by Isabel Ames ’26

The central railway station after the rain, last week.

Finding it difficult to communicate effectively in German, and trying every learning technique, I realize that in English I rarely say exactly what I mean. Language textbooks haven’t given me enough vocabulary to beat around the bush with. Realization number two: it is time to think in German. Picking up nuance, metaphor, and appropriate exaggeration within a new language can only come with experience and time. I focus on being big and brave and speaking directly, and quickly realize something else, embarassingly late in life: speaking directly makes most situations quite easier, regardless of language or culture.

At a Christmas concert in the Bremer Glocke.

Shops are so accessible one must quickly accept better spending habits. Simultaneously, I attempt to speed run the re-evaluation and cleansing of what desire means. Every building is so old here, one must be somehow philosophical. There’s a bird making woody clicking sounds from the tree in front of my window. Someone kind had left a coffee machine when I moved into my room. This is a slightly unfortunate situation for my heart and cortisol levels. Everything ever is fixable with a hot coffee and the window wide open. Even when the cold is worst, this is my favorite seat. And the cold gets very cold. So far, in Bremen, I’ve bought yarn and needles, thread, two kinds of glue, watercolor paper, color block construction paper, mod-podge, string, and as many forms of fun little hooks as they sell at the Woolworth, all because I know when I sit by the window anything could become a necessity.

Delaney and I preparing to leave the Dickinson room for the night.

So maybe I still have work to do on the budgeting. Our stipend is generous and beautiful but tragically doesn’t support being too silly with it. Later I will sit by the window and brainstorm ways to make money infinite, or something. I will find a 50-cent book at a flea market on the topic in its original German, and read it! Because I can do that now! I end up reading the strangest things cover to cover. A lot is justifiable if it includes practicing German. “Ich bin evangelisch!” (from the free public library) seems to be an advertisement for Christian education programs in public schools. It is not an interesting read. But it is in German, which freshman-year me would never have believed.

My favorite foosball table in Bremen so far!

My frustrations have changed. I finally know stupidity doesn’t exist, only old perspectives. I miss my cats. I have new enemies now. They are all either banks or online accounts. I draw or write something every day; if not I bring my journal to the bar. The window in my room is huge and lets me watch the sunsets. My neck hurts. I don’t really mind.

View from the window of a regional train (nearly free with our student ticket!)