Yesterday morning, I got a call on my cell phone from a German phone number. I assumed it was mein Schatz, but it was actually an instructor from the language institute I will be attending soon. She was calling to get a sense of my level of German. Although I was not prepared to have a conversation in German about what I’ve already studied at the Deutsches Haus, I held my own pretty well for not having had my morning cup of coffee yet. I actually love talking to German teachers — they speak slowly and clearly and don’t use too many idioms, so I always understand and walk away feeling super smart (at least for a little while)!

Today, I will head to the post office to spend a large amount of money on shipping my books over to Germany. I am only bringing the books closest to my heart, but it is still too many. Ah well. It’s already breaking my heart to get rid of the ones I don’t have such a strong attachment to, but I’m trying not to think about it.

Tonight, Suzanne and I are going to see R.E.M. at Madison Square Garden! The perfect distraction when you’re in the middle of moving your life to another continent. I can’t wait!