Last month I finished my first deutschkurse with the Humboldt Institute. I feel much better about my ability to understand German in situations outside of checking out at the grocery store or apotheke which is nice. My eaves dropping skills have gained +10. I still freeze up when I need to reply in German but I can at least form sentences and run through conversations in my head which is half the battle anyway. I’m taking a break from the class for the holidays while I get some exciting things in my life organized, but hope to start again at the A1.1 level in the spring when the sun doesn’t set at 4:30pm.
Before starting the class I had considered getting to the B2 level so I could apply to an undergrad university here (required) and get an undergrad degree in literally anything. Now I’m rethinking that plan, mostly because I was so close to finishing at Laney and I think I could work out a way to get my AA via distance learning and not have to worry about grinding through German for several years before I can finish. I still intend to get to at least B level but I don’t want that to be the barrier to my education if I have other options.
My accountant came through and sorted my taxes with the finanzamt and I actually got some of what I paid back and don’t need to come up with half of my annual income to pay taxes this month which is a relief. In January I will probably make another vlog about the process and the things that I didn’t understand going in, so maybe future immigrants who happen to be self-employed can save themselves some pain.
It has been snowing and sleeting for weeks which makes me want to be a burrito and hibernate.
I’m facing my first winter without anti-depressants since my early 20s and it is a lot of work but I’m proud of how well I’m managing. My psychiatrist has upped my dose of ritalin and confirmed that my plan of taking buspar as needed is fine as long as it’s working for me. My biggest challenge right now is handling the fatigue from fibro that the winter weather keeps triggering. The easiest thing for me to do that respects my energy levels and my need to be doing something when I don’t have brain has been needlework. I’ve been knitting or crocheting constantly, I even replaced the zipper in my winter boots by hand.
In the near future I’m planning on writing more (here and elsewhere) about Christian Dominionism and how it’s raring its head for 2024, what it was like being a closeted queer kids growing up as part of the Joshua Generation, and probably a big post about how proud I am of the work the Coalition for Responsible Home Education has managed to acheive over the last 10 years (go support the fudraiser).
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