I anticipated the language barrier would be the biggest challenge since that is the area in which I felt least experienced. Duolingo was helpful, however, as I did not have any formal German classes before coming here. This made hearing native speakers for the first time really intimidating. Thankfully, however, the Fulbright allowed me to come one month earlier for an intensive German language class,yet, I still had to be proactive with attending language classes at the University and practicing with my lab peers. The second challenge I anticipated was being apart from family for the holidays and learning how to truly become a married couple. I recommend every newlywed couple to live away from family because that way you learn how to depend on each other. This is one of the best ways to strengthen your marriage.
