~* My year in Germany *~

Home sweet home??

2010-09-01T21:22:00.000+02:00

I can"t believe i have been in America for over one month now. Its so weird...

My plane ride home was insane. We, Martina, Rudolf, Gaby, Marius, and I, arrived in Frankfurt a little after 7:00am, we stood in line, i was checked in, and then it was time to say goodbye. I couldnt believe how fast my last few days went by...

Standing in the airport, realizing i was leaving ehind some of the most important people in my life, i realized how much i'd changed...i went from being a person, wo didnt let anyone in to my life, to becoming someone, who let so many people in, and let them help me.

I realized how muvh i was going to miss these people...After getting my passport checked, i turned for one last wave goodbye. I then walked, with yet another new person, down to my plane, and waited for boarding...

I probably spent the first 4 hours of my flight, just crying. hich at the time, was pretty embarassing, but now, not so much. It just shows how much i loved them, and was missing them.

Once i landed in America, it was time to go through customs, which really wasnt that bad...but i still ended up missing my next flight...so, i was delayed returning home, for yet another 5 hours..

At this point, i was starting to feel less sad, and starting to feel a little excited. I was really looking forward to seeing my brother, and my friends!!

Getting to the airport, and seeing my friends and family, was something, i cant even explain. It was both happy, and absolutely sad//i realized how much they had all changed, or not changed, and how much i had missed within that past year. Not going to lie, things were pretty damn awkward....

Now im home, and am startingyet another chapter in my strange, and confusing life. Hoping, this chapter will end just as good as the last..
<3

I learned to laugh, I learned to cry, but will I ever learn to say goodbye?

2010-07-06T09:08:00.000+02:00

There is nothing in the world that compares to saying “goodbye.” The sadness that comes with it is like no other, but the hope that comes with it as well; the hope that this is not the last goodbye. The hope that keeps us going, keeps our heads high as we wait for the next time; if that next time comes.

Some people don’t think that saying goodbye is such a big deal, probably because they have never had to do so. At a young age, I was introduced to this sadness of saying goodbye. Goodbye became a very real to me. Some people have never felt this realness before, and some may never experience it. If they grow up in one town, attend high school there, go to college there, and work there, they might never have to say goodbye to anyone.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is definitely not a good thing. Goodbyes are a part of life, much like meeting new people. Throughout your life, people come in and go out; it’s natural....but still difficult.

If you think about it, distance is but a mere thing, therefore it should not be an excuse to bring a friendship to an end. In fact, friendships can achieve an even higher level because separation can cause unity. It may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s true. Unfortunately, some people give up so easily on their friendships. I, however, will NOT give up so easily. I am going to fight to have these friendships last for a lifetime.

How do you say goodbye?? The last few days, i have had to say goodbye, at least twice a day..And it occured to me, i dont really know how to say goodbye..What do i say?
It's been fun; glad to have known you and I wish you all the best...?

Somehow I know that no- goodbye can say what needs to be said, how can just a few words tell what a heart feels? After spending an entire year here, it is time to say goodbye.

I am going to miss the people here so much. I have the most amazing host families, and have met the best of friends, andmany other people too. I am going to miss them so much...i don't want to say goodbye, but i know it has to be done. I am planning on coming back here, but no one knows what will/could happen between then and now...so, with this post, i just wanted to say goodbye to all of my friends, and my host families. You mean the world to me, all of you, and have helped me so much! I will never forget any of you. I love you <3

~Life's many visitors touch us in numerous ways, but it's the impressions left by true friends that are most remembered and seldom ever matched. ~

2010-06-01T14:57:00.033+02:00

Friendship isn't always easily described. The Eskimos, they say, have a hundred different words for snow. Unfortunately, the English language isn't quite as innovative, though it has vast opportunities to differentiate meaning. Certainly, Love is one of those opportunities. And so, too, is Friendship.

Instead of different words, however, we're stuck with simple adjectives. Close friend. Best friend. Childhood friend. Intimate friend. Trusted friend. Beloved friend. But whether you use adjectives or different words, few could deny the nearly infinite meaning in such a simple word.

Friends are special people. We can't pick our family, and we're sorely limited in the number of them at any rate. Society and mores (and often our own conscience) dictate we select a single mate. But our friends can be as diverse and infinite as the adjectives we choose. Our friends, in a very real sense, reflect the choices we make in life.

I thought i would dedicate this post to all of the amazing friends i have made here in Germany...not just within in my school, but within my host families. When i first arrived here, i was thinking it was going to be really hard to make friends, because i had that in Germany, people aren't as open.minded as we are in America. So, for the first few weeks, or even months, i really depended upon my first host family, to make me feel welcome, and included. My first host family was amazing, they took me all over the place, and introduced me to so many people, and really helped me learn to not be so shy, and how to make friends here in Germany. My host mom, Martina, and my host dad, Rudolf, became great friends of mine by the end of my stay with them. I can not thank them enough for everything they have done for me, and i am just so lucky, to have been able to have such an amazing family like this. <3

Then, i moved on to my second host family in January. It was time to get used to a whole new house, and a whole new family. Of course, by now i had made some good friends in my school. We weren't as close then, as we were now, but knowing German really improved things. But, i was still shy to go up to them and ask them to hang out sometime. As i changed host families, i noticed immediately how different they were to my first family. I started talking with my host mom alot, we would go on a lot of walks together with Sally, and my host mom taught me a bunch of different german recipes, and we laughed, i really loved staying with this family. Gaby, my host mom, became a great friend too. For example, i had planned to meet up with some friends one weekend, but the weather was too bad, so i couldnt go. At first, i was pretty bummed out, because i was really looking forward to hanging out with them, but then Gaby and I tried to build a snowman, and ended up making a cheesecake together. It was so much fun, because the snow was too powdery, and we couldnt build a snowball, much less, an entire snowman! It was reallly cool to realize that it didnt matter i couldnt hang with my friends, that hanging with Gaby was just as much fun! I am so happy i had the chance to get to know her! =) <3 And i had the chance to get to know my host sister, and that was great. She is just like a big sister to me, she is so sweet, and extremely nice. It was awesome to hang out with her, go for a coffee, or just take a trip into the city to hang out. I loved hanging out with her! She became just like a real sister to me! <3 =)

Then it was April, and it was yet again the time to switch families and homes. At this point, i had great friends in school, and did a lot of different things with them. I switched host families, and again realized how different they were compared to my last two families. The biggest difference as having so many siblings. I had 3 host sisters! One, was 18, so one year older than me, and the other 2, are twins, and they are 14. The twins, Lana and Leonie are 2 of the funniest girls i have ever met. They say exactly whats on their mind, and i really admire that in them. They are truly the funniest, cutest girls i have ever met!!! It was really cool getting the chance to get to know them. I really got along well with my host sister Laura, she became just like a sister to me. We could talk about all sorts of different things together, and it was just great having the chance to get to know her, and being able to call her my friend. <3 =)

And of course, my amazing friends in school. I have had the chance to meet so many people in the school, but of course, there are always the few, that you always hang out with. Domi, Britta, Saskia, and Dany for me! I am so happy i got the chance to meet these girls and hang out with them.They are the most hilarious people i have ever met, and are always there for me. It was really cool, Britta, was in America for awhile, so we always speak English together, and it was like she was a little piece of America for me, and i was always able to talk to her about how i was missing something from home. Saskia and Dani, are some of the sweetest girls i've ever met. Saskia, i cant even explain how amazing she is!! I've loved being able to hang out with her!!! and Dani, she is such a sweetheart, i am lucky to have her as a friend, i'm going to miss her so much!! And Domi, she was one of the first friends i made here. She helped me get used to the German way of life...my first lesson was German clothes, she took me shopping,a nd showed me what people here wear, and then she gave me a lesson in how people dress for the diskos! Ha, i dont know what i would have done without her! I am going to miss these girls so much when i leave!!! =( <3

I haven't written in a long time. I have been super busy, and just haven't had much time to sit down and write. Well, i ended my last post talking about my trip to Hamburg, so I'll begin with that.

I went to Hamburg with my third family for 4 days, and had an amazing time! We got up early, and my host sister, Laura, drove us to Hamburg, a 6 hour drive! Our first day, we went on the Reeperbahn...if you don't know what that is, its super interesting, take a look on google. We also went into a wax museum, it was crazy how some of the statues, honestly looked just like the real person!! (I will load pictures, as soon as my new camera gets here, the other one is broken, and i cant get my pictures off of it) Then, we went to the first musikal. Heiße Eck. It was 24 hours at the reeperbahn. It was a little bit hard for me to understand it, because of the Hamburg dialect, but i got the point of it. It was really interesting to watch, because i had never really seen something like it in America. But, by the end, it turned out to be really funny, and i ended up understanding the entire plot...not something i was used to, but it was really funny. The next day, we did some shopping, and some sightseeing. The City Hall is huge!!^^ At the end of the day, we went into the Hamburg Dungeon, which gave a full history of Hamburg, but in a horror house setting. It was really interesting, because you learned too, i really enjoyed it, and had a great time! And i honestly thought it was going to be a lot scarier than it was, but it wasn't so bad. At one point, there was this one room, full of mirrors, but you couldn't really tell it was mirrors, because it was so dark, it was one the weirdest feelings, i would walk, see myself, but keep walking thinking it was a mirror, it was one of the weirdest/coolest feelings ever! Then,w e saw Der König der Löwen (The Lion King) It was AMAZING!! The costumes were done fantastically, they actually had people as the giraffes, and elephants, and as Simba, it was the most amazing thing i had ever seen in my entire life time!! I'd love to see it again sometime! And the vocies were amazing, it was my favorite part of Hamburg!!!!! =) The last day, we visited an Animal park, and it was really cool, becuse the animals really had a lot of space, and plenty of freedom, and you could even feed the elephants!!!!!! =)

This past weekend, i was at my last rotary conference! It was really sad having t say goodbye to all of the other exchnage students, because we honestly dont know if we will ever see eachother again. It was really sad...and i am not looking forward to having to say goodbye to my friends, and my host families here...

This weekend, i will be with my counselor, going to a wine festival. I m quite excited, to see if i can taste the difference between the different wines. And see if i can tell the difference between the grapes =) I'll be there for the weekend, and will be taking another boat ride/tour...it shall prove interesting. I had my first experience on y big boat...and it was okay...i just didnt like it when they turned around....

My language, i feel pretty fluent in German now, even my grammar is getting better!! School is going well, we just finished our last exam today, so hopefully soon, i will be doing a lot with friends!! My friends, Kayla, and Lauren, from America, are going to be here in just 11 days, and i am SO excited to see them again!!!!

I'll write more in 2 weeks! =) (Hopefully) But check again sometime next week for the pictures! =)

To my friends:

A friend is someone you hold dear:

Someone who is always there, through thick and thin;

Someone who is only a phone call away.

A friend is someone you can always rely on:

Someone who is there to share your thoughts with;

Someone to listen, no matter the subject.

A friend is someone you can feel comfortable with:

Someone you can sit silently beside, without conversation;

Someone you do not need to fill the quiet moments with.

A friend is someone you can trust:

Someone who will guard your deepest secrets;

Someone who will never let you down.

A friend is someone who is not judgmental:

Someone who will gently offer advice and opinions,

Yet, someone who is not overbearing or critical.

A friend is someone who can keep you grounded:

Someone who can help you see through your obstacles;

Someone to shoulder you through life's trials.

A friend is someone who shares unconditionally:

Someone to laugh and to cry with;

Someone to lean on, through both the good and the bad.

A friend is someone you choose wisely,

For a friend is your own mirrored image:

Someone to compliment your own self;

Someone who indicates who you are as a person.

A friend.... is what you are to me.

Thanks so much for everything you guys! I love you, and will miss you SO much!!!

~ There is no Challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself ~

2010-04-17T12:56:00.003+02:00

I can't believe how fast time is going by again! I was at school the other day, when i realized i had only 13 weeks left until i flew back to America!!! I couldn't believe it! It seemed like just a few weeks ago, it was Christmas!! Its amazing how time seems to fly by when you don't want it to.

Last week, i changed host families. I was really nervous to change, because it meant again, trying to adapt to a whole new life-style. I actually didn't start to really pack, until basically the day i was supposed to switch. I couldn't believe how much stuff I've accumulated!!!! I came to Germany with one suitcase, and my rotary backpack...nothing else! An this time, when i left my host family, i had my suitcase filled to the absolute top, my backpack, another suitcase, and 8 plastic bags! Plus a huge laundry bag, just for the new shoes!! And that was after i sorted through everything and decided to give a lot of it away!! My host mother couldnt believe how much stuff i had! It was hilarious bringing everything down, and loading it all into the car!! Before we left, i went for a walk with my host mom and Sally again. It was really weird...knowing that i wouldnt be staying with Gaby anymore, and not seeing Sally everyday! Then my host mom drove me to my new family, and we finally brought all of my things upstairs into my new home.

The first night, my host sister turned 18. So, of course, that means a huge party! Before the party began, i pretty much just unpacked all of my things, and tried to find spots for it all! My younger hst sisters helped me out, and laughed out loud when they saw all the books I've managed to buy...In fact, we are now reading a book in English, together. Still Life, by Joy Fielding (Really good!) We read it together, in English, and then i ask them if they can say what just happened, first in German, and then i ask them to say the same thing, just in English. And it also helps me with my German, so its really cool =) Then the party began, i think there ended up being around 40 people there...i couldnt believe it! They all stayed up until after 7 in the morning, i was in bed around 2. lol =)

I cant remember if i have already talked about my new host family, in previous posts...so, heres a little information. I live with only girls =) I have 3 host sisters, Laura (18) Lana (14) Leonie (14) Yes, the last two are twins =) And my host mom, Sabine. They have one dog, Luna, a beautiful border collie =) I now live in a super small town called Hundsdorf, its about the same size of Embarrass (lol Rhondalay!) But at least Embarrass has a gas station, my small town doesn't even have that =) Theres about 400 people, and we live on the top of this huge hill!!! And when i go with the dog, we can also go up this huge trail, and theres a Buffalo Farm!! And a bunch of sheep, but here the sheep still have their tails...it looks really weird! =) But most of the time, i enjoy going through the woods with Luna, for our walks. =)

I went out with a few friends, on Saturday to Unikat Halle again, it was pretty fun, but i was dead tired, cuz it was the day after Lauras party! And i cant believe ho w exhausting it is to change families. I hve to-locate everything all over again!!

School started again on Monday, after having nearly 1 month off! It was good to see my friends again, but still, school is school. We got most of our exams back, and i managed to get an A- on my English exam...lol. I apparently forgot my American Humor, and wrote a little bit to seriously. =) People here seem to think that Americans have a special humor, mainly meaning that we exaggerate everything we say.

Weather is wonderful, it is spring, and warm =)

I met with my rotary president, here in Germany, yesterday after school. We went to his house for dinner, and basically just talked about our exchange year so far! And i also got the date to do my presentation about Wisconsin! June 15th! =) I'll also be attending a rotary ball, for the switching of presidents, and i am really looking forward to it!!!

Thats pretty much all thats happened these last 2 weeks.In May, we'll be doing another Wandertag (Field trip) in school, and we are going to Köln (Cologne) in the Zoo! =) And of course, shopping! =) Then i am going on a Musikal Reise, with my host family, in the middle of May! We are going to Hamburg, and are going to see a few different musicals, including König der Löwen! (The Lion King!) I'm looking forward to it!!!!

I'll prolly write again after Hamburg =)
<3

~ Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. ~

2010-04-05T12:36:00.001+02:00

March is by far my favorite month so far, but also the most challenging of my year so far. So many things have happened, but yet, i am still here smiling and enjoying myself as much as, or even more than, before.

My host sister came again, the weekend before we left for Berlin, because she was going to be dog-sitting, Sally. It was fun to sit and talk with her, and hang out again. We even played skipbo, and it was hilarious. The germans seem to really like this game =)

Anyways, on Tuesday afternoon, we left for the airport to go to Berlin!!!! We flew with the Ryanair, airline, and i was sort of disappointed, because it is an irish airline, it as all in English, and i was looking forward to see if i could understand it in German. Because, when i first flew here to Germany, Madelyn and I were on the same flight, and they spoke German, and we both couldn't understand anything, and i was looking forward to comparing it...oh well. Anyways, the flight took about 1 hour, and then we landed, and i had my first few glimpses of Berlin, in a taxi as we drove back to the Hotel. And the city, is HUGE!! Way bigger than Chicago, and much prettier. The buildings were so old, and so...idk how to describe it. Anyhow, it was beautiful. We unpacked our bags in the hotel, then went off for a drink, toasting Berlin. On our way there, we saw some amazing street dancers. It was unbelievable the stuff they could do. So, we watched for about 10 minutes, then went to Cafe Kranzler, which is a huge Coffee-Beer cafe. I tried my first sip of Berliner Weisse, beer and i loved it!!! Its beer, with raspberry syrup mixed. It tastes so much better than normal beer!!! =) From there, we met up with my host dads sister, and her family, in an Italian restaurant, the food was SO good! But, i was so stuffed, i thought i was going to explode!! It was the most i have eaten in a longgg time!!!

The next day, i went with my host mom to the Berlin Zoo. It is the biggest zoo in Europe i think! It was so much fun, we got there a little after 9am, and then stayed for 6 hours!!!!!!! And we didnt even get to see all of the animals! We also went into the aquarium, which was awesome. It was my first time ever being in one, and i really enjoyed it. They had reptiles and stuff too!! The zoo had Elephants, Wolves, Hyenas, and so much more. the coolest part,was Knut. Knut is a polar bear who was rejected by his mother. So, he was raised by the Zoo keepers.He was the first polar bear cub to survive past infancy at the Berlin Zoo. Knut's need for round-the-clock care required that Dörflein not only sleep on a mattress next to Knut's sleeping crate at night, but also play with, bathe, and feed the cub daily. Knut's diet began with a bottle of baby formula mixed with cod liver oil every two hours, before graduating at the age of four months to a milk porridge mixed with cat food and vitamins. After we were finished at the zoo, we went to the Reichstag. Reichstag is like the German White House. We got in through special tickets, through rotary, and were able to have a tour, and see where the politicians always are. It was really cool!! After that, we went to the Fernseherturm, which is one of the tallest in Europe. We waited for over an hour, bu it was worth it. The Fernseherturm has an amazing view, of all of Berlin, and a rotating restaurant! Once we were finished seeing the view, we went to find a place to eat. My host mom and i just kind of followed behind my host dad, and brother. Our feet were killing us at that point, and we walked through another little part of the city, and couldn't find anything, then finally we went into what we thought was a Chinese restaurant. But it turned out to be some type of Japanese, and we had no idea what anything was on the menu...so, we left, and settled at another Italian restaurant. After that, we took te subway to a bar, and had some cocktails, and decided to stay until past midnight, so we could celebrate my birthday. And sitting next to us, was someone from a famous TV series here, called Tatort. It was really cool.

The next day was my birthday, and we decided to do a Trabi tour. For those of you who dont know what a Trabi car is, in English its called Trabant. For those of you who still dont know, it was one of the most popular cars driven in East Berlin. My host brother drove this car, through Berlin for an hour, and it was so much fun. Afterwards, we went on a Spree tour. Spree is one of the rivers in Berlin. Basically, it was a boat tour. It was tons of fun, and our tour guide was a typical Berliner. Meaning, they are very direct and brusque. For example, you can get on the bus and ask the driver for directions and you're likely to get a stroppy reply among the lines of 'Am I the tourist information office, or what?' They also have a bit of a dialect, making it hard for me to understand what they were saying. After the Spree tour, we went to KaDeWeh, which is a HUGE shopping center. I even found a section all for americans, which had pop tarts, relish, oreos, mustard, A&W rootbeer, and so much more. Needless to say, i bought some =) My host mom and i did a little more shopping, then went bck to the hotel had a small drink, and picked up my host brother an host father, and we went out to eat at a Turkish restaurant. I absolutely love the turkish food, it is amazing!!! Anyways, my host family gave me a beautiful present for my birthday. Its just like a charm bracelet, but instead it is a charm necklace. They gave me two charms for it as well. The first for peace love and harmony, and te second a flipflop, with the American flag =)

Friday was our last day, so we went through a few museums. I bought an amazing book, all about the seperation of East and West Berlin/Germany. Its so interesting, there was so much i hadnt known before!! We actually managed to lose my host brother at some point...but eventually we all met up again, on our way to the airport.

When i got home, i found a package from my family, and a cake. My host sister had made a cake, without a recipe, using oreos, and white chocolate!! I couldnt believe it!! She was so sweet!! And the cake tasted amazing!! =) And from home, i got cheetos!! nd a bunch of bath and body works, and a few others things. Also a funfetti cake!!! =) =) Finally, an american cake! =)

Sunday, yesterday, it was Easter. We had colored some eggs, and my host mom hid our easter baskets. It was fun looking for them. My host mom also gave me a book all about the Westerwald, which is the small section of Rheinland.Pfalz, i live in!! Then we got the rest of the food ready, and i learned how to make Lachsrolle, whhich is like a salmon wrap. Its delicious!! And then i made Devilled Eggs, but a much milder version. =) It was fun to meet and see the rest of the family, before i switch host families.

So, i switch host families on Saturday. As i wrote before, i am excited to go to my new family, but also sad to leave this one behind. I made my host family here, a small scrapbook, with some of m favorite pictures, and memories. It was fun to go through the pictures, and remember the events where i took them.

My new host family has 3 children. One is just about my age, one year older. The other 2 are twins, 14 years old. They are all super nice!! I am excited to be able to have some host siblings that i see every day!!! =)

My language is coming along good, just trying to learn the grammar, which is super hard. But otherwise, good. The weather is springy! Finally starting to get warmer again, and sunny!!

I'll write again after i get settled with my new host family. <3

...Life IS simple, it's just not easy...

2010-03-21T11:18:00.001+01:00

Challenges come so we can grow and be prepared for things we are not equipped to handle now. When we face our challenges with faith, and are prepared to learn, willing to make changes, and if necessary, to let go, we are overcoming the challenge.

Over the last two weeks, i have started my internship, Easter break has started, Spring is finally here, i went to a rotary weekend, and the 13th class graduated!!

I'll start with my internship. As i wrote in the last blog, i am doing an internship as a veterinarian! I started last Monday, at 8am. And my first job, was to show the other interns how to change a cat box...lol. So, after that, i got to play a little bit with this adorable white cat!! About an hour later, the cat was brought in for surgery, (neutered) and i was able to look in on the operation. At first, i was kinda freaked out, because the cats eyes were still open, and i was afraid it was awake, but then one of the vets, told me to pick up the paw, and feel how light it was...and it was super light, which meant the cat was in a heavy sleep. Then around 11, the cat finally started coming to, and i just kinda sat around with her for a little while. Then a dog came in, and i was able to watch Dr. Fischer, treat her. It was really interesting, because theres no way of really knowing what is wrong with the animal, since they cant talk. And to watch how she was able to figure out exactly what was wrong with the dog, was really fascinating!! Then from 12-3 i had my lunch break. Then i came back at 3, and it was incredible how busy the place is in the afternoons. I had a lot to do. There is also a dog, her name is Freier, she is the owners dog, and is always just walking around the vets. And between seeing the other patients, i played with her alot. But, i really loved doing the internship there, it was so much fun, and i learned so much.

Easter break has also started (I have 1 month without school, because of praktikum for 2 weeks, then 2 weeks for Easter Break) The Germans celebrate easter pretty much the same as we do. Except, they have an Easter Tree =) As you can see, and the Frohe Ostern, means Happy Easter! But we will be coloring eggs, searching for easter baskets, just like in America. I am also going to show them what Devilled Eggs are. =) And here, they make these cool cakes in the shape of either a lamb, or of a bunny. =) I am excited to learn how to make it =)

The weather the last couple of days have been really warm, but a little rainy. But, i am so happy to finally see the sun shining, and no more snow on the ground!! =) Here it rains alot, but not like the constant downpours we get in America, jus drizzling off an on through the day.

The 13th class here graduated this past week. And they do things completely different. First of all, they graduate in March, and not in June. And they graduate, the day, after they finish taking their Abi, which is kinda like an SAT or an ACT in the states, After they finished their ABI, they through huge party outside at the school. With free beer. I didnt stay to long, just long enough to say congrats to the few of the graduates. For me, it was to cold! And i didnt want to stay out to late, because i had to do my internship in the morning. And on their last day of school, they carried these huge...idk what they are called, but something similiar to bags, filled with candy, and would come in to the class rooms randomly, shout ABI and through candy at everyone. It was really funny. And then people played music in the parking lots, and it was just really funny to see the difference. In America, all the seniors are usually crying on their last day, and usually dressed up nice, here everyone was so happy, and dressed zup as little school children...

As for the rotary weekend, it was very interesting. I had fun being with the other exchange students, and getting to go shopping in the city, but there definitely a huge difference between rotary/rotex here in Germany, as in America.

In about one week, i will be going to Berlin for about 5 days with my host family. I am really excited!!! I cant wait to see the Capital of Germany! My host mom, even got me a book all about Berlin, and i am so excited to go there now!!! Speaking of host family, i will be switching host families in about 2 weeks...I'm sure i am going to like my new family, but i am really going to miss the host family i am with now. I loved staying with this family, they were always so sweet, and so nice. It'll be sad to switch families again. I've really loved being able to be a part of their family, and am really thankful for them for hosting me.

I already know my third family, and they have three children, 3 girly, and i have got to know them all, and they are super sweet, nice and funny. So, i know i am going to have a good time in this next family. They are even taking me to visit Hamburg!!! It's going to be wonderful!!

So, i will write again when i get home from Berlin! I am looking forward to spending my birthday there!! =) I probably wont be able to answer emails until i am settled into my new host family, so please be patient waiting for answers. =)

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

2010-03-03T15:51:00.014+01:00

März 3, März 4

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

I can hardly believe how long it has been since my last post! Well, I'll start off with the basics, school, home life, language, weather...and then get to the more interesting stuff, like Karneval, and the last few weekend trips =)

So, school is going well. I can't believe half of the year is already finished! My classes are the same...i still dont understand anything in my Politics class, Biology is still my favorite subject. As for my other classes, they are going well. I recently participated in my Music class, that was great!! I actually knew an answer to the question, i was very proud of myself!! This week is exam week. Today, i took my english exam..and it wasn't too bad! Its so weird...English. I honestly find myself questioning everything i write in English, because i never know if it is actually right anymore. I never used to question my English...but now, even some things that i think look right, turn out to be wrong! I just have to get through next week, and then i have basically 1 month free of school!! For 2 weeks, i will be doing an Internship, as a veternarian!! I am quite excited to be able to work with the animals! I will do this for 2 weeks, and then i have 2 weeks free, for Easter break!! I am looking forward to sleeping in! =)

I have officially been with this host family for 2 months. I still feel really comfortable, and am really enjoying myself! I have a very good relationship with my host mom, and i find her super sweet. And my host dad quite funny. This last weekend, my host sister, Kerstin came home for the weekend. It was sooo much fun!! I really like her, she is super nice! We went shopping together, and played a few card games, and even Settler of Catan! It was an awesome weekend, and i really liked getting to know her more! In fact, this weekend i am going to visit her in Trier, and we are going to go in the city together, and do a little shopping. =) I am really excited!!

As for my German, it is coming along really well! I'd say, from a scale of 1-10 speaking is like a 9.5 and as for understanding, I'd say a 10. As I've mentioned in a few of my last posts, i have started to dream and think in German, and it was so weird at first. But recently, i had a dream in English, and it was weird...I cant really explain the feeling...of thinking and dreaming in another language...I have also decided to take the DAFS test, meaning deutsch als fremdsprache (German as a foreign language) And, if i pass this test, it allows me to study in Germany...which means, i want to go to college here. I have come to really like the german language, and the culture, and even the education system. I want to study here. But, i first want to make sure my language is good enough...so, i am receiving tutoring once a week from a teacher, and we are practicing for this test...I really hope i pass it..!!! I will take it in July, or in June, which gives me 4 months left to study! However, i won't take the test, unless i am sure i am ready for it. In order to study here, i have to be C1 level, and right now i am managing B1 (The system is a1,a2, b1,b2...)

As for the weather here, it is finally getting warmer!!! We have no snow on the ground now, quite a difference from my last post!! And, i am able to go with a normal jacket, no longer needing a huge winter coat!! The sun is finally shining again!! And the skies are finally blue again!! But, supposedly i is supposed to snow again on saturday, i am hoping the weather man is wrong!! =)

So, as most of you know, in February, it is Karneval. Karneval, is kinda like Mardi Gras! It was one of the most...interesting and different things i have experienced so far!! I had a great time! For the first day of Karneval ( I had one week of school free!) theres something called Altweiberfastnacht. Which means, basically a womans day. This day, the woman are in charge, and cut off the ties of any man she sees! (Including the mayor of the town...)Anyways, i went to Martina's (My first host family) for this day. They had a huge party, complete with a DJ (my host dad) =) It was a lot of fun, and then we went to Sirius, which is a small pub in my town, but it was so full, that i ended up leaving after about 10 minutes, with my host sister, Laura. Laura then came to my house, and slept over. It was a lot of fun!! I also went to a parade, in a neighboring town, Höhr, the parade was so much fun. I couldn't believe how all the people dressed up...there was even one group that dressed up as naked people..(It was like 3 degrees outside!) I also got to see my first host family in the parade, as Princess and Prince! But, karneval was really a lot of fun!

The weekend before last, i was in Trier, with my host mom, to visit my host sister, Kerstin. Trier is the oldest city in Germany, and i found it beautiful. So, first we picked up my host sister, and then we did a city tour. In this cute little train (Look at the picture) And we did the tour for a little while, then walked in the city, and went into different shops. I also got to go inside the church. Churches here are sooo nice inside, compared to America. I love being able to go inside the different ones, and see how each of them differ from the other. We also went to eat at Subway!!! It was my host moms first time, and i wasn't to sure if she was going to like it, but she did. It was funny though, because we each ordered a 6 inch, and my host mom thought that was the large one. =) We also went inside a gummy bear shop! It had so many different types of gummies i couldn't believe it!! And they were in all different shapes, musical, and even playboy and playgirl! It was super funny. There were even some that had vinegar inside! I swear, they must have had any flavor you could have thought of! It was a really fun time, i really enjoyed myself!! (As for the picture, i really am not so short, she is just super tall!!)

I've received so many emails, with people asking me what is typical for Germans to eat...and rather than write each of you back, i figured i would just write it on here real quick, and then you can all know.
So, for breakfast, it is very typical to eat a Brötchen. Which is like bread rolls, but it gives in so many different kinds...but one typical one is the Kannenbäckerbrot. (First picture) Personally, i dont like it. I prefer what they call, American Toast bread. I find theirs, way to crunchy...lol. And they almost always put butter on it, and then you have your choice at what else. Whether it be cheese, marmalade, different meats: ham, salami, bacon, or nutella. There is also something else people spread on their morning bread and it is kind of like meat in a jar..leberwurst...meaning liver sausage, and it is totally spreadable. (I haven't tried it...) Then for lunch, there is usually something warm. Lunch is their biggest meal of the day, and one really typical one is a sunny side up egg, on top of bread and ham, and then you eat it so. Or, my favorite, is potato wedges covered in this creamy spinach. I love it...and of course, yes they eat Bratwurst, and Sauerkraut. And for dinner, usually the same as breakfast, a brötchen, with different toppings. They also drink a lot of tea here. And normally, drink Mineralwasser, meaning sparkling water...i personally can not drink it. I cant stand it...i normally drink water from the tap...

<3

One kind word can warm three winter months.

2010-01-31T16:46:00.007+01:00

I can hardly believe I have been living with my second host family for nearly a month now. The time seems to be passing so much faster than how it did the first half of the year. i really like my host family. They are really sweet. I thought it was going to take a little while, to feel used to their home, but surprisingly it didn't. From the beginning on, i adjusted pretty easily, and felt very welcome. I'd say, one of my favorite parts of this host family, is going on the walks with my host mom, Gaby, and the dog, Sally. It is nice to just walk and talk, and its really a good chance to get to know my host mom. On Friday, we decided to climb the Köppel again, when it was really, really snowing. And the snow was really deep, i would say about 15-18 inches! Normally, it takes about 1 hour, we hiked for nearly 3 hours, and then at the top, there is a little cafe, but they wanted to close, because of the weather, so we drank something quick, and walked back down again! By the time we got back to the car, my hair was completely wet, and i had no make up left on my face...!

After the Köppel, we came home, showered, and then we went to Pongs. Pong is a Thai restaurant and cocktail bar, and the food there is so good! I had some Fruhlingsrolle, and this spicy chicken and vegetable thing. And then we just sat, drank, and talked for a few hours, it was a lot of fun.

Last week, i went with my host family to a birthday party, and ate some REALLY good cheese cake. And then my host mom said, oh, we can make that at home. So, my host mom and i made a cheesecake, and it tasted really really good!! It was a lot of fun too, just baking together, and laughing because i am still not used to the metric system, with 300 grams of sugar, i much prefer 3 1/2 cups of sugar. (Lots easier!) I also baked a traditional Wisconsin, Banana Spice Cake yesterday, topped with home made vanilla frosting! It tasted really good, but i think the frosting was a little to sweet for my host family. (And i even put 3 less cups of sugar than what it said in the recipe..) But they never had frosting before!! I couldn't believe it! At first, i translated it, into Zuckerguss, but then when i made it, Gaby said it wasn't zuckerguss. And then i made some no bake cookies! ANd that was a lot of fun! But instead of melting the ingredients on the stove, i did it in the microwave, and it was hilarious. At one point, i went to open the oatmeal, and it went everywhere..! But they tasted reallllly good!

I also received a package from the USA from my family, and inside were different candies from America, and some other small things. One thing that was sent, was cheese zip, that go on the sandwich crackers! And my host family had never seen anything like it before, it was hilarious! So, my host mom tried it, and liked it. And last night, i had my host dad try it, and the first thing he asked was, how many calories are in it! (90 calories per serving, 7 servings) He didn't like it...but we are planning on having an American dinner night soon. with different sorts of American food, and the urny girls will join us, =)

Last weekend, was a karneval Sitzung. My host parents went as pirates! As they were at the sitzung (meeting?), i went with a couple of friends to a beat-party, in a city called dernbach. A beat-party, is just like a disko, and a disko is just like a club in the states. It was pretty fun, just a chance to dance and hang out with friends! I came home shortly after midnight, and my hosts came home shortly after me. i stayed up for a little while, and talked to my host mom, then around 2 , we both decided we should get to bed.

The next day, my host dad went to Norway. He was there from Sunday-Tuesday. So, we all had breakfast together, and then when my host mom came back from brining him to the train station, we went to a 'Wild park'. A wild park, is kind of like a zoo, but the animals are allowed to be free. (Not the super dangerous ones of course) but like the deer, and billy goats. I finally got to see a wildschwein!!! (Wild pig?) They are the BIGGEST pigs i have ever seen in my life! And the noises they make are incredible!! And the males really do have these huge tusks!!! At first we tried feeding them some of the food we bought to feed the animals, but they werent to interested. So, we went a little further, and just looked. And we saw a little family, a dad, mum, and 2 piglets. And the dad and the mum started fighting, and then the little one ran off, then the other little one chased him, and they were squealing SO loud!!!! I could only say how big they were!!! (Since i have gotten here, i have wanted to say one these wild pigs, because apparently they are always running around in the forests, and i have wanted to see one, so my host mom thought to bring me to the wild park, then i could finally see one, and i still cant believe how big they are!!)

As you can see in the picture above, there is finally snow on the ground!! From the last two days, it has finally snowed. I feel a little bit like i am in Wisconsin, we really got a lot of snow!! Over the past few days, i would say we have gotten at least, 16 inches of snow! My host parents said they haven't seen this much snow in this area of the westerwald, in over 20 years! (I told them, it is because i am here, i brought the snow with my from Wisconsin..!)

I attempted to make a snowman, with my host mom, but it didnt work out very well the snow was still way to powdery, so, we recognized defeat, but still took a lovely picture =) My host dad and brother, also used the sauna this weekend, and ran in the snow, and then back into the sauna! Reminded me of when all the south American exchange students were in the states last year! But, we are determined to make one before all the snow melts away!

Today, i went with my host family to a husky race! It was so incredible! There were over 100 dogs there, and i would say at least half of them were all huskies! As we first got there, all you could here was barking, and you could see the mushers getting them ready to run. The huskies looked extremely excited! It took, 4 huskies only 28 minutes to run 8 kilometers!!! It was really cool to see all the different dogs there, and all the huskies!

I went with a Rotarian recently to a musical. Sweeney Todd. First, she picked me up, and we drove to koblenz, and had some time to sit, eat, and talk and get to know eachother a little bit. Then the musical started, having already seen the film, i knew what it was about, and as she read what it was about, she was shocked. It turned out the musical wasn't as bloody and gory as the movie, but it was still pretty...similiar to the movie. But, i still enjoyed being able to be in the Koblenz theatre, since we don't really have them in Wisconsin!

School is going well. I am starting to be able to participate more and more in my classes. And i am starting to meet some new people, so, i usually have something planned on the weekends! I dropped my math class however. I was in a calculus class, and i have never even taken pre-calc...but now i have another german course...we'll see how that goes. WE got report cards the other day, i didnt get one, but was told by several of my teachers, that they were proud of how far i have come in my German.

As i mentioned before, my host family is great. I really welcome in their home, and they make me feel as if i am a member of their family. I'm thankful to be living with them these next couple of months. Speaking of host families, i was able to catch up with my first host mom recently. It was nice to just be able to sit and talk with her for awhile.

***Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire***

=)

Change is the essence of life.Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.

2010-01-25T21:04:00.001+01:00

All of us experience change in our lives. Change is the one constant in our lives. There are changes that we look forward to and change that we fear. However, one thing is for sure. Things will not stay the same no matter how much we would like them too. When a life change occurs, we have two choices in how to respond. We can despair that a change has come and assume that things will be worse, or we can look with excitement at the new possibilities that the change presents.

Do you ever stop and think? Just reflect on everything that's happened to you in the last few days. Months. Years.

Do you wonder where all that time went? All those special moments or just the ordinary daily activities that are now only memories. Memories that are unique and the only way you can hold onto them is by replaying them in your mind over and over again, until the details all merge together and you're left with a fuzzy recollection that doesn't seem to fit anymore.

Do you remember the exact time when you started to grow up? When the conversations you had were not about dolls or imaginary friends...but about the more important things in life?

Have you ever felt that the closest people to you are also the furthest away? Felt that everything was happening too fast?

And who tells us when we have grown up? Do we ever stop growing up or do we continue to just grow in spirit?

And if I make my own choices, try different things, slowly growing up, will others notice that I'm changing too? Will they accept that i am changing? Will they like the new me?

But if I hold onto the memories too tightly how am I to move on? How am I to grow up and LIVE MY LIFE? How am I to make decisions and take on responsibility if I'm living in the past, and never moving forward? Never changing?

I guess time continues whether you want it to or not, leaving you behind or taking you for the journey of your life. Change is inevitable....
_____________________________________

Over the last half year, i have changed so much. I've grown up in so many ways. Being in a new country, really makes a person think, and makes them mature and grow up.

When i first got here, i was 16. In America, i relied a lot on my family, whether it be to drive me places, to help me, to give me money, etc. Then, i came here to Germany, and realized for the first time, i was really alone. Not 'alone' in the sense of no one else being around, of course i had my host family, friends, friends and family back home, rotary, etc.

Every morning, i wake up, get ready for school and take the bus. As i think about the first time i took the bus, (Not like a school bus in the states, this is a ppublic transportation bus, that DOES NOT take you directly to your home...) i reealize how scared i was. If you have read my previous posts, then you know the first time i took the bus, i got on the wrong bus...but now, it seems totally normal. I've even taken the train by myself, and have managed to get where i need to go each time, without getting lost.

To you, maybe those things seem little. To me, they were huge. I am in a foreign country, and at first i didnt understand the language to easily, and i didnt speak very much German at all...and everything was so new. And the fact, i managed these things alone, was a huge deal to me.

i realized for the first time, it was my chance to grow up, and become an independent person. To learn. I am so thankful to be on this trip!
<3

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.

2010-01-17T13:17:00.003+01:00

I cant believe nearly 3 weeks have passed since i have last written! Its incredible how fast the time is flying by. Over the last few weeks, i havent done to much.....

a few weekends ago, on a Sunday, I climbed the Köppel with my host family, and Sally (the dog!) As i mentioned earlier, it has finally snowed here, so being able to climb up the *hill* was really pretty. The Köppel is one of the highest hills in the westerwald region, measuring 540 meters high! And there are different trails you can take. this time, we took a trail i wasn't familiar with, and it was beautiful. We went through the forest, and the trees with the snow glistening was a beautiful sight to see! Once we got to the top, there were so many people there, so we stayed outside and had something to drink, before hiking back down again. It seemed like each family that was there, had brought a dog with them, so it was really cool to see all the different dogs.

Then it was time to go back to school again. On Monday, i have either 8 hours, or 10 hours of school, this Monday, i had only 8 hours. When i have a longer day of school, i normally stay at school through the lunch hour, this time, i went with a friend, Sophia for Chinese! It tasted really good!! And every Chinese restaurant i have been to so far, serve these things called Fruhlingsrolle, (sp?) and they are my favorite!! And at the Chinese restaurants, they have the same type of hot sauce i use at home! =)

On Wednesday, i had a friend come over after school (Sophia). WE ate lunch with my host family, then we talked for a little bit, and then went to Sirius, it is a pub in my town. I had a really good time, because i am finally able to realize i can speak German pretty well. I don't think i am 100% fluent with speaking yet, but it was awesome to sit and talk with a friend in a whole other language (and have that friend understand what i am trying to say!!)

I recently went to the hair salon, and got my hair cut, and dyed, and straightened, i am quite pleased with the outcome! Then on Saturday, yesterday, i went to a ball with my host family. In the mornings, we went shoe shopping, dress shopping, and then went out to eat at Pizza Hut!!!! It was almost exactly the same inside as it is in the states, and they serve the same exact food as in America. I ordered the chicken wings, with barbecue sauce, and was shocked to discover the BBQ sauce, was exactly the same as it is in America!!! We came home, and shortly after, started to get ready for the ball. I had my hair really straight, and it looked really cute! (Picture is me with my host mom, Gaby) Once we got to the ball, i was able to see my first host family. it was nice being able to tell them what i have done over the last few weeks. The first hour we all stood around and talked to one another, and drank sekt. And then we went into the real ball room, and sat at the table, and listened to the opening speeches (Made by my first host dad, Rudolf) Then everyone got up and started dancing. Here, in Germany, everyone knows the real dances, like waltz, and so on and so forth. I love watching everyone here dance (I personally find it better, as in America) Then the möhnen (the group i was going to dance with) did their dance...and shortly after we went home. We came home pretty early, around 10, and i sat with my host mom, and we just talked a lot, till around 12:30am, and went for a walk quickly with sally, and went to bed around 1:30am.

Everything is going great with my host family. I really love it here. My hosts really make me feel welcome, and like i am a part of their family. My favorite is being able to play different card games and stuff after dinner. It reminds me a lot of our family game night, that my family used to do when we were all smaller. And of course, this host family has a dog, which is great!! =)

Language is getting better all the time. i feel like i understand pretty much everything. Normally, i can answer most questions. Sometimes i find it difficult, for example, when someone speaks so fast, or uses dialect, then i have more trouble understanding.

Weather, it is still snowy, so i am happy! But here, it seems to snow, and then rain...so most of it turns into slush...but, i still find it better then the constant rain, like in September.

Today, i am going with my host to family, to a birthday party, and then next week Carnival starts. And i will be going with a Rotarian to a musical!!

=)

...Times flying, never to return...

2010-01-06T15:45:00.007+01:00

You know the old saying, time flies by? I never really thought about how true that was. Back in August, when i first came here, i thought wow..i am going an entire year without seeing my friends and family...1 year, 52 weeks, 365 days...its incredible. I thought, 'wow, a year is such a long time...can i do it?' Here i am...6 months have gone by. And i can not believe it. Half of my exchange is already finished...it is unbelievable...6 months down...6 to go. As i think about my exchange year ending, i cant stop asking myself where the time went! I only have as much time left, as has already passed...it's sad.

I look at my last post, and realize it has been over 1 month since i last posted...my whole, update every 2 weeks didn't work out very well... =) I have been really busy since my last post. So, i will try my best to remember everything i have done...

A few weekends ago i was able to hang out a lot with friends, it was really cool! I went to my friend Brittas house on Tuesday, and we went to the Christmas market, with another friend, Dani, it was really neat. I really like the Christmas Markets!! I am really happy i have finally made some good friends here, and actually have plans and a social life again =) Then on Wednesday, Dani came over, and we made puppy chow!!! =) Which, she liked and that was good! Some American snacks =)

We started having a lot of little Christmas parties in school, in fact, i actually went with my German course to a Christmas Market, and for my bio class, we baked cookies, and did secret Santa, which was pretty neat! After this, we started our winter break!

On a Saturday, i went out with my friends in the morning to the Christmas market, and we had coffee and lunch, which was cool. Then, i went home and got ready for the Opera. We saw Zauberflöte. I dont know what its called in English, but i thought it was really nice. It was in Wiesbaden, which had some Americans, and you could tell exactly where they lived, because the houses were decorated extravagantly! We went out for dinner first (We, meaning host mom, host father, host grandma, host brother, and his girlfriend) It was a really nice restaurant. And from there, we went to the Opera. It was kinda hard to understand, but i think by the end i understood...

Well, my last post was about Thanksgiving...so naturally this one should be about Christmas. Here in Germany, on the 6th of December, they celebrate something called Nikolaus. (sp?) It is sort of like our Christmas eve in the states. We have a big dinner, with close family, and then we get small gifts. In a bag...which acts kind of like a stocking. But, before i get into more detail about Nikolaus..i finally had a rotary conference.

It was on the weekend of Nikolaus. We all met in Aachen, and it was for the entire weekend. So, me and another inbound, took a train from montabaur to Cologne, and then from Cologne, to Aachen. From there, we me with the other exchange students, and met the people we would be staying in host families for the weekend with. We then drove about 45 minutes to where i would be staying. For the first night, we stayed in host families, and the second night we were all together....so, i met my host family, and they were extremely nice!! We stayed up and talked until late (all in German!) and then the next day we all had breakfast together, and drove back to meet the other exchange students. We then went into Aachens Christmas market. It was nice...but the weather was crappy...rain! =( But when we got back together in the gym, it was warm and dry again. Then we did a gift exchange (i got a lighter and cigarettes) and then we started dancing. People were dancing till around 6 am, and then we were all awake at 7. Half of us, including me, didn't sleep!!! We then boarded our trains back to our home towns.
It was a pretty nice trip, very different compared to the conferences i went to in the states for rotary, but fun all the same.

So, my host mom met me at the train station, then we drove home, and i told her i was going straight to bed, i was sooo tired! So, i was able to sleep for 2 or 3 hours, and then she woke me up, telling me, we had a Christmas party (Nikolaus party)...so, i woke up and went to experience Nikolaus. First, everyone got together, and lit a candle for the advent, and then we sat down and ate a nice meal...and then the little bags with gifts. My host mom got me a snow globe, and a purse! I was really surprised...as my friends and family know, in the states, i really like brown clothing, and brown accessories...etc. I didn't know my host mom was able to tell that...anyways, the purse is brown, and exactly my style! =) Oh, and a weird thing, that i do not quite understand...on Nikolaus, in the mornings, there is a piece of chocolate in your shoe...

So...after Nikolaus....we had normal school for about 2 weeks, and then Christmas break begun!!! We had 2 weeks and a few days for christmas break, it was wonderful!

In Germany, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th, and not on the 25th. And, we do it in th evening, not super early in the morning. So, i woke up on Christmas eve, and i helped my host mom prepare the dinner. We made fondue, meat fondue, with a bunch of different sauces. It actually was pretty good!! So, the close family relatives came over, and we went in front of the Christmas tree, and sang a few songs. Here, you sing a few songs, and then you get your gifts. After singing, we handed out the gifts...i had made my host family a small scrapbook, with most of the pictures i had taken during my time with them. I really enjoyed making it, because i was able to remember all the things i had done since August. And with each picture, i tried to write a small memory that went with it. And in the end of the book, i wrote a letter thanking them for hosting me over the past 4 months...I really did have a wonderful time with them. I lived such a different life, compared to the states...and they were always so sweet and caring, and extremely patient with me. I am really thankful to have had such a wonderful host family. From my hosts, i got jeans, harry potter DVD set, in German, lotions, jacket, and a bunch of other things, it was great!!! We stayed up late (Martina and i, even later than the rest) then the next day, we woke up and went to my host grandmas for lunch. It was cool to sit and see all the other members of the family.

Then, on what they call, the second day of Christmas, we drove to Austria. Drove...i love how close the different countries are here. we are simply able to drive a few hours, and end up in a whole new country...anyways, we drove for only 4.5 hours, and we were in Austria! We went to the hotel, and then out to eat, and i went to bed. The next day, i started my ski school. First, we had to go and get ski materials. And i have to say...ski shoes are definitely not my idea of comfortable! you are always on ur toes, and ur knees always have to be bent, and i swear it is so hard to walk!! Anyways...then w went to where i would be attending my ski school. First, we began with only one ski, we did a little bit of going back and forth...then, we did both skis...and that was the first time i fell. I was hinking, great we arent even on a hill yet, and i have all ready managed to fall...how wonderful. Then, we started with the hill. And that went okay...of course, it was a ver very tiny hill. No lift...we went up by our skis...then, our teacher had us start to learn to stop...HAHA! That was extremely difficult. Because, of course, first you need to learn how to slow down, before you can learn how to stop...i was having problems learning to go slow...And as for stopping, since i go ice skating, i would always stop the same way i did in ice skating...and technically it isnt the right way to stop...eventually, once we got up to the first 'big' hill, i learned how to control my speed, an how to stop. I celebrated New Years, in the hut on the mountain. Here, they do loads and loads of fire works, and being on the mountain, you could see so many different sets of fireworks, sadly it was a little foggy, but i was able to see the different areas of the fog light up, which looked really cool too!! It was a fun time.

The funnest part was definitely being able to go all the way up the mountain. I had an amazing time skiing!! I really really like it. I am definitely joining the ski club when i get back to Clintonville! =) I did the ski school for 5 days. On the last day, we did a race, and i came in second place! I was only beat by .3 seconds! =( But, regardless, i think that was one of the funnest time i had in my life! (Vielen Dank Rudolf und Martina!)

When we came back from Austria, it was time for me to switch host families....so, i started to repack my suitcase...i couldnt believe, i cant believe, it has all ready been 5 months...it is so weird... It was sad saying goodbye to my first host family...but, i know we are going to stay in contact, and we dont live too far away from eachother now...so, visits are always possible.

So, i am now in my new host family, and i really like it here! They are extremely nice!! They live differently as my first host family, but it is still really good! I all ready feel really comfortable here, and i think the next couple of months are going to go very well. I love the fact that this host family has a dog...it makes me feel a little bit more at home. And, i can eat vegetarian meals here, which is really cool. In the evenings, we play a lot of card games, the whole family, and that is also really cool. I am able to learn german card games, and they learn the ones from America. (German card decks are so weird! they are only numbered 7-A, there are no 2-6...weird) Over the weekend, i went with my host brother rock wall climbing, and that was also a lot of fun...a little to high for me, but still fun.
Anyways, i think the next couple months, with this host family, is going to be great. It helps that i all ready understand German, and know a little bit more as to what to expect. And i have a good understanding with my host mom all ready. =)

Language, i think is going great. I have started dreaming and thinking in German...which is the weirdest feeling ever, but a good sign i think! =) I am starting to feel comfortable speaking German, which is really good.

School is going well, we just started our first day again today, after break. Its good to be able to see friends and everyone again =) The classes are getting easier and easier to understand. And i am able to understand the homework pretty well, and dont need to translate it so much to understand.

THe weather here is finally getting colder, and there is snow!! =) Homesickness was really not an issue over christmas...i was really suprised, but it went pretty well. I think because i was kept busy!!!

Thanksgiving in Germany

2009-11-28T13:34:00.004+01:00

"Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you"

Last weekend i went with my third host sister to a club, and that was great!! We went to the next city over, and the club, was a new one. We got there about 20 minutes before it opened, because we knew there would be a line. So, we got in the line and only waited about 45 minutes, and when we got up to the front, the security guards actually looked inside my purse!!! I was very suprised. So of course i turned to Laura (my host sister) and asked why in the world were they looking inside my bag?!? And she said they were checking for weapons...and of course i had my Epi-Pen in my bag...that took a bit of explaining, but in the end we ended up getting in.The first half an hour or so, was pretty boring...no one was dancing, and it wasnt quite full yet. But once people got there and the dancing started it was a lot of fun. My friend Saskia also ended up being there, so that was pretty cool getting to hang out with her! We stayed till around midnight, and then we went home, and i went straight to bed.

The next morning, i woke up, and my host mom decided it was time to start getting Christmas decorations down. So, she went into the attic and brought down a lot of decorations. We brought them all downstairs, and then my host mom started unpacking them and placing them around the house. Here in Germany, people dont really put up thousands of lights outside, no huge snowwglobes with snowmen, or santa...they dont concentrate much on the outside of the house. But, inside, they have a put on little figurines they place on windows, or on the table, etc. They also celebrate something called Advent. Advent is basically the coming of Jesus. I dont think they see it as a time of prayer and fasting, like some of us do in the states. But they have something called an Adventkranz. Meaning, Advent Candle. My host mom made her own, which is the picture. Once a week, before Christmas, a candle is lit. As you can see, there are four candles, meaning four weeks before Christmas. My host mom handmade hers. I couldnt believe it! As you can see, its beautiful! Like something you would buy at a store. Over the past couple of weeks, i've noticed my host mom is excellent at handmaking various things. She also made a really pretty door decoaration. You hang it on your door, i dont know what its called in English...or in German, but its really cool. She used pieces of pine tree, to make it so it doesnt clang really loud when the wind blows. And i've watched her make this little table decoration, again using different plants from outside, its really nice. And one of the rooms here, she hand made all the curtains!! She also hand makes sweaters...shes really talented!

I left around 1:00pm to go with Laura, and Sabine (3rd host mom) and a friend for a walk with Luna. We walked through this path in the forest, for about an hour, and it eventually opened up to a restaurant. (The same restaurant i visited a few months earlier, with the Urny girls...i'm sure its mentioned in one of my posts) I again ordered the Potato Soup (my favorite!) And we talked and ate. and then my host mom, Martina was there too! She was meeting with a few friends at the same restaurant we were in, it was funny. Then Me, Laura, Sabine, and Sabines friend went to the horse stables. It was great to see and be with the horses. My host sister has been riding for over 7 years! I really hope sometime i can go riding while i'm here, with Laura. =) Then Sabine and her friend went and got the car (Laura and i both were exhausted, so we stayed with horses while the others walked down to the car, and we waited to get picked up)

I really like meeting with my other host families, because i am hoping it will make the change easier...Speaking of switching host families, i will be switching next month. I can hardly believe it!! I have been here nearly 4.5 months...its unbelievable!! After Christmas, when i get back from Austria, i will be changing to my second host family. To be honest, i am a little nervous. I have finally figured everything out in the host family...i mean my first few days here were insane. I remember my first weekend, asking myself, oh god, do they shower before they go down for breakfast? Am i supposed to wait an hour or so, so Rudolf and Martina can talk alone and read the newspaper? Am i allowed to go downstairs before a certain time in the morning? And on weekdays, i never had any idea what time i should be ready by...it was very confusing, and exhausting my first few weeks, trying to fgure out the routines of this family...and i know it will be the same way when i switch host families. I will have to figure out the new families routines...etc.

My first host family is wonderful, and i am so very thankful to them, for hosting me these past couple of months. They were always patient with my language, and were always sweet and caring. I am so happy i was able to spend these past couple months as a member of their wonderful family.

I've all ready met my second host family, which definitely makes the change easier. They are extremely nice!! My host second host mom, Gaby has come with us to a few different places, and when i talk to her, i can see she is very nice, and also patient with my language, which is good!!! I look forward to staying with them.

In the states this past weekend was Thanksgiving. A few weeks earlier, i had told my host family a little about thanksgiving, and mentioned its the first major holiday away from home. And my host mom suggested i celebrate Thanksgiving here! I was sooo happy!! So, i began planning and thinking of the various foods we make on thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, aunt sherri's jello, mashed potatoes with corn, stuffing, and of course Turkey. The next couple weeks passed by, and we'd gone grocery shopping, and i kept looking for a can of pumpkin pie mix, or something...there was no luck with this what so ever. I couldnt begin to imagine Thanksgiving with no pumpkin pie!!!

So, i searched the internet for a recipe for making a pumpkin pie...from a pumpkin in the garden. Well, thank God, i found a recipe!! So, the night before Thanksgiving my host mom and i went shopping, for a pumpkin, and various other ingredients. And we found a pumpkin...a Bio Pumpkin (Organic Pumpkin) I am sure I've mentioned before how my hosts eat organically...and we find an organic pumpkin, it was hilarious.

The next day, i got home from school, ate lunch, and immediatly began to start cooking. (This was around 1:30pm.) Everyone,(Martina, Rudolf, Marius, Domi, Britta, and my host grandma) were to arrive at 7:30pm. So, i figured the first thing would be to start the jello, and make sure it chills on time, (2 hours) So, by about 3 i had the jello prepared, and ready to chill in the fridge for the next 2-3 hours. Then, i began with he pumpkin.

So, i followed my recipe step by step,

Step 1. Wash pumpkin (without soap) so, i washed my pumpkin, being sure to use no soap (haha).

Step 2. Cut pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds. I began searching for knife to cut my bio pumpkin in half, thinking, that will take like 2 minutes at the very most. How very wrong i was!!! I used one of the sharpest knifes i could find..but it wasnt going over very easily. All in all, it took me about 30 minutes to cut the pumpkin in half. (It is now a little after 3:30) Now time to remove the seeds. That was pretty easy, messy but easy. Once seeds were removed, i separated the seeds from the pumpkin glop, so i could later bake them.

Step 3. Cut the pumpkin into four parts. How wonderful, yet again cutting the pumpkin. So, i went to cut the pumpkin around 4:00pm. All the while, in my head i am telling myself not to cut my finger off...This time it wasnt to hard, only took about 10 minutes.

Step 4. Use a microwavable bowl, put 4 inches of water inside, and place four pieces of pumpkin in bowl and microwave for 30 minutes. Easy enough right? If your in your own home, and know which bowls are allowed to be used inside the microwave for that amount of time, yes its so easy. but here i had no idea which bowls i could use for the microwave. So, after about 10 minutes of panicking, i decided to text my host brother Marius, and ask him which bowls i can use for the microwave (my hosts have over like...50 different bowls, i swear) He so helpfully replied, to not use a plastic one....well, that was helpful, but i still didnt know which one i could use....so, i replied, would a white one be okay, and he said yes, that should work out okay. (My host mom was at a conference, my host brother was at a friends, and my host dad was working, i was cooking alone) So, i placed the four pieces in bowl, and began microwaving in 10 minute intervals.

Step 5. After finished microwaving, the pieces of the pumpkin should be soft enough to remove the shell. Remove shell, and place pumpkin glop in separate bowl. Sure, easy...Well, i took the bowl out, and of course it was boiling hot, which of course means that the pumpkin pieces are also bowling hot. Well, i drained the water, grabbed a knife and a spoon, and picked up the first top pumpkin piece. And began to peel the shell off. And it seemed pretty easy, i was like thank God. By now its about 5:30-5:45pm. So, i finished the first chunk of pumpkin peeling, grabbed the next one, and it came off pretty easily. Then i grabbed the third piece, and it seemed hard as rock. So, i put it back in the mircowave for about 10 minutes, and it made no difference. So, i began cutting random chunks out of the third piece. Then out of the fourth piece, it was even worse. and it was so hot, i could hardly touch it. I managed to get enough out of shelling it. I'd had enough of the stupid pumpkin, and it was now 6:30pm. In one hour everyone was going to get here, and i hadnt even begun the stuffing, ot anything else other than the sweet stuff!!!!

Step 6 Puree pumpkin glob. So, i started trying to mash it with a spoon, and it went okay, except for the rock hard pieces...so, then i tried using a mixer. and the pieces wouldnt get any smaller!!! I finally gave up..

Step 7 Mix all together, and bake. So, i mixed all the ingrediants together...and it just didnt look right. it looked super watery, and i was like, just wonderful!!

(Step 8) Freak out and run upstairs and attempt to get ahold of someone who could tell me how to make pumpkin pie mix thicker. (I was told that by baking it, it should get better...and thicker...) THANKS KATI!!!

Step 9 Make pie crust, and that was simple. At this point, my host mom called me and told me she would soon be home. And she asked if everything was okay...i looked around me, at the stupid pumpkin pieces, and my burnt hands...and said "Yeah, everything's great! Almost finished with the pumpkin pie". So, then i began baking the pie.

I set off to finish making Aunt sherri's jello, and it worked out pretty well. Finished with the jello salads, i put them back in the fridge, and began making the stuffing. (Only 45 mins before everyone came!!) Thank god, my host mom came home, and began making the mashed potatoes. Well, the stuffing only took about 15 minutes to make, and since we decided that cooking a turkey would have been to hectic, we made Grilled cheese sandwiches.

In the end, i finished a few minutes after 7:30pm. We all sat down around 8, and began eating. My host mom had been very nervous about eating American Food (I dont think shes a big fan of it...) Well, everyone got a little bit of everything and tried it, and it turned out tasting wonderful! Everyone liked the grilled cheese, and the stuffing. We then had the jello, and the pumpkin pie, which was everyones favorite. But the weirdest thing was, we had the pumpkin pie warm. I have never eaten pumpkin pie warm before, but it tasted pretty good.

After this, we all cleaned up together, and then my friends went home, and i went and sat with my host family. They talked about Thanksgiving, and thanked me for making it. It was really a lot of fun, and definitely helped the homesickness. To be honest, thinking of thanksgiving in the states, i was quite homesick. Made me really miss my family, this was the first year i wasnt with my family, or my brother Kevin, for thanksgiving. But, i am so happy i was able to celebrate it here, and my host mom was so sweet. We even said what we were thankful for at the table, and my host mom said i could speak English! All in all, i really helped to celebrate it here.

Sitting with my host family, we somehow got onto the topic of baby books. And i was able to see my host brothers baby book, it was cute. We then looked through all the other photo albums, and i learned my hosts met eachohter in 7th grade, and then started dating in 10th grade, and ended up married!!! I find that the sweetest thing ever!! =)

We didnt go to bed until very late, but it was worth it. I really enoyed myself, and being able to make Thanksgiving. It was a great experience!!

Everything else is going good. There is still no snow here, but its getting colder, i am hoping for snow soon!! School is going well. In my Bio class, we'll be baking christmas cookies, and i will be making eggnog! I am excited for that!! And next weekend is something called Nicholaus (sp??) Anyways, its the 6th of December, and we got stockings filled with sweets, and small gifts. I will be spending this weekend, with Rotex on a trip in Aachen. We're going to a Christmas Market...and i am hoping i will find some Christmas gifts there.

Language is getting better every day, i noo longer have language tutoring with Frau Bosse. =( She was very sweet, and i really liked her. And at my last tutoring session, she gave me a book, (Breaking Dawn in German) It was very sweet. But, i am now having "tutoring" at school, with my Geography teacher, and the other exchange students. This one focuses more on speaking, and less on grammar, so hopefully this will help me improve my speaking!! And Frau Thelen speaks amazing English, because she lived in Britain for a few years, and i am excited to have someone who can explain a few things to me, in English, so i can understand it! =)

I even had the chance to go to a Christmas Market this past weekend, and ride Ferris wheel, and try German eggnog! Completely different than in the states! Wealso visited a Museum all about Germany's history, it was really cool. My second host mom came with!!! =)

Host mom treats Camel bite... =)

2009-10-31T15:35:00.004+01:00

Wow, it has been awhile since my last post!!! I have beeen pretty busy these past couple weeks!

Well, my last post, i mentioned herbstFerien (Fall break!) Well, it was so much fun!! The first couple days, i pretty much just slept in, and hung around the house. (My hosts didnt have the fall break, only the school students) So, in the mornings, i slept in, and normally used the mornings to catch up on emails, and reading. Then my hosts would come home in the afternoons, and we would have lunch (more like a dinner in the states) and chat a little.

Well, one of the days during break, i was able to work at a Veternarians!!! It was absolutely wonderful!!! Since, i do not have any animals in my first host family, being able to work at the Vets, was great! First, a girl, Jenny, showed me around the clinic. The different rooms, and what each room was used for. There were so many rooms for the cats, it was unbelievable!! Then, i was able to look on during a surgery. I watched two male cats get neutered. And then, there were some basic appointments, and those were pretty interesting. But, i have to say my favorite part was deff. getting to play and be with the animals. There was this adorable little baby black kitten, it was long haired and soooo fluffy! And it was extremely playful, and sooo adorable! I loved it!! And there was also, this HUGE dog! I didnt even know what breed it was! But she was a sweet heart, despite the fact she prolly weighed more than me, and i am pretty sure if she had stood up, she would have been at least 2 feet taller than me!! Shes huge! but was such a sweety!! The entire day, i only spoke German, and that was pretty cool. and if i didnt understand a word, the people didnt immediatly startspekaing english to me, instead they explained the word, in German, and i was able to understand it! All in all, it was quite a fun time!!

And i think it was the day after this, or maybe a few days, i cant really remember, i was able to go with my "Host Uncle" and watch him make his regular TV series! Martinas brother, is a famous, and excellent singer here in Germany! He sings tenor, and is totally amazing! And he has a show here, called Sonntags Tour, which means sunday tour. And he travels around, different areas, in germany, and interviews people about what they do, and then it turns into a TV series. When i went with him, he was in Bad Ems. Bad Ems, has a veryyy famous health spa!! It is all natural salt, and i was able to go into the salt factory, and see how it was made! It was awesomeee!!! And then, we went down to a main part of the city, and i am not exactly sure what they were doing, but they got into a veryyy old vehicle, and filmed some more, and they went across the river and filmed a little, while i stayed behind and got to look a little around the city. It was really a lot of fun, except for it was cold. I was wearing my host moms ski jacket, and i was still pretty cold. The day was a little rainy, but not to bad. But by the time i came back home, i was like frozen solid! I had a few cups of tea, and took a veryyy warm shower, and then was finally feeling better! But, it was really an awesome day. I really enjoyed it.

I also went out with my host brother, and a few of his friends to a pub in Koblenz, Enchilada. It was really a pretty cool time. My host bro's friends are really nice, i like hanging out with them. We actually stayed out until around 4am!! I was exhausted by the time we got home, and immediatly went to bed! Then the next day, i woke up around 11, and my host dad told me my second host mom, Gaby, had called and invited me to go to Koblenz with her and her husband, and another American. But sadly, i had woken up to late =(

(Marksburg Castle)

So, my hosts and i decided we would go toMarksburg, and guess what?? My second host family was there!! So, we met up in Marksburg. Marksburg is a beautiful castle! And there is a legend, called the Lorelai (sp?) Where a sorceress sits upon a very high rock, brushing her long long hair, and she distracts the ship men, and the ship men end up crashing into the rock. I am pretty sure this story is in the states too...i remember hearing something about it. But the view from up there was totally amazing! It was so beauitful. We also went in and had Federweiser (sp??) Its a type of wine, that is like sweet. It tasted really good! I also had some good apple pie!! Then we went to the actual Marksburg. It was soo nice! First, we climbed up a few flights of stairs, and the view was spectacular! I loved it. And after this, we went to a restaurant, but the restuarant itself looked more like a castle to me! and the food was delcious! The other American, really liked the sauasge types you can get here in Germany. I really like the bratwursts..the others, i havent tried really. I tried a few of them, and they are okay. But, not my favorite thing in the world to eat!!

My RYEO from the states was also in Germany during my break!!! It was absolutely great to see her!! i hadn't really realized how much i really missed home, until i saw her. But we had a great time, she came to ym hosts hous,e where we had some tea, and cake. And then she came with us to my host mothers group, "Urny Girls" which is just a little group of her and her friends and they meet up in various areas. It was fun, we hiked up to the place where we were going to eat, and it was great being able to talk to Ann. And then, i went with her to Essen, and Düsseldorf over the weekend. And it was really cool being able to go into the little shops, and talk to her (in English) about everything i have done so far, and for there to be some one else there who understood how different it is here. It was great, i really enjoyed myself. and at the end of this little get together, of cours,e i had to say good bye. Which truly sucked. Of course, i cried a little. But, strangely, i wasnt to home sick after she left. I was worried i would end up getting really homesick, after seeing her, but i am not. (Thank God!) But it was an amazing experience.

I also had the chance to go to the Circus!!!! It was my first one and it was totally great!! We were able to see Camels, and Zebras and so many other animals! I even got the chance to ride one of the camels!!! It was great! Eric, another exchange student, was there with me. It was my host mom, Martina, my second host mom, Gaby, Eric, and I. There was an intermission halfway throug,h and we went out to feed and pet the animals. Ihad a lot of fun feeding the zebras, and then we were feeding the camels, and the camels were indeed quite hungry. I had run out of food, and was sort of standing there, when another camel came up, and bit my hand. At first it hurt, but it didnt really look to bad. It was pretty red, but i couldnt tell the skin had been broken, so i didnt really say anything. Then Eric and I went to ride the camel!! That was a once in a lifetime experience i do believe! We then went back in to watch the rest of the Circus. At the end of the circus, my hand had started to hurt a little more, and when i looked down at it, i realized the camel had actually broken through the skin!!! We then went home, dropped Eric off, and my host mothers were talking about how to treat a camel bite. In the end, they just decided to put some anti bacteria on it, and then just keep an eye on it. So, when i got home with Martina, i went and washed my hands, and in the light, i could see it was a little swollen over the bite. But wasnt to worried, Martina then put on some cream, that burned sooo much! And then we read it, and it said it shouldnt go right on wounds...and its not for people with asthma...so, we rinsed it off immediatly, and put some other type of cream on it. We then wrapped it up, very nicely...and i went to sleep. The next day, it still didnt look to bad, a little bruised and a little swollen, but nothing to horrible....Well, that night i stayed with my host sister, Laura, and while i was there, my hand had swollen up, really thick...and we decided it would be best if i went to the doctor. Sure enough, the next day, my entire hand was huge!!! And it was tinted blue...it looked quite weird. So, we went to the doctor, and the people just laughed when i said i was bit by a camel...the doctor, looked at it, and put some cream and disenfectant on it, and then wrapped it up. and told me my prescription was to eat half a pine apple every day...funny, i know. But something in the pine apple was supposed to help bring down the swelling. Well, the next day it was till swollen, so, we went back to the doctor, and he put some other cream on it, and wrapped it up again, and gave me some cream to put on at home. Finally, like 5 days later, my hand returned to normal. You can still see the wound, where it had bitten, but my hand is not even swollen any more. =)

So, my break was definitely one i will not forget. It was very exciting...and quite strange. But, it was so much fun!!

Now, i have returned to school after 2 weeks free. But, its good to be able to see my friends, and to ahng out with them now.

The weather here is getting colder, and it rains often. Tonight is halloween, and i am going out with a few friends to a big party! i am quite excited!!!

My host family is still great. I cant believe i only have about 9 weeks left with them...its so weird half of my exchange is almost over!! =(

Language gets better every day. And so does the food! I think i can finally say, i am used to German food. It really doesnt shock me as much as it had my first couple days here. Now, i quite like it!! And it is so much healthier than in the states, i have all ready lost weight! =)

Halloween was great!! i went to a friends house to get ready, and then went out to a club! it was truly a fun time, and celebrated so much differently than in the states!!!

Until next time...

Be happy for this moment, this moment is your life.

2009-10-09T15:07:00.000+02:00

Hallo!!

So, nothing to much is new here.

A few weekends ago, we had two guys from Austria staying with us. They were actually pretty cool, very nice. I definitely realized the different between Austrian German, and Germany..German. I had a hard time understanding what they were saying, but sometimes i was able to catch a few words, and understand pretty much what the topic of the conversation was. They stayed with us, beause of the Schutzenfest. (Sp?) Schutzenfest is a shooting festival. My host dad is something like the captain of it. It's pretty sweet. It was a pretty fun time, we went in the evening, of course, i wore the dirndl. The beginning it was just a lot of talking to different people, and introductions. Then i followed my host mom around selling Lotto (raffle tickets) We then went and sat, and talked to some more people. My third host mom, Sabine, was also there. So, i talked to her a little, and then Martina went dancing. It was awesome to see all the dances they do here!!! It's nothing like American dancing....or maybe it is...but i have never seen it before. It was awesome! I took a bunch of videos...once i figure out how in the world to upload them, i will do that. The rotary club president was also there, so, i said hi to him,a nd talked for a few minutes, and then, before he left he boughtsome lotto tickets, and gave them to me, it was very sweet of him!! And, believe it or not, i actually one! twice!! My first prize was a blood pressure machine...woot! ;) Then, i also won a plane ride around the westerwald. I think that will be alot of fun when i get the chance to do it!!! I am so excited for it!!! =) We came back to the house pretty late (or early...depending on the way u look at it)

Sunday, we went to Koblenz with the 2 guys from Austria, and had soem ice cream (which was delicous) and walked around a little while. I was ableto take some awesome pictures!! (I love taking pictures here!)

The next weekend, friday, i went shopping with my friend Domi!! And it was a total blast! And, i got rid of my flip flops!! (I know, big suprise!!!) i bought some tenni's and i bought a few jackets, and pulli's, and some new jeans (skinny jeans) i really like them!! it was a lot of fun, it was great to just sit and talk to her (in german!!...and a little english of course)

Sunday, i went to my third host sisters' birthday party (Lana&& Leonie, they are twins) it was pretty fun. I was able to meet alot of the different family members. And the cake this time...was a little bit closer to the birthday cake i am used to in the states. It looked something like marble cake. I didnt have that one though, i tried this mango, strawberry, "cake". It was interesting. We then watched some home movies, and it was pretty cute.

Although, watching the home movies, amde me feel a little bit homesick. But, it was okay.

Then on Monday it was back to school. School is still going pretty well. I have finished my first exams. Which were actually, not as bad as i thought. Although, stupidly, in english i completely over thought one of the questions, and answered it completely wrong...so, i probably look like a dunderhead...but oh well. I still like most of my classes. A few of them , i wouldnt mind having less of, but oh well. I am starting to get to know my way around the school pretty well now. and my friends make things a lot easier, and less awkward.

I was pretty sick this past week, with a stupid stomach flu...and it was awful. But i am feeling a lot better now. I had my first experience with the Dr. I do not know, if it is only my host family, or if it is in all of Germany, but the doctor comes to the house...you do not go to the doctor. And luckily, the dr spoke english (i didnt feel like concentrating on German when i was ill) and found out i basiclly just had the stomach flu. And here, i was told to drink lots of tea. The tea wasnt to bad, a bit different than in the states (no sugar, and no milk) but it wasnt so bad. I was sick until Thursday, then started to feel better. and today (Friday) i went back to school. And now, we are in Herbstferien (Fall break) for two weeks. =)

During Herbstferien, i think i am going to Luxembourg, and to the oldest German city! I am excited! i will also be going over to Domi's house as well!!

As for my host family, all is still going wonderful. I still like them a lot. They very sweet, and extremely nice.
The language is getting easier every day, i just need to get over feeling embarassed when i try to speak..once i overcome that small obstacle, i think it will be better.

All in all, it has been totally amazing so far. And it has all ready been 2 mnths!!! I cant believe it! I still fidn it hard to believe io am actually in a whole different country...its just so amazing. Anyways, thats all for now.

<3

Schule, und Oktoberfest

2009-09-22T20:35:00.002+02:00

Wow, so it has been a while since my last post!!! I think i will start with how school is going for me here.

The classes are beginning to get better. I am starting to be able to follow what is going on (at least, i know when the teacher says to take out a piece of paper and write something down!) I still love my English class. I enjoy understanding everything! But i have to say, so far my favorite is Biology, and Geography. Geography is taught in English, and the teachers english, i would say is perfect. And in Biology, it is taught in German, but i am able to follow and understand what we are doing. In my math class, it is getting better. I am starting some tutorials about what we are learning, and i can now do half of a problem!!! =)

Well, a few weeks ago, we had something called a Wandertag, i think i mentioned it before. Well, anways it is like a Field trip in the states. I went Canoeing...So, since i have never gone canoeing or anything like it before, this was very interesting. We got to the school a little before 8am, and then drove to Bad Ems. (or nearly in Bad Ems) and we learned all about how to remeber to start swimming when you fall into the water, and of course, remeber to breathe! We also learned what an arrow meant to do (turn of course!) It was pretty funny. Then we got into the Canoes, and started our 11 kilometer ride. The paddling was actually kind of difficult. My boat wasnt exactly the best at steering! But, we managed. I have to say, i prefer land. But all in all, it was pretty fun. It was better than going to school anways. But it was something new to try, and i was even able to see a bunch of swans! they were just swimming in the river, it was awesome!! Although, i am sad to say, i didnt have my camera with me (I was afraid of falling in!!!!) so i couldnt take any pictures. But i was able to see Teepee's, and a few other neat things.

After Wandertag, i actually spent the weekend with my third host family. My first host parents, went to a Spanish island, so rather than stay alone...well, not alone, Marius was here also, i went to my third ost family's. It was a lot of fun!!! I really enjoyed it! My first night, i pretty much hung around with my host sister, Laura, and watched some German Soap Opera's. They were pretty funny, and i was able to understand what was being said!!! The soaps here are pretty similiar to ours in the states. Lots of pointless drama. Then later that night, i went to Kirmes, with Saskia and Domi. They are two of my pretty good friends here. I mainly hang out with them, and Britta. They are really nice! And are intent upon me learning German! which is good..i suppose! ;) Kirmes was a lot of fun! We danced and hung out with a few other people. It was fun, i liked it!!!

Then on Saturday, i went for a walk with my host sister, and her friend, with Luna, and her friends dog. It was pretty sweet! Then we watched a movie (with English subtitles) that was pretty good. That night, i was able to talk to my host mom, Sabine, about Wisconsin. She has a book about the different states in the US, and i was able to show her WI, and the town i lived in. And talk to her about the different areas. It was nice. Made me feel a little homesick...but, all is okay. I enjoyed talking about it. And the last night i was there, i walked with luna around Hundsdorf. I didnt get lost!!!! Then came back, and had a Döoner (sp?) It's a turkish sandwich...that is huge!!! I can only eat like half of it!!!

Monday i came back to my first host family, and it was good to see them again!! It's going to be really different when i change families! But, i think it will go well. I have met all of my host families all ready, and they are all very nice, and very sweet. My second family, actually lives jsut down the street from my first host family! I won't go to them, until end of December, or January-ish.

And of course...OKTOBERFEST!!!!!
Well, i went to oktoberfest this past Friday, through Sunday. I'll start at the beginning. =)

Friday, i went to school, and my last class seemed like it was lasting for hours!!! But, finally the bell rang, and i met my host brother, and we drove back to the house, where we ate lunch. Then, we thought we were leaving at 3, but it turned out we were supposed to leave at 2. So, we cleaned up from lunch, and went upstairs to pack. Once packing was finished, we got into the bus (My hosts, and friends of the family, rented a bus to take to Munich, so we could all drive together) and started our trip, of about 5 hours. First, we had to stop at the clothes shop, because i had to get my dirndl fitted a little bit better. After about 1-2 hours of driving, i decided to just go to sleep. I woke up again, when we were nearly in Munich, and then we had to search for the Hotel. We found the hotel, Feringapark, and unpacked our bags in our rooms. I shared a room with my host mom, Martina. We then went to Schatzi, a dirndl shop. My host dad had to pick up his vest for his Lederhosen. We then walked back to the hotel, and had something to eat and sat around talking for a little while. Around 10 or so, we went back to our rooms, and i went to sleep immediatly.The next morning, we had breakfast around 9 (I ate breakfast!!!) and then we started our journey to Oktoberfest!!!!!

First, we all had to get changed into our dirndl, or Lederhosen. I was having some issues with mine, and ended up using a safety pin to close the top of it...(brilliant idea of my host mothers!) They turned out looking really cute! Mine had the colors of the USA on it, and my host moms was really pretty. And my host dad had a vest, to match Martina's Dirndll.

So, we talked to the bus stop first, and it was really funny, i was watching the people driving by in the cars, and a lot of the people pointed at us. I would have thought, they would be used to seeing all the Dirndl...oh well. So, we got onto the bus, and drove for about...5 minutes or so, then got off of the bus, and got onto a subway. Now...subways, i had never taken one before coming here, and i have to say, they go extremely fast...!!!! But, otherwise they are okay. Although, i guess there was to much traffic on the railway...or w-e they are called, and we had to stop for a little while. But, then we got going again, and changed onto a different one, and then finally arrived at Oktoberfest!!! I have to say...i would prolly not have been able to get to this spot by myself! i would have taken the wrong bus, and or subway for sure! (Although, this past week, i have taken the bus 3 times, and managed to get on the right one...all three times!!!!!)

Anways, my first impression was "Holy shit!" The place was hugeeee!!!!!!i have never seen so many people before...ever! We first stopped and got our picture taken (i will upload these pictures soon, but if u have a FB please look in the album, titled oktoberfest!) We walked around a little bit, and watched the parade...and after watching the parade we began our wonderfully fun trip into the Hippodrom...but, of course there were millions of people u had to get through, in order to get anywhere near the Hippodrom...and, i guess i need to learn how to push and shove people...

Well, i started out just trying to follow my host family, but quickly figured out they were a heck of a lot more faster, and better at getting through loads and loads of people, and nearly got lost...but then, i was placed in between Claudia, and Klaus (friends of my host family) and i held on to Klaus's lederhosen, to not get lost.
There were so many people, it was insane trying to get through the crowd...and finally, once we got through the crowd...i was so hot, and sweaty, it was gross.

We finally got into the Hippodrom, and sat at our table, and had the first round of beer (I had a rattler...spelling??) It was pretty good! i have to say, i liked it better, than the beer i had tried before! so everyone sat around drinking, and singing, and dancing, and toasting. it was pretty funny.

After about 3 hours of this, we moved to the Champagne bar. It was pretty fun...although, i do not think i am a big fan of Champagne. And i reallllllllly had to go to the bathroom, so i told my host mother, i would be going down stairs to use the bathroom, and she said she would go with me. So, we ventured down to the bathrooms (again going through like thousands of people) and we did our business, and went to go back up, but the guards would not let us back up, so we tired 3 different areas, but to no avail. We couldnt get up...then , my host brother, Marius, had come down, and somehow, i am still unsure how exactly, got us back up into our area. And we fought throughthe thousands of people, just to find out, the others had gone back to the hotel. =(

So, we ventured yet again, down to near the bathrooms, where the wonderful fresh air was waiting for us! And when we walked out of the tent, the first thing i see are a bunch of people, randomly laying in the grass, and near the road!!! i pointed to my host mother, and she was like, ja...its okay, there are plenty of police, so i said "Martina, what if they die??" and she was just like, there are plenty of police.... lol, although, i did feel pretty bad for those people...my guess was they didnt feel to well come morning!!!

We then went back to the hotel, and ate and eventually went to sleep.

The next day, we went and watched another parade, and went to eat near the Marienplatz, and then finally started back for home around 2. But we didnt get home until nearly 9pm. I went straight to bed, and got up for school the next day.

All in all, Oktoberfest was definitely something i will never forget. It was really a lot of fun! especially seeing-hearing all the authentic german dancing, and musik. it was really neat!! I really enjoyed myself, and am very happy i had this chance to go! (Thank you Martina und Rudolf!!!!!!!)

Speaking of my host family, they are great. I am still loving it here.. I feel really comfortable in their home, and they still make me feel like i am really a part of their family. And, now they are speaking German to me, all the time.so my language is becoming a lot better! I am now trying to reply in German...and i think i am getting better every day!!!

And to answer some questions, the wildlife here is just like the wild life in the states. Except for they have wild pigs running around in the forests. And there are hardly anny squirrells...i have yet to see one...besides ones in the pet shop! There are also birds that look like crows, but they are half white, they are pretty cool. But i guess they try to take anything shiny they see!!!
Soon is the fall break, and i can not wait!!!!
liebe grüße!!!
<3

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence

2009-09-08T13:39:00.036+02:00

Hallo!!!
So, everything here is going wonderfully! I am having an amazing time here in Deutschland!!! I can'T remeber everything i have done since my last post..!!

Well, i have gone to my first rotary meeting (not the conference!) I went with my RYE Counselor, Anke, to the castle (literally...a castle!!) where rotary meetings are held. This wasn't an official meeting, every first Tuesday of the month, they have a meeting, where you just sit, eat, and talk. No formal presentations. The food they served was fish. (I knew it was going to happen sometime!) I am happy to say, i finished nearly all of it! And it truly was not that bad! =) The rotary membrs here are a little bit different than the ones back home. I know the ones back home, are always very interested in the exchange student, and talk to them a lot. Here, in Germany, it is more formal. I had a few people talk to me, but not that many really. (I am assuming this will change as i get better at German!)

I have also had my first rotary conference!!! They are much different here than they are in the states...it was only 3 hours long! but i was able to meet all of the inbound,s and i have to say, it is going to be a lot of fun this year!!!!

Speaking of the German language, my tutoring is still going very well. Today, i get started in a new practice book! (Hurray!) I am understanding a lot, nearly verything that is said to me. An i am beginning to be able to reply better in German. During school, my friends mainly speak German to me, they really want me to learn German!They're predictions are, i will be perfkt by the end of the year! I hope they are right!!!

School is still going well. I wrote my first test! And yes, i say 'Wrote' because in Germany (maybe all of europe?) you do not have the multiple choice. They do not even know what that is. The teacher asks questions, and u have a short response. My first test was in Biology, and i guess i didnt do that bad!! When the teacher handed the tests back, she told Saskia, to tell me, i dsid well! I was pleased, lol =) On Friday, my school will behaving the wandertag (field trip) We are indeed going Canoeing. I am still unsure where...but my host mom keeps saying something about, on the Land...i am not quite sure what she means. I don't think u can canoe on land?? But, Land prolly means something else in German...or i am completely misunderstanding her...which is very likely.
A few days ago, i went with a few of my friends during mittagpuase (I had no sport!!! yay!) And we went into the town fr some chinese food! But sadly, they were closed! =( So, instead i had a doner (i do not tihnk this is spelled right!) It's turkish, and a little like a sandwich, with yogurt in it. It is actually pretty good! My friends also made me order this by myself...but, i was pretty successful!!!!! We then did a little shopping, and ate some ice cream!! The bees here are insane! And i ahve to say, my friends are scared of them, and it is hilarious to watch them stand up and run away when one comes near!!

I have made some friends here. One of them, was in the US for half a year!! So, she is fluent in English, and is very nice to talk to! I went with a few of them to Kirmes last weekend. (I think every town must have one of these!) This time, it was in Wirges. It was a lot of fun!! I was able to meet and see a lot of people from school there,which was pretty sweet. and i got to see what people do here, just to hang out.

Before i went to Kirme,s i went with my host mother to Koblenz. We just walked around the shops a little bit, and went to he Bio supermakrt again. it's a lot different than the US...all the stores here. The sales people are very helpful...and are eager to help u...even if u want to try something on...they help u with that also...very interesting!

On our way back from Koblenz, we stopped at the Bakery, and my host mother had me go in and order what we needed!...by myself!!! so, i walked in, and went to order. And everything i said was right, but the woman laughed at me!! But, i got what we needed, went back into the car, and told Martina, that she laughed at me, and Martina also laughed!!! grr! =)

Well, i think that is basically all! Tonight, i have language tutoring. Same wth the rest of the week!! And in like 2 weeks, its Oktoberfest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) =) =)

Tschüs!

Cologne, and daily living

2009-08-31T18:30:00.002+02:00

Well.....
On Saturday, my host brother and my host father, took a trip to München, to watch the ever so famous, Soccer game. They are BIG supporters of the Bayern München team. And were totally decked out inBayern Münchens colors, when they took off.

As for me, i went with my host mother into Köln (Cologne). I was absolutely amazing!!! The buildings there were magnificent (as nearly all the buildings are here in Germany!) I even saw a building shaped like an egg!!
We went to Cologne so my host mother could take a trip to the Bio supermaket. (One of the few places you can get bio meat!) Once we got that out of the way, we did a little sight seeing. My host mother had wnated to find a pair of boots for winter, so we checked out a lot of the shoe stores (she is a real fan of shoes! =) )
She also took me shopping!!!!! Where, i was able to get 5 new shirts, and a hair straightener!! =) I was really thankful, Martina is a very giving person. =)
We then went to the Cologne Cathedral (DOM) it was truly amazing!!! I couldnt fit the entire church into the view of my camera (will post pictures soon!) it was truly amazing...and a way to remember what year it was built...
1
1+1=2
2+2=4
4+4=8
(1248)
(My host mom taught me this)

We left Cologne around 8pm. I then went to kirmes with my friend (and soon to be host sister) Laura, in Deesen. Kirmes is a festival...i think something like a religious festival. I know it is celebrated from the church. Each year, a different tree is cut down, and used as the kirmes tree. And each tree has a special kirmes saying on it, every year it is different. Every town has a kirmes...i think it is something like a fair from the church, back in the states.
Anyways, i had a fun time there. It was a chance to speak with people my own age, i enjoyed it very much. By the time i came home from kirmes, it was all ready midnight. I didnt go to sleep until some time after 1 o'clock in the morning.

The next day, was a birthday party, near Cologne. It was my host mom's nieces, 15th birthday. So, i went with Martina to her sisters home. Her sister has a beautiful home. In Germany, the birthdays are celebrated a little bit differently. Not to different from the states, this one was one with only family. And a birthday cake, is a lot different here than in America. In America, we all know birthday cake...here in Germany...it is more often like a cheese cake, or sort of pie. The birthday party was nice.

Now, i have been getting a lot of emails asking me what my daily life is like. so, i figured i would post a little bit about my daily life here in Germany.

Now that school has started, i am on more of a fixed schedule. I wake up in the morning around 6:30am (time difference from here, and WI is 7 hrs!i am ahead) Then at about 7:00am, i go down for breakfast, where i usually just have a glass of orange juice...still not a big fan of eating in the morning! I then leave for school at about 7:30am. I then havemy classes, and during Mittags Pause, depending on the day, i come home. Mittags Pause is a little like lunch in the cafeteria in the states, But here, they do not havea cafeteria, you go home, or out during this hour to eat.
Usually, i am finished with my classes by this time (except for Monday tuesday and thursday) so, i can come home.
I then get my homework translated, and try to finish it.

On the weekends, i do not usually have anything planned. Usually my hosts tell me where we are going, and it is always wonderful. Before school started, i was doing a lot of sight seeing between the different cities and areas of Germany.

Everything is still going wonderfully with my host family. I really like them, they are extremely nice, and very kind. I feel really comfortable in their home. My host mom Martina, is great. We have a lot of laughs...she is always telling everyone to speak German to me. Rudolf, my host father, is wonderful. He speaks more English to me, than my host mother. but he is really nice. =) I am very happy to be staying with them. =)

**Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. **

Tip:Always make sure you are on the right bus..

2009-08-27T21:12:00.000+02:00

Hallo,
Well lets see here.
I am still loving school. I really like it here. The school is absolutely huge!!! I only know my way to 2 rooms so far. lol i usually ask someone, andthey are kind enough to bring me to my class room. =) Today, i had my first religion class...i had a hard time understanding what was going on, but the teacher was very nice. She translates into English after class for me. This way, i have a chance at trying to do the homework.

As of right now, i am not being graded. I hopefully, will not be recieving real grades until after New Years, once i have a good knowledge (my english is getting worse...) of the language here. I believe i will be getting graded in English however...which i do not mind at all.

English class is still going great. I love being able to understand everything, and today my teacher actually asked the class waht days they wnated homework...like, she literally asked them!!! So, we will only have homework on Wednesday and Thursdays. I was happy =)

Biologie is still going well. I have been able to do all the homework so far for this class. Right now, we are reviewing, tomorrow we use the microscopes...hopefully, i will be able to do this =) but there are people in this class who will help me out =) Also, Frau Kehe, she is my biologie und main course teacher, told me about wandertag, kind of like field trips in the states...i will be going canoeing...i think this shall prove very interesting for me...hopefully i do not tip over and drown...

I also started my SozialKunde class...kind of like a social sciences class. We are talking about politics...and i have no idea what is going on.

This morning, was my first chance to ride the bus, because my host brother had 1st hour free today...i went to the bus stop, and asked the bus driver, if the bus was going to montabaur, and he answered ja, so i sat down..well, half an hour later i realized i was going nowhere near montabaur...and the people getting on the bus were handicapped...they were all mentally retarded...and i was in one of their seats, and he would not stop yelling at me...in german...i ahd no clue what was going on...i eventually called my host brothe,r and thank god, he got me to school =) =) =)

I also had my first language tutoring lesson...it went very well, i knowa lot more than i had thought i had known. quite pleased!
=)

Schüle

2009-08-26T15:16:00.001+02:00

Well, lets see...
I have had my second day of school (technically 3rd...but the first day, i wasnt going to my own classes...) I really like school here. I like the way the schedule is set up, it is like college, back in the USA. I have different classes, in different rooms, every day. I have to say, my favorite classes are Englisch, und Biologie.

Obviously i like English, because the class is taught in Englisch, and i can understand it =) But i also like it because, the teacher is very nice, and i have made some friends out of that class. As for Biologie, i really like the teacher. She is funny, and nice. A lot of the biologie terms in German, are very similiar to the Englisch ones, so i can usually figure out what we are doing. And the Biologie, i am learning here is not the same sutff i have learned back in the USA. Here, biologie is taught your entire highschool...years? lol They learn new things about Biologie every year. Today, i am not exactly sure what we talked about, but i am pretty sure in the beginning of the class she taught us how to call emergency...(like 911 back home) and something aboutt standing in certain areas of the room, different certain attacks...and something about the chair going into the window...i couldnt quite understand, lol =) And then we talked about different biologie terms...i think. And went over parts of a microscope..well, we didnt go over it, it was handed to us to do for homework (i am still translating it...)

For my math class, i have a more strict teacher, i think compared to my other ones. I understand what i am doing in that class...i just never have any idea what he is saying to the class...i usually look at the people next to me, and see what they are doing, aand then i understand. In Germany, normally guirls do not pursue mathematics. There are only 3 girls in my mathematics class, of 30, me included.

My german class, i still have no clue what we are talking about. Although, today we read a story "Ein tisch ist ein tisch" i have no idea what it was about, but according to one of my friends, she hardly understood it...and she speaks the language! so i highly doubt i had much of a chance.

Tomorrow, i have my first Erdkunde, und sozial Sciences class. I also have my first German tutoring session, so i hope all goes well!!

The weather here has been beautiful! My hosts tell me, this is most unusual to have so much sunny weather. It is normally always raining, haha.

Everything with my host family is still going great. I am starting to feel pretty comfortable here. My host mom,Martina, me, and my 3rd host mom, Sabine, went to go see a movie last night. "Selbst ist die Bräut" (The proposal, with Sandra Bullock) I understood most of what was going on...but i do have to admit, it is so funny to see Sandra Bullock..but not hear her voice...but a different voice speaking German, haha. =)

This weekend, i will be going to my 3rd host mothers home, and then a birthday party in Cologne. Quite excited!!! =)

First School day

2009-08-24T15:07:00.001+02:00

Well, i started my day at 6:00am, to get ready for my first day of school. I have to admit, i was quite nervous to be starting here....not knowing the language, makes making friends a lot harder to do.

For my first day, i would follow my host brother, Marius around to his classes, so i can see what a normal school day is like. School starts here at 7:50am. My first class was Erdkunde...sort of. With my host brother, his main course is Erdkunde (Geography) and in the first class, your main teacher (the one that teaches ur main course) is the one that goes over the general stuff. But, since she was an Erdkunde teacher, she sort of taught about geography...it just wasnt technically geography...anyways, each class is 45 minutes long.
Once this first class was over, we had a 5 minute Pause, and then we went back into Geography..(I am still not quite clear about why we went to geography twice in a row...) I didnt understand much of what was going on...

Once that class was finished, we had a 15 minute Pause, and went to the next class, which was Biologie. I pretty much understood what was going on in this class, it was all about Meiosis (sp?) and metaphase, telophase, etc. A lot of the Biologie terms, are very close to English ones, made it pretty easy to understand.

When this class was done, we again had a 5 minute Pause...and, at this point i went to go see the MSS (cant remeber what it stands for...but he decides my schedule) Marius came with me for this, so he could translate if needed. Once we got into the MSS' office, he spoke to me in German...and i understood everything he asked me!! it was a wonderful feeling!! =) I was then placed into the 11th klasse. My classes are, English, Bio, Mathe, Sport (volleyball, gymnastics, and dancing) German, Social Sciences, Musik, and Religion (Catholic)
I do not think i am going to like my sport class very much...the volleyball will be awesome, but as for dancing and gymnastics...that is not for me at all, thats mainly for my friends back in Wisconsin....

After we finished setting up my time table, Marius and i went to the next class...which was....Geography again!!!!!! (i am still not sure why i went to geography...yet again...) and after this class, we had another 15 minute Pause, and then went to geography...again...and lastly, i went to Religion. Religion, i understood what the teacher was asking us to do, but had no idea how to respond...lol.

Tomorrow i will be getting my own time table, and will experience my own classes...it shall be interesting!!!
And the school, is huge!!!! So, i am sure i will get lost...there are over 1600 students that go here...

But overall, it was tiring, but i enjoyed it.
=)

=)

2009-08-20T17:13:00.000+02:00

All is going well here, i cant remeber everything i have done since my last update!!!

My host family and i are still getting along very well, theyy have started to only speak german to me, so i have been getting a little frustrated, since i have no idea how to reply to them, haha. But alles klar! =)

Last night, i went to my second host families home for dinner. It was very nice being able to talk to them!!! After dinner, Felix and i went for a walk all through ransbach baumbach. He showed me many different paths through the forests, and now i have a wider variety of places to walk Luna!! =) I didnt get home last night, until nearly midnight.

I started my language school today...however, i hardly understood anything that was being said to me, i only understood when we were given something to rea,d and answer questions on, i also understood the grammatik questions,.....but again, as fr speaking, Keine Ahnung!!

We decided i will not be attending this language school anymore, instead i will start the Gymnasium on Monday, and have lessons with a teacher 3 times a week. Hopefully, this will work out better. We decided for this because, this way i will be able to meet more people of my own age group.

Tonight, i will be going out with Felix...not to positive what we are doing, but i am sure it is going to be a total blast!!!

Bis Dann!

15-16th

2009-08-16T17:01:00.000+02:00

The birthday party yesterday was really a lot of fun. I was able to see the many different outfits (theme was around the world) and my dirndll....haha..it fit quite nicely. I have to say, i have never worn something like it before. I stayed at the party till about 11:30pm, and then took a taxi with my host father, back here. My host father, then went back to the party, i however, went to sleep.

This morning, i did not wake up until 11am. I then tried to read the newspaper (i understand a little bit!) and what i didnt understand, my host parents, translated for me. then went for a jog with my host mother. She is much more in shape than i am. She jogged the entire way, i think i might have done halfway....lol. We brought Luna with. Luna hen got into a puddle, so my host mother jogged with her back to the house, and bathed her, while i waited for them to come back and pick me up.

We came home, had some water, and got ready for swimming. The water to me, was veryyyy cold. My host mom did manyyyy laps, i however, went there and back twice. Then got out, and sat in the sun while she finished with laps.

Now, i cmae home and some lunch, and then played with Luna a little while. About to go get ready for flight days, in Montabaur. Itäs kind of like an airport festival i think. I shall find out.

Tchüs!

=)

2009-08-15T16:32:00.000+02:00

Well, the past couple of days have been SO much fun!!!!
Thursday night, my hosts threw me a party, with all of my host families, and my Rotary exchange officer, and counselor. It was really awesome getting to know them. =)
The party was fun, i was able to meet people my own age!! They will be my host sisters =)
My host family is so NICE1 They really make me fell at home here. Iäm very glad they are hosting me!

Yesterday i went on a walk in the morning with Luna, my third host mother#s (Sabine) dog i am babysitting while she is in Italy. I managed to not get lost....pretty much. haha, i couldnät find my way back, but i found a way to ask a lady if she knew where my street was, and eventually found my way back.
I also went on another walk with Luna, with my second host mother, and her son, Felix, and her dog, Sally. We went through the forest, it was really neat!They have beautiful jogging paths here in Germany!!!
I also went into Koblenz. A large city near me. It was really beautiful as well! i was able to see the Fortresss, and the Rhine River! I took many pictures! I was also able to stop and have a Spaghetti Eis!!!!! It is SO goood!!!!!! I reeally liked it!!! We then came back, and i watched a german series with my host mother, she translated a lot for me! =)
We then all went to bed around 12:30am

Today, Saturday, i woke up kind of early (in time for breakfast) and ate outside with my hosts. The weather is absolutely beautoful today!! before, it had been pretty rainy!!
I tanned with my host mom for an hour or so, and now i am here updating my blog.
Tonight, i will be going to another birthday party, and will be wearing a drindll for the first time! =)

Well, i am off to get ready soon!!!
I miss everyone back home very much...but as of right now, i am not to homesick.
Tschüs!

FIRST DAYS IN GERMANY

2009-08-13T00:08:00.000+02:00

I had my first 2 days in Germany!!
They were amaying. Starting with my flights, i actually had good luck, and did not miss any of them!! When i saw we hadreached europe, and were beginning to land in Germany, i was so excited!!! It took me a little while to find my luggage, but i found it eventually. Once i found my luggage, i went through the gate to my host family.
My host family had a sign sazing "Welcome Destiny" so i knew it was them. I then greeted them, and began my trip. I went on the bus station, and eventually found the car. Once we were in the car, i had a chance to talk to my hosts a little more. They are very very very nice! I reallllllly like them a lot! I also had my first experience on the Autobahn...very very very fast highway!!!!!!!!!!! We then stopped at the local Rathaus( City Hall) where i became a registered person!!!!! =)
From there, we stopped at he Metzgerei und Bäcker (butcher shop, and Bakery) i had my first taste of wurst!!! It was pretty good!
We then went to the Hause, and i was able to see it for the first time. Their home is absolutely beautiful., both inside and outside!!! I was shown my bedroom,which is beautiful, and the bathroom. Which has a 3-d picture of Ariel, from the Little Mermaid!! It is amazing!!!!!!!!
We then went down and had breakfast. My host moms mom came over for Breakfast as well. I had my first taste of Nutella, which is veryyyy chocaltely! =)
From there, i was asked f i would mind going to Munich for my first night, i of course said no. So, about an hour later, we were taking a 5hr hour drive, to our hotel in Munich. I slept the entire wa to Munich, but woke up oncewe arrived.
My host parents then took me sight seeing. =) The city of Munich is beautiful!!!!!!!!! I took many many pictures! I visited many different places, including theHofbräuhaus, which is a famous Bavarian beer brewery. And yes, i had my first taste of beer....I must say, it is a very interesting taste, but i think i like it. My host parents thought it was funny this was the first time i had ever tasted it, i couldnt finish the entire liter, after about half, i couldnt finish anymore. . I then had my first tasteof Wurst. It was pretty good. We spent all day in the city! My host parents even bought me a t-shirt from the Hardrock Cafe, in Munich. =) We went back to the hotel, and i immediatly went to sleep. The next morning we had breakfast, and again went touring. I was also able to see my host mother, Martina, buy a drindll (sp?) it is a bavarain dress, used at Oktoberfest. =)
We then came back to my city around 9pm, where i went to my first birthday party!!! It was awesome!
Those were my first few days, now i am going to head to bed, because i am veryyyyyy tired. But i am having an amazing tim here!!!!!!!

Bis dann Amerika, Hallo Deutschland

2009-08-09T05:27:00.000+02:00

Nothing new for this blog.
I'm so excited!!! I can not believe i am finally going to be able to meet my first family, and everyone!!!!! =]

I'm leaving tomorrow for the start of my exchange in Germany. I can not believe how fast these last few weeks have gone by, it has been insane.
Tomorrow will be my last day here, then i begin my journey!!!!
Destiny

zwei Woche!

2009-07-27T01:17:00.000+02:00

July 26

Wow, i can't believe July is almost over! I only have zwei Woche (2 weeks) left, before i depart to Deutschland for an entire year!!!! My final itinerary has been set, and i have my E-ticket!!! =]

I'll be leaving at like 2am to Chicago airport, where I'll go through lovely customs, and hopefully run into zero problems.

Nothing much has really changed since my last post. I have my ticket, and i talk to my host families quite often. I've even started to communicate with some of my host siblings! =]

I don't have much left to do now. I have my luggage, and the list of stuff for me to pack, and i'll be ready to go!! I've been really working hard on my German, at least trying to memorize some more common phrases. I think I'm doing pretty well with that!!

I'm going to have a pretty busy first day, i'll be arriving early morning to Deutschland, and hopefully will be running on some Adrenaline. =] I don't know specific plans for my first day, but i'm sure it will be an amazing one!

I'll post more after my first week!
Can't wait!!!!!!!

I have my plane ticket!!!

2009-06-30T16:43:00.001+02:00

June 26th

I received my plane ticket!!! I am sooo happy!

I found out, i will be going from Chicago, to Michigan, and then Michigan right to Germany. My total trip is a 16hr plane ride!!!

My first host family, will be meeting me at the airport the day i arrive (Aug 11th German time) I can't wait to meet them all!!!

I'll be leaving on the 9th of August to chicago, and then i officially depart on the 10th.

Can't wait!

Firsts

2009-05-30T06:32:00.000+02:00

Hallo!

So, i thought i would post a blog about when i first got interested into the program, accepted, when i got my country, hearing from my host family, getting departure dates, and all of that wonderful stuff! =]

Way back in October of 2008, we had an assembly at school where a person came and spoke to us about the rotary youth exchange program. As i was listening to her speak all about the exchange program, it really interested me. An entire year abroad?! How amazing would that be? But of course, i never thought I'd follow through with it. I spoke with one of my friends who were also interested, and we set up an interview with the Rotary Youth Exchange officer. After hearing much more about the program, i was greatly interested, my friend however, was not. I spoke about it to my parents, and we agreed i could participate in this program!!! About 3 weeks or so later, i heard i was accepted into the program. Thus began the application process, which took a very long time. Our applications were submitted in the middle of November, and we were all expecting our countries come December....

December came and we had not heard anything about our countries. We all felt sure we heard about our country come early January...Well, January came and was ending, and we still had heard nothing. We all checked our e-mails every day, each time nothing had changed. It was late January when we received an e-mail from our out-bound coordinators, telling us our countries have been selected, and our RYEO (rotary youth exchange officer) had our countries!!!!!!!
I received my phone call the next day from my RYEO telling me i was going to Germany!!!!!!!!! I was happy, and so excited, i could barely speak, other than "Yay!!!"

Once we heard our countries, a longer wait came. We had to wait for our host district. I found out my host district in March, and finally knew the "state" i would be. I was going to be in NordRheinWestfalen, rotary district 1810!!!. I was so excited!!!

In April, i got my first e-mail from my German Host family! I was so excited, and happy. they told me all about themselves, and my school, town, rotary club, everything. I would be living in Ransbach-Baumbach, a small area, near Montabaur. I was so happy, being able to communicate with them! I am so excited to meet them!! They seem very nice, i will also have 2 host siblings, though one will be in the USA during my trip.

In mid-may, i received my Guarantee Form back! This form told me my school, family, airport for arrival....and MY DEPARTURE DATE! I'll be attending a Gymnasium. Which is a bit like a college prep-school. Once received this piece of paper, things became real to me. I finally realized...oh my gosh, i am going to be across the world for an entire year!? I couldn't believe it.

A few days later i received an e-mail from my host RYEO. Which of course, made things feel even more real. I'm very excited to meet both her and her family!!

Currently, i am waiting for the travel company to contact me, i will then buy my ticket, and begin my list of stuff to pack, and begin getting more prepared for my year abroad!

My departure date is around July 24-ish. Depending on whether i will be attending the language camp. If i do not attend the language camp, i won't leave until early August.

So, the count down begins!!! This summer, i'll be studying my German like crazy, and hanging out with friends before i leave!

Destiny

____________________________________________________________________
May 31st

I heard from it's your world travel today!!
That is the travel company that rotary is with, it guarantees cheaper airplane tickets, basically.

I found out i will NOT be attending language school. which means, my departure date is solidly set for August 10th, and arrive in Germany August 11th.

I am SO excited now! I was even given a list of stuff to pack all ready! Barely 2 mnths to go!!!

=]
____________________________________________________________________
June 1st

I heard from my second host family today!!
They seem so nice, and very sweet!!

And they are pretty good friends with my first host family!!
wowowow!