Final Countdown

This is our last week working here at the Wartburg Castle.
Since my last report we have:

• Given a preliminary report on the quality of experience for English speaking tourists.
• Mindy Bursch interviewed a Tour Guide and the Castle Commander for a radio program.
• And we have been working on finishing up our final report to present to the Castle Commander on Friday.

Also on Friday, we will be giving a tour to our fellow students and showing them around the castle, museum and the Luther room.

Overall, it has been a wonderful experience. We got to talk yesterday with Henny (the "best Tour Guide" as everyone here calls her) and the Castle Commander about what they wanted from future students in this position. And the overall concensus was that they would like the students to come a little more prepared. We had a good discussion and have several ideas for when we come back to help make the program better.

We also found out yesterday that we are two of 25 studnets that have been interns here at the castle from Wartburg College. Which was kind of interesting.

Anyway that is all for now. Auf Wedersehen!

Guten Tag on a very rainy chilly day!

Yesterday we gave a tour to Pastor Trachte's group that came to the castle and that was fun. I got to show off everything I've learned :)
Today we are going to a garden party with them, but it's been raining all day so I don't know how that will turn out.

Things are going better in my German class, I'm starting to catch on a little more. We are going through a chapter a day which is pretty fast!

I know everyone wants me to post pictures, but I feel really guilty doing it at work so I might not. I just would feel weird if someone came in and I was uploading pictures. Sorry hate to disappoint!

It is gorgeous here though and I am having a good time. Oh and I want to share with you my favorite and only German phrase :)
Alles gut, endes gut. (Alls well that ends well)
Haha, I am so smart I know.

Guten Tag

Hallo.

Germany is great so far.
There are drei (3) other Wartburg students with me here, and we are having a wonderbar time.
We go to a class in the morning to learn more about the German language and culture.
In the afternoon, we go to our internships. My internship is at the Wartburg Castle. I will be evaluating the experience here at the castle for English speaking tourists, and presenting a report on areas that need improvement.
The last few days I have been helping set up an exhibit about the translation of the Bible. Yesterday I got to go into Luther's library and see the first Bibles that were translated into the common language and open them and look at them. It was amazing.
This weekend we are going to Erfurt and will be shopping around the city.
Bis später (see you later)
Samantha

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Hello new readers! I am Samantha Kampman and I am a Communication Arts student (3rd year PR focus, business and leadership minors). I will be traveling to Eisenach, Germany for an internship possibly at the Wartburg Castle or with the Tourism Bureau.

I am supposed to write a post about what I have done to prepare for this trip :)

My first thought was... absolutely nothing.

However, that is a lie.

First of all, I had to take German 101 (take it with Frau Losch, she is the best!). Basically, I learned the basics of the German language and a little about the culture.

One thing that helped a lot with this trip was that I have been planning on it since my first year, so I was able to plan my schedule accordingly. If I could do anything different, I would have taken German 101 this year so that I would remember a little bit more of it.

In addition, I have studied a little about Martin Luther and Eisenach, so that I would be a little more knowledgeable about those things.

Other than that, my main concerns have been what I will be packing for clothes and how I will be able to contact my family as my sister will be having a baby while I am gone.

Well, I think this should do for my initial post. I will probably have a lot more to say when I am actually there and not so worried about my finals tomorrow!