S2 Scribble #1: Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann

“Gib mir die Hand” (Give me your hand)

Welcome back to another season of Song Scribbles! For those who are new (or just want a refresher), my name is Sydney, and I am currently a junior (Class of 2024) at the University of Michigan. I started Song Scribbles in Fall 2021 and I’m excited to continue the blog series for yet another semester! So far, it’s been a great way to reflect on each of my weeks as a college student and connect the music I listen to with the experiences I am having, and I hope to be able to look back on my blogs one day and be proud of how far I’ve come (I’ve already done it with some of my earlier blogs last year – oh, how time flies!).

“Ich bau’ dir ein Schloss aus Sand,” (I’ll build you a castle out of sand)

This past week, I received the very exciting news that I got accepted into a Winter 2023 study abroad program in Berlin, and while I’ve been a fan of a lot of 80s West Berlin music for a while now, I reached out to one of my music-savvy friends to ask if they could make me a playlist of some German music that I might not be familiar with. This week’s song, Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann (Somehow, Somewhere, Sometime) by Nena (you’ve probably heard her song 99 Luftballons), was one of the songs included on that playlist.

“Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann.” (Somehow, Somewhere, Someday)

Sometimes it is the absolute perfect time for a song to come into your life, and this was one of those times. With an incredibly busy 17-credit class schedule to keep up with (as well as my job, student organizations, social life, sleep schedule, and mental health) I have had an overwhelming start to the semester. Change tends to be challenging for me, but I know I am able to adapt to it – if I couldn’t adapt, why would I even consider studying abroad, let alone be so excited for it? 

“Die Zeit ist reif für ein bisschen Zärtlichkeit,” (The time has come for a little tenderness)

Like Nena sings, now IS the time for a little tenderness. Time to practice treating myself gently and kindly and talking to myself like I’d talk to a friend. What is important to me now is to practice self-compassion – to acknowledge that juggling so many things can be stressful and challenging. I often put a lot of pressure on myself, but I need to remember that I’m doing my best and I should be proud of myself regardless. I will adapt, I will feel more stable, I will succeed, and I will continue to do my best.

“Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann.” (Somehow, Somewhere, Someday)

Listen to Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann by Nena here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN4LYsre_XM