My name is Andrea Karsesnick. I’m from 7 miles south of Pittsburgh, from Scott Township. I’m going to be a junior at Point Park in the fall. I’ve been speaking German for six years now and I can’t wait to use my language skills abroad! The reason I signed up for this class is not only because of my obvious love for Germany, but because I want to learn more about advertising and public relations in Germany. I would love to work for a German PR company if I ever get the chance.
This is my second time in Germany. I first traveled to Germany with three other German students from my high school in the Summer of 2010. We stayed in Germany for ten days. In those ten days we visited: Berlin, Potsdam, Weimar, Erfurt, Eisenach, Rothenburg and Munich. I also had the chance to visit Dachau, the same concentration camp that we’re visiting this month while in Munich. The first time I was in Germany I made a lot of mistakes. One of them was not realizing that I had to pay to use the restrooms. I got glares from bathroom attendants. My debit card did not work at ATMs in Germany. Hopefully that is different this time. I learned that I was lactose intolerant on my first German trip and because of that I missed out on a lot because I became very sick. This time I hope I can do Germany right and not get sick or make cultural mistakes.
I just finished packing last night. I’m really excited about some of the things I’m bringing with me to Germany. I am actually fortunate enough to be able to bring a German cellphone! 
My sister did study abroad in Germany this semester so she is giving me her German phone to take with me. This means that I will have cellphone service with no international charges in Germany. The cell phone is a smart phone with a data plan, which I do not have to pay for because my sister already took care of that. This will make communicating with loved ones back in the states so much easier because I will not have to search for free wifi, which I heard is hard to find in Germany. I will also have a map on my German cellphone, so I do not have to worry about having trouble finding public transportation or getting lost. Having a German cellphone is going to help me out a lot and keep me safe. If I do get lost, I can always use the phone to call the hotel. In addition to my German phone, my sister also gave me a really cool charger. It’s from Germany and it can charge up to four items and it uses a regular USB port. All I need are dongles. My sister also lent me her German straightener and curling iron, so I don’t have to worry about dealing with a converter/adapter or my appliances sparking or blowing out. I got a lot of my sister’s left over Euros. My other sisters boyfriend also gave me all of his left over Euros from his time in Italy.
I’m very fortunate to have people close to me who have recently gone abroad. I’m really excited to have a phone in Germany though. That has to be the best part about preparing for my trip! I’m very excited about Germany and I can’t wait to blog about my experience. Now I just have to get on a plane, which is a big thing for me. I’m absolutely terrified of flying.
That’s all for now!
-Andrea
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