"Draftophobia" was a little strange to me. I hate a draft in the late fall or early spring, when the air temperature can dip below 40 degrees at night, but in the summer, when the air is hot, humid, and stale, air circulation is absolutely necessary. I've slept with a fan on my entire life, even. I need something to push the heat off my body, but I need the weight of the covers to fall asleep. Hopefully I'll at least be able to buy a fan in Germany. As for these "mysterious illnesses," it sounds like Germany is simply a culture of hypochondriacs.
The image of men wearing towels and sweating together is very egalitarian, very east German, even. In a harsh, cold, and dry German winter, I can imagine a trip to the sauna can actually be very comfortable.
I actually don't mind the idea of the "eternal student." In the United States, there's pressure to graduate high school with honors, go directly to college, follow a strict path to an academic major, graduate, and go to some kind of graduate school. Only then are you considered ready for real world experience.
My brother got his MBA in Spain at 28, and he was by far the youngest graduate. I think that things happen much more slowly in Europe in general, which I would prefer. I wish I'd taken a year or two before I went to college to work and travel. There was pressure not to switch majors because college is so expensive here and the degree programs are so narrow that a fifth year in school simply isn't an option. When I finish college, however, I'm going to take my time before I go off to graduate school.
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