Arrival.

My first three days in Luxembourg were packed with a very full orientation schedule and jet lag, leaving me zero free time to update this lovely blog.

Here's what you missed:

Upon my arrival in Luxembourg City I was briskly thrown into a whirl wind of events. I collected my baggage, met the MUDEC residence coordinator, received my legal documents of Luxembourg residency, and was filed on to a charter bus with a bundle of other Miami Students bound for the Chateau. The next thing I knew, I was in Differdange, the town that would become my campus for the next four months. I waited with the other students in the grand hall for our host families to pick us up one by one. When my host mom, Millie, arrived with her daughter, Martine, we somehow managed to pack my housemates and my six suitcases into their two tiny european cars. (Our fourth house mate would land in Luxembourg later that evening.) When we walked into our new home were greeted by three rambunctious dogs. The first, Nalla, a 4 year old black and white great dane that looks more like a horse than a dog. The second, Vosco, a 12 year old white golden retriever whos favorite past time is sleeping on the rug. And last but not least, the devil dog, Isha, whos favorite past time is snarling at anyone who walks through the front door. After i unpacked all my things I went with Millie to pick up my roommate from the Chateau. When we returned to the house we had dinner as a family. The only person missing was dad because we was on a ski vacation in northern Italy and would return Sunday. Millie began the dinner with champagne toast accompanied with Lay's pickle chips as an appetizer. This was followed by wine and spinach tortellini with marinara sauce and parmesan. It was the perfect first night getting to know Millie and Martine.

My first full day in Luxembourg was packed with orientation meetings in the Chateau. I learned about the cultural normalities of my new home as well as what was to be expected of me in the Chateau. Following my plethora of obligations in the chateau, a few of us took the train to Belval University in order to seek out a store named Saturn. We needed to find a few things we didn't have room to pack in our suitcases from the states. I scored a 9 euro blowdryer to bring with me on my weekend travels. Following this we returned to Differdange for dinner at a local recommendation from our host mom, San Marino. We ordered two pizzas and shared them between four of us. It was unbelievably good. It reminded me of the pizza I've had in Italy because of its fresh tasting ingredients, light sauce, and thin crust. The restaurant staff was also extremely kind. 10/10 recommend. After dinner we stopped by Das Boot, a local bar in Differdange which Miami University students have taken over the past few years, to get a feel for the social scene. To my surprise there was a great turn out. It was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our first full day in Luxembourg and meet an entire room of amazing people who I cannot wait to get to know better.

My second day in Luxembourg was the first day of classes, and my birthday! Although not all my classes meet every day, I really enjoyed each of the lectures/professors of the three classes I did have that day. These classes were Marketing, the Philosophy of food, and European environmental sustainability. After school a group of twelve of us ate dinner at San Marino again, we wanted to show the rest of our friends how great it is. Following that we celebrated my birthday at Das Boot. The bar was even more packed than the day prior. I had so much fun and met many more people, the best birthday present I could ask for. Luxembourg is already starting to feel like home

The third day, Friday, was very similar to the second. We had classes then a group of us got dinner at a place called Alice, right next to the chateau. We all ordered Kebabs, which are basically just gyro's. And I must say I was a fan. I would definitely recommend and eat there again.

Today, Saturday, the entire school woke up bright and early to meet at the Chateau. Upon our arrival we broke into small groups to visit various locations throughout Luxembourg on professor guided tours. Since I arrived on Tuesday I have been so eager to explore Luxembourg City and Northern Luxembourg, this was finally the perfect opportunity! Plus, today counts as a day of class! My group started our exploration by driving 1.5 hours north to a castle called Vianden. This castle dates back to the 10th century and is considered one of the largest castle fortresses west of the Rhine river. We then got back on our bus and traveled to Hamm, Luxembourg where we saw the American and German military cemeteries dedicated to the soldiers who died during world war two. We each placed a flower at the foot of General George Patton's burial site, an American hero. Following this we traveled to Luxembourg City to explore Old Town. Here we saw the Monument of Remembrance, a monument dedictated to all the individuals who volunteered during the first world war.

My first impressions:

First, I was amazed by the uniqueness of the homes in Differdange. Each home is connected to the next, in an apartment-like style but each is a different pastel color from the other. As I drive through various Luxembourg towns on the bus each morning I am confronted with a beautiful rainbow array. My hypothesis is that Luxembourgers use their bright home colors to make up for their almost constant overcast weather. I am quickly learning that a sunny day in Luxembourg is a luxury.

Second, I am amazed by the magnificent Chateau I now call my campus. Built in 1577, I feel so blessed to now be apart of the rich history of the castle. To imagine how many people have lived and later studied in this beautiful structure is very humbling. So far the library is my favorite part. The library is located in the balcony of the Chateau's Grand Hall, which I especially enjoy due to its intricate ceiling detail, crown molding ornamentation, chandeliers, and exquisitely high ceilings. The library also has enormous windows which overlook the town of Differdange.

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