in order to push myself out of my comfort zone. On the other hand, I’m going on a SOLO adventure which is completely out of my comfort zone… More on that later.
Anywho, in preparation for this new adventure, I’ve been getting to know myself. Asking myself hard questions that challenge my preexisting beliefs and subconscious reactions to others. At first, the idea of getting to know myself better seemed strange, but it has made me more self-aware and has taught me empathy by allowing me to see the world through other people’s perspectives. I expect the program to help me become more open to interacting with people whom I don’t necessarily know or with whom I don’t have any obvious commonalities. It may be tough to conceptualize as I am writing this from the comfort of my bed in Iowa, but I am intrigued to discover what the next few months have in store for me.
Through this process, I’ve been able to narrow down some of the strengths and weaknesses in order to make some personal goals for this adventure. I expect to increase my personal discipline by relaxing and allowing myself to prioritize things that help my emotional and physical health, rather than always focusing on deadlines and things that cause me stress. While the beginning of this adventure may be causing me a lot of stress right now as I fret about how many pairs of socks to pack or whether or not to bring my pillow, I know that, overall, this experience will force me to become comfortable with unfamiliarity. I will have to learn to prioritize things that matter and spend less time on the things that are ultimately unimportant.
Along with developing proper priorities, I also hope to work on discipline and self-regulation. Over the years, I’ve been surrounded by a Christian community that cares about my faith life and has lived on a schedule that regularly includes time to be in the Word. Now that I will be around people whom I don’t know and in a new place, I will have to keep myself accountable in my personal devotional life and scheduling and prioritizing my connections with fellow believers. I will have to make a point of setting aside time to spend in the Bible and reaching out to others to find people who share the faith. This experience will test my faith and force me to put genuine effort into my personal faith. I hope to achieve a stronger faith in God through my intentional time spent in the Word and reliance on God to get me through new and often stressful situations abroad.
OK, finally coming back to the fact that I’m going on my first solo trip EVER to a whole new country. Of course, when I started planning this experience, the prospect of going alone sounded great. A complete reset. I love all my friends and family, and the Midwest will always be my home, but I need a little change of pace. I love travelling, and I know that every time I put myself into a situation that I’m new to or not completely comfortable in, I flourish. Not that I disagree with the reasoning of my past self, but now it’s getting to feel real. I know that it will all be ok and everything will work out, even if it doesn’t go just as I planned. I don’t know if the pre-departure nerves will ever lessen, but I am confident that this experience will help me achieve my goal of more self-confidence, especially when it comes to entering new situations and interacting with new people.
For all two of you who are wondering, I chose this picture because I feel like it encapsulates the feeling of excitement I have as I metaphorically run towards the future. Plus, I love my sisters and I will miss them desperately, even if they do frustrate me once in a while… That being said, I will spend the next 48 hours stressing as I finally start finish packing and hoping that I remember all of the important documents that I need. I digress. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated every step of the way : )
All the love,
Mathilde
Blog 2 – A Grand Beginning
Dia duit friends!
Hehe! That’s ‘hello’ in Irish! How cool is that?! It’s wild to think that I have officially been living in Ireland for nearly two weeks! But may I say, WOW! It’s unbelievable here and I can’t wait to tell you all about my arrival and first impressions in this blog! Thank you for your time reading this! I hope that you get excited about Ireland like I do!
To start off like normal, I have my three gratitudes for you! However, I must say that I have a tremendous amount of gratitudes in my daily journal as this whole experience has been loads of fun!
Three things I am grateful for:
- The People (they are so kind, helpful, warm, and inviting).
- Cars Stopping (no matter where you are crossing the road, cars will come to a halt, in no time, to let pedestrians safely cross the street – it’s amazing).
- Prayer (guys – we GET to pray to the God of the universe, who made all things)!
For my topic this week, I have the opportunity to share with you what my arrival and my first impressions are of Ireland, Limerick, and the University of Limerick (UL)!
