Hallo Aachen!

Today I was notified that I'll be staying in Aachen, Germany during the exchange! This is awesome for several reasons that I'll get to in a second. According to my light Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary research, Aachen is a pretty cool little town of about 240,000 people. Here's what I've found so far:

I'll be going to a Protestant Gymnasium (high school) with a class of about 90. 

1. The town smells like marmalade and chocolate because of the huge Lindt and Zentis factories nearby.

2. It's Germany's westernmost city bordering the Netherlands and Belgium (both also great places). It's only about 40 miles away from Köln.

3. Charlemagne used to hang out there. I've never lived somewhere kings resided in the Middle Ages.

4. It's a university town, which generally comes with a youthful, cultural vibe. RWTH Aachen University was named one of the Germany's Universities of Excellence.

5. Aachen is famous for its hot springs. There are several "Baden" (aka spa towns) towns in Germany, including Aachen.

In about a month I'll be in Germany. I can't wait to live in Aachen, get to know my host family, and learn German!