Adjusting to Life in Munich

I have been in Munich for one month now and I'm starting to take in the differences. There are so many things I love about Munich, like the the art and architecture, the fact that there is always something interesting going on, the style on the streets, the Bavarian food, the public trasportation system.. and I could go on. But I'm also finding things that I really miss about America like being able to shop on Sundays and simple things like being able to order water for free in restaurants. I learned last week that Munich is the most expensive city in Germany and the longer I've been here, the more I've realized that it's hard to get by on a tight budget. Ordering water in America was always a way to save when I went out to eat, but here I quickly realized that getting water in San Pellegrino bottles was even more expensive than ordering beer. The only thing that is (significantly) cheaper over here than in America is alcohol. As one student put it, "It's more expensive here to be sober."
Aside from the expenses, Munich is such a beautiful city.. somewhere I could see myself living long term. This month has gone by fast already and I can't believe I only have nine months left. Classes started last week and getting back into the rhythm of studying after five long months of vacation isn't easy. I'm taking three German classes through my American Program (JYM) and two art classes in German at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität. Most of my classes are only once a week, for 3 hours at a time, which is really different than at my home University. Students are expected to study more on their own time so there are less assignments. And I love the fact that I have Fridays off so I can plan some long weekend trips to different cities in Germany.