Dortmund and fairy tale Christmas Markets
Dortmund was such a lively, modern city to live in, there was always something going on. And with such a large student population, it was impossible to get bored! What's more, if you wanted peace and quiet and scenery, it was all on your doorstep too, so I got the best of both worlds. My favourite memories of Dortmund are at the Weihnachtsmarkt, drinking Glühwein with my friends under the world’s largest Christmas tree, with the lights twinkling and the smell of gingerbread wafting through the frosty night air. It was like a fairy tale. The best thing about living in Dortmund, though, was undoubtedly the people. Both at home and at work, the people here made my 8 months in Germany some of the best of my life. I met so many different people from across the world, with so many different experiences of life; it really opened my eyes to the world around me and I made some friends for life.
My work as volunteer
The Auslandsgesellschaft NRW was a fantastic place to work, there was always something to be done and everyone had a good laugh together whilst doing it. My work was really varied, always interesting and I was never allowed to get bored! A large part of my work was designing posters and flyers for the cultural events we hosted, something I enjoyed as I could let my creativity loose! By far the best thing about working in Dortmund was all the travel opportunities. I went to Paris, Berlin, and Holland, as well as all over Germany and saw so many amazing places that I wouldn't have had a chance to see otherwise. Another job I enjoyed was helping at German-British Society events because it was like a little piece of home suddenly springing up in Germany. Cream tea and scones at the British literary afternoon was one of my favourite experiences. The only job I had that I absolutely hated with a passion was answering the phones. Having to ask the person on the other end to repeat themselves every 5 seconds when I didn't understand was frustrating but as they say, practice makes perfect!
Homesick? No way!
I loves living in Dortmund and as much as I missed my family and friends, I didn't have time to be homesick; I was always too busy enjoying myself!
