The Concert Day!

Today was the day of our first concert! I was anxiously awaiting this all day as we toured the beautiful city of Bietigheim-Bissengen. The city has a lot of history, and I think that we only got to experience part of it. I could sense that the German people have a great sense of tradition and history that is unlike many. The town has a lot of cool architecture. There are many different sculptures, buildings, and fountains that make for an interesting mix of new and old. One such building is the Musikschule, which we were able to see today. The school is in a renovated castle, and although the outside is older, the inside is very modern. I enjoyed walking through the streets of Bietigheim and being able to hear the sounds of children at their music lessons. When the day had passed, it was time for the concert. I did not feel very nervous before the concert, but I was anxious to see what the reaction would be from the German audience. I was pleased after each piece to see such a huge amount of enthusiasm for us and our music. It was such a rewarding experience. It was very good to know that even though we don#t all speak the same language, we are able to communicate through our most important universal language of music!

Day 2 in Germany

Today we went to Neuschwanstein, which is in Schwangau. It was a lot of fun. We literally had to climb a miniature mountain to get to the top! We got to see a lot of really nice German scenery too. The view from the castle was really cool! On the way down a few of us stopped to get some ice cream that was cantaloupeflavored! It was very good. There were also a lot of stores that had lots of great items! I'm pretty excited to go take the tour of Bietigheim tomorrow!

Our First Day!

Today was such a busy day! After we exited the plane, we claimed our baggage, and found our tour bus, we were on our way in no time. Although the jet-lag has started to cath up with us, today's events have been very exciting. The two hour ride to Bietigheim-Bissengen was very picturesque, and though it was slightly reminiscent of home, there were still many differences, and it was such a senic ride. After meeting with my host family, the day seemed to go by pretty fast. We ate lunch, a few of us went to a Beach Volleyball gymnasium, and then a group of us were invited to a barbeque, which was in preparation for the Germany-Poland World Cup game. It was a pretty fun day! I can't wait until we start sight-seeing in the more historical locales!

Finally!

Tonight is the big night! As I am making sure my bags are packed, reading my exciting international travel literature, and getting ready for bed, I realize that finally it is time to go! Last year, it seemed like the trip would never come, but all of the pieces of our travel puzzle have finally come together. Tomorrow will be a day filled with excitement as members of our group will start to make life-long memories that involve friends and "first-times". The best times are yet to come!