Christmas Season. Take 2.

So I bet I don't have to remind anyone that this last week was Christmas. Which means that this last week was hectic and full of family, presents, and, of course, food. I know that beforehand I was super worried that that Christmas time would be a really hard time for me to be away from my family. I thought homesickness would hit me hard and that it would be really difficult for me to enjoy Christmas time here. Thankfully, that wasn't how it went down. I mean of course I missed my family back home and would have really liked to have been there to celebrate with them, but it was such an honor to get to experience what Christmas is like in Germany. 
Last weekend my host family drove down to Leipzig with another exchange student and his brother. I'm considering studying in Leipzig for a semester or two of college, so it was nice to get to walk around the city. They had a huge, christmas market and so many beautiful buildings. We also got to meet with some other Americans and it was such a wonderful day.

So in Germany Weihnachten begins right after church on December 24th and a lot of parents hire Santa Clauses to come to their house and deliver presents. I actually was in our church's play for the Christmas service, so I like said stuff in German in front of a lot of people. I was pretty nervous, but everyone said I did well. Afterwards we went to my host mom's parents' house to celebrate. We all ate together and then opened presents. The 25th we celebrate with my host dad's family. We went to a Christmas buffet for lunch and then had coffee and cake a few hours later and then had dinner a few hours later. I was able to skype with my parents for a little bit during the day, just long enough for them to watch me open my presents, but it wasn't until late that night that I was really able to skype my family back home, and man was that wonderful. I ended up staying up until 2am, but it was so worth it just to get to watch my sister open presents and play a few rounds of bingo with my family. 

I am luckier than I can express, and I have you all to thank! I hope everyone had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and has big plans to bring in the new year! 

Germany vs. America. Round 3. The Christmas Season.

So it's about mid-December and that means that there is only one thing on everyone's mind: Christmas. While this holiday is very similar in both America and Germany, there are quite a few differences as well.
First off, in Germany there is a big focus on the Advents season. There are four Advents (today is the 3rd) and every Sunday my host family lights the corresponding number of candles on our wreath (today we'll light 3) and sings Christmas carols and it's pretty lovely. In America, I didn't really acknowledge that there was an Advent. It was all just Christmas season.
The holiday season has always began the day after Thanksgiving for me, which is when we would begin to put up all of our decorations and our Christmas tree. In Germany you put up decorations after Dead Sunday, a holiday in November to honor all those who have died in the past year, and you put up your tree sometime around Heiligabend (December 24th).
In Germany kids open their presents on the 24th, a day earlier than in America. Also, all of their presents come from Santa Claus, instead of just a few from Santa and then the rest from family and friends.
Christmas could certainly be a difficult time, being so far away from my family, but I'm trying to find a new thing I love for everything old the I miss. Although I'm missing the 24/7 Christmas music on the radio and the over-the-top Christmas decorations on the houses, I'm loving the Christmas markets and Christmas cookies.
Whether you're in Germany or America right now, I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas/Advent season and are looking forward to a few days with no work/school. I know I sure am!

*I also decided to do away with the point system because I decided it was pretty inaccurate and dumb, since neither America or Germany is better, they're just different.

Thanksgiving on the Other Side of the World

It should not come as too much of a surprise that there isn't Thanksgiving in Germany when you consider the roots of the holiday. There were no pilgrims and Indians in Deutschland, and likewise there is no turkey day. 

This is my first time (and hopefully my last) to celebrate Thanksgiving without my family back in America. And my day went a lot differently than it would of gone in America. 

I woke up to gifts of Pop Tarts and Hershey's Cookie and Creme bars; not your typical Thanksgiving meal, but still wonderful and thoughtful. 

I then got to go to school, which was hard to do today, but because my physics teacher wasn't there I got to go in two hours late. So it wasn't too bad. 

I then came home and we had Milchreis, which is rice pudding or something in English. It wasn't turkey and dressing and good ol' southern cookin', but it was nevertheless good. Tonight I'm going to youth group and then maybe gonna watch some TV.

Even though I'm spending my thanksgiving this year in a country that doesn't really celebrate it (or even really realize that it's today) I've still tried to spend time today reflecting on everything I have to be thankful for. Which is always a big eye opener. 

There's a quote that says: Distance does to love what wind does to fire. It extinguishes the weak and fuels the strong. 

And this thanksgiving I'm really agreeing. My family and friends may be thousands of miles away and I may not have seen them in months, but I think about them everyday. Every day away from them reminds me how lucky I am to have them. My love and appreciation for my parents grow everyday. My mom has always been there for me, and that hasn't changed, even if she isn't physically there this year. My dad may of gotten a late start in my life, but he's done more and been more for me in these few years as I ever could of dreamed.

My best friends Sara and Rachael have stood by me through all of high school, and despite the distance and struggle to find time to really talk, they remain my very best friends to this day and I couldn't be happier about it. 

And then there's my host family. I read stories and posts almost everyday from other exchange students who are unhappy with their host family or are having problems and I'm reminded how blessed I am. My host family is wonderful and I don't tell them how grateful I am that they agreed to host me for a year enough. 

One of my biggest fears about my exchange year was that I wouldn't be able to make friends, but that has turned out to be one of the easiest things about this year. I have a wonderful class at school full of friendly and helpful classmates. They were so understanding my first few months, and really made me feel at home. 

I am also a member of an amazing youth group. