First of all let us introduce ourselves: we are Andrea, Christina, Kathrin and Michaela, the four German students from Ludwig-Maximilians University who got the amazing chance to participate in the program for Global Education and Developmental Studies (GEDS Program) of the Trans-Atlantic Consortium on Early Childhood Intervention. The consortium involves three partners in the European Union and two partners in the United States: Jönköping University (Sweden), Porto University (Portugal) and Ludwig-Maximilians University (Germany), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University (Tennessee). During a period of four years, the GEDS program supports 24 European students to visit the US and 24 students from the US to go the opposite way around. We are very happy to be four of them.
In the context of the program we will spend the fall term at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A language and culture course, field work, an independent study, several courses and the participation in web based student and faculty exchanges will be part of our experience here. Furthermore all of us are really looking forward to getting to know the American people, culture and way of life.
To give you some impressions of our home university and home city Munich we have prepared a little presentation for you hoping that some of the further GEDS students might be inspired to come to that beautiful “city with the heart of a village”.
Our first two weeks have already been full of experiences. When we got out of the plane we were welcomed by the hot and humid weather and a “Carolina blue” sky. Our program instructors put a lot of efforts in finding a beautiful apartment where all four of us can live together. Our apartment was already furnished with loving care by our instructors and so it was very easy for all of us to feel really comfortable immediately.
In the last two weeks our instructors showed us around at Chapel Hill, introduced us to interesting people working in the educational and social work sector and even invited us to several delicious dinners. We have already created our personal schedules, we found our ways around the campus and got our own desks at the doctorial suite where we connected with other students. We also spent a wonderful evening with some future GEDS participants showing us around.
The Art Walk, which takes place every second Friday a month, was a great possibility to get to know more about Chapel Hill. Many local galleries in Carrboro and Chapel Hill are open and invite all visitors to enjoy their exhibition and serve snacks and drinks. The nostalgic trolley which is shown on the picture besides makes a three-mile loop through Franklin Street to the Horace Williams House. 
Horace Williams House is the only public historic house from the 19th century and was owned by a succession of University professors. We were enchanted by the beautiful furniture and garden. We would recommend to everybody to get off the trolley there and walk along Rosemary Street to admire the historical villas. 
Horace Williams House
Last evening we were invited to the doctorial dinner of the school of social work where we met the faculty and PhD students who warmheartedly welcomed us.
By now we really feel at home at Chapel Hill and are really looking forward to the beginning of our courses next week and getting to know students´ life at the UNC Chapel Hill.
