I'm BAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Once again, I learned the value of persistence.  For the past three years, I had applied to the Transatlantic Outreach Program's Goethe-Institut Summer Study Tour to Germany, and the past three years, I had gotten either wait-listed or denied outright.  Finally, in late March, I received my acceptance letter, and that leads me on a return trip to Germany, the first European country I had ever visited (and that was last year).

So, what is the purpose of the Summer Study Tour? It is a FULLY-FUNDED trip to Germany to, according to its website, "promote education about Germany, to encourage cross-cultural dialogue, and to provide the opportunity for North American social studies educators to experience Germany in person."  It is a wicked cool opportunity for me to learn about German culture, history, heritage, and its overall importance to the world in the 21st Century.  Because I teach both a Freshmen Global Awareness Course and a Holocaust and Genocide elective, the trip will ultimately change my teaching and also make me a better person. 

I leave for Washington, DC July 3rd and for Germany July 6th, and I do not return to the United States until August 15th.  For the first two weeks, I am participating in the study tour, and then, from July 20th until August 14th, I will be backpacking throughout Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe.  Feel free to follow, comment, contribute, and see what I am up to, as I live another European summer adventure.