WPI classes officially ended yesterday, so school fomo can have no room in my mind now that everyone else is going out on their own adventures too.
I can see how being here is definitely a struggle for some WPI students, as we are so conditioned to want to be busy all the time and the life here is just.. not that. Yesterday was one of the most representative of that in Konstanz, as it was a holiday (Labor Day) in the middle of the week, and the sun was out all day after having had five straight rainy/cloudy/cold days in a row. I was outside in full sun for almost eight straight hours, playing soccer, frisbee, cards, and flunkiball. It’s hard to think of an American equivalent to Flunkiball but it’s a very simple game with two teams, a ball to knock over a bottle in the middle, and beers for everyone to chug. The park right outside my student dorm is the place to be on days like this and was teeming with students and families alike: lounging, barbecuing; all things picnicking. The cool thing is this happens so often and among groups of students, it seems that they never really coordinate who’s bringing what, they just all show up and someone might’ve made a pasta salad for everyone, brought a package of sausages, a container of homemade cookies, a case of beer, etc. What goes around comes around. It’s definitely an atmosphere of generosity to learn from.
If this happens on one day of 65 and sunny weather, then let’s just say I’ll probably have a hard time studying this summer when it’s warm enough to swim.
It also makes sense why Germans are also still thin despite their cuisine: I was unaware of the volume of physical activity I got in yesterday until my muscles screamed at me this morning trying to get out of bed. Or maybe I’m just out of shape...
On a different note: the title of this post. In classic Lauren fashion, I’ve quite possibly found a sure way to keep myself busy for the rest of the semester and I could not be more excited about it. On my gap year two years ago, I used a service called WorkAway (and WWOOFing and HelpExchange) which basically connects travelers and hosts to each other. In exchange for room and board (and culture and countless other services you can get nowhere else but a local home) for the traveler, the host gets a few hours (4-5ish but very host dependent) of work from the traveler 4-5 days per week (also host dependent). This work could range from any [organic] farm-related labor (WWOOFing) to nannying to housekeeping to technology or language help. My first experience with it was actually in Germany near Cologne, helping a family out with their two kids and housework.
I found an older couple on Reichenau (island about a 20 minute bike from my apartment) who own a small historic café (at the highest point on the island) and small hobby farm similar to Flat Iron Farm but not quite as expansive. Stephen is a silver smith (like my grandmother!) and Juliane is a potter (...kind of like my mom!). They own five sheep and always have projects that need doing around their house as well as help with the café. I emailed them, over a month back at this point, asking if they would need help and in exchange I would get great German practice, some home cooked meals, and a sense of home and local culture, among other things. I met with them two days ago in person to talk about this proposition. They were a bit confused as to why I would want to do this since I already have a place to sleep, but before leaving Juliane summed up the conversation with a smile by saying “Well, we will just to try and see how it works. All we can do is try.”
Other than the small amount of money I might save on meals at their home, it was hard for me to explain why I wanted to do it. I just know it’d feel like a slice of home. House projects, especially outside, are always enjoyable (unless it involves sorting out a barn full of junk sorry Dad), and I like feeling productive instead of binging on TV shows. The café is an added bonus; I love cooking so I'll be helping Juliane make cakes (starting tomorrow morning!) and probably a few other tasks in the café itself. Who knows, if I get good enough at Deutsch, I might even be able to help serve guests (probably unlikely...).
I will probably end up spending nights with them here and there, since I don't have classes Thursday afternoon to Sunday. I have loved using weekends to travel thus far and I still have a few ideas of places I want to visit, but honestly I realized how amazing this region/city is and that absorbing as much local culture here as possible will be very worthwhile.
I could write more about them but I'll save that for a later date! Bis später:)