For my arrival:
- Flying into Shannon International Airport
- Checking into my accommodation
- Grocery shopping
- Orientation week
- Modules begin
To start, my friend, Laura Kopplin, and I flew into Shannon International Airport and it was the most beautiful view! It was early in the morning, the rain had just ended, and the sun was peeking out through the clouds. This allowed for the luscious green landscape to pervade every inch of sight and to showcase the natural beauty of land that could only be fashioned by God! I literally cried tears of joy.
We continued our journey of collecting our luggage, getting our passports stamped for study abroad immigration, and boarding the Hynan Travel bus to take us to our village. Once we arrived at our accommodation, we were able to easily check into our house, receive our keys, and unpack in our rooms!
With living in a house and no cafeteria on campus, Laura and I had to go shopping straight away! We went to the local grocery store, Lidl, where we purchased our necessities. For the first time in my life, I had to actually grocery shop for myself. I was very out of my comfort zone thinking about what food I would need to survive three meals (plus snacks) every day – by the grace of God, I had Laura with me! Now, I am feeling a lot more confident in what I need, what I like, and I have even been giving ideas for what to make for dinner! Laura has been graciously teaching me her wonderful ways in the kitchen!
Then, I had to overcome the obstacles of orientation week. These lectures brought much excitement and loads of stress. I quickly learned that we had to create our own timetables (class schedules), avoiding clashes with other modules, finding classes that were available to international students, getting into modules with limited space, and emailing professors. This felt like a weight that was pressed down on my shoulders. I was in a new country, with a new school system, and all of a sudden, I had to figure this out too. I was anxious and nervous, especially when one of the classes I really needed to take could no longer be taken. This caused me to have a moment with God. One day, I just prayed a deep prayer about surrender. I decided that I was no longer going to stress about my timetable or anything else. Rather, I would surrender it all to the Lord and begin to enjoy this incredible experience. Since then, I have been feeling calm and inexplicably joyful ever since!
Now that modules have begun, there is a bit of uncertainty because not all of the tutorial and lab classes are taking place in the first week. However, I am still surrendering my burdens to God and I am finding peace as I enjoy some free time and the opportunity to soak in new content. I really love my professors thus far and I am thoroughly looking forward to all of the learning that is to come and the growth that may ensue!
My first impressions of Ireland:
- IMMENSE beauty everywhere
- Kindness of people
- The vastness of UL
- How quickly the weather can change
The very first thought I had when landing in Shannon was, “Wow. I can’t believe I am here. This is a dream come true. The land is stunning!” and then I cried happy tears. The green landscapes are absolutely breathtaking. But the beauty of this place does not just come from the land, it comes from the hearts of the people. Their genuine care and love towards people is uncanny. They want to make connections with me. They ask where I am from and try to connect my response to their previous schema. They care why I am here and if I like their home. They will reach out to me to ask if I have any questions before I could even think of forming a question. I feel incredibly welcomed here.
Additionally, the campus is massive. There are lots of buildings and as one orientation leader said, “Oh my, the main building is bananas!” This is true! The first floor is “G”, second is “O”, third is “M”, fourth is “1”, fifth is “2”, and sixth is “3.” Not only are those floors whacky, but then there are sections A, B, C, D, and E that are all separate buildings/blocks connected to one another with all of these floors and classrooms willy-nilly. Needless to say, finding classes can be a real hoot! But every person is willing to help if I just use my words and ask (or if I look like a wandering lost American duck) 😅. I had a wonderful young man walk past me the other day and turn around to ask if I needed assistance finding a class because I looked confused—how amazing is that?!
Finally, the weather can change lickety-split! One second there is sun and with the snap of a finger, it is downpouring rain! Lesson learned—never leave home without a raincoat!
These past days have been a blur, but have been filled with incredible moments. Upon reflection, I am certain that I am exactly where I need to be and I couldn’t be happier to have the space and time to create healthy habits, to make mistakes, and to learn. All of which help me to gain perspective and understanding.
Highlights of my first days in Ireland include:
- Meeting new people from all over the world (Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, India, Hungry, Turkey, U.S., and Sweden)
- Completing personal daily devotions
- Learning the words that are used in everyday language here (Grand = very good, good, okay, not okay, bad, Craic = fun, Chips = french fries, Crisps = chips, etc.)
- A campus scavenger hunt that I completed with two friends from the U.S., two friends from France, and a friend from Germany (we made a story out of pictures and had an absolute blast)
- A majestic bike ride around the Aran Island of Inis Oirr
- Watching the extraordinary “Celtic Steps” show
Low-lights of my first days in Ireland include:
- The stress of figuring out my timetable
- Figuring out communication with time change
- Frustration from different communication styles among cultures
Learned Insights from the Low-lights:
- There is no need to stress. God is in control. He provides, and He asks that we cast our anxiety on Him because He cares for us. With this in mind, I ought to surrender myself and my stress to Him who cares.
- Though time change is hard, it is temporary and healthy to step out of my comfort zone and not talk to people back home every day. This provides me with amazing opportunities to talk with more people in my house and to attend later events on campus! I can make memories, make friendships, and try new things!
- Communication is a way of life and depending on culture, may look different. I experienced a moment of asking a question with direct communication and I received an answer with indirect communication. I was confused and still didn’t understand. But, this helped me to conclude that when there is variance in communication styles, it is okay to recognize this and not be afraid to ask for clarification. It does no one good if there is no understanding. Therefore, even when it is awkward, I have found that it is important for me to use my words and ask more questions so that I can know what I need to do to succeed.
Scripture that has been close to my heart these past days:
- Luke 22:41-42 – “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”
- Matthew 16:25 – “Whoever wants to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
- John 14:1 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
This is all that has been on my heart and on my mind these past days! Truly, I couldn’t feel more joy or more gratitude for this opportunity. I absolutely adore Ireland and all that it has to offer. I look forward to many more memories made and adventures taken over the next few months! May the Lord continue to richly bless you always!
With love,
Katie Gilkey
Blog #2 First Impressions
It is the end of week two! I arrived safely at the Shannon airport and was picked up by the University bus. We were dropped off at our accommodations and unpacked right away. We took a short walk around the campus just to see a few places and had the rest of the day to visit the grocery store and rest. I am living in Plassey Village. Stay tuned for more details later in my next post. 🙂 After two weeks, I have already noticed some key differences.
First, I noticed that the Irish drive on the left side of the road. I was aware of it going into my travels, but it’s very odd to actually see it in person and experience it.
After a week of orientation and presentations, my first adventure in Ireland was to the Aran Islands off the west coast of mainland Ireland. There are three islands that make up the Aran Islands. After a 2-hour bus ride, we boarded a ferry to the smallest of the three—Inis Oírr, pronounced “Inisheer.” I’m very thankful for the experienced bus drivers who are able to drive many international students down the narrow roads of Ireland. Some chose to walk the island, some chose a horse and cart, but Katie G. and I rented bikes like the Irish do. We practiced biking on the left side of the one-lane road (It got much easier as the day progressed.). We biked all day, taking in all the amazing views of the little island. We saw cows, old ruins of a church and castle, a graveyard and church, horses, a small beach, a shipwreck from 1960, and bought fudge from a local stand—Man of Aran Fudge.
Second, the people of Ireland are all nice folks. They are so welcoming to all international students and are curious about where we call home. Even the drivers on the road are nicer to pedestrians than I’m accustomed to. In the States, I would have to wait for two or three cars to pass before I could walk. Yet, here, the cars and even the city buses stop for pedestrians within a relatively short distance!
Friends are everywhere around us; you just have to look for them. I have met people from Belgium, Ireland, India, Hungary, the US, Sweden, France, Germany, Turkey, England, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Denmark! I attended the scavenger hunt hosted on UL’s campus for international students as a bonding activity. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, and I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to do it. In the end, I couldn’t have had more fun! I met three lovely ladies, two from France and one from Germany! We had lots of laughs and created memories together. We all even ended up going out for coffee after the scavenger hunt—something I never expected to happen in my first week. Getting out of your comfort zone is a big piece of finding the best experiences and meeting new friends! It’s not easy, by any means. But the first step is learning to be okay with being uncomfortable—because you never know who you’ll meet or the amazing memories you’ll come away with!
Song to check out! → “Come In” by the Irish Rovers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXozFVGO2ok&list=RDwXozFVGO2ok&start_radio=1
—
Laura Kopplin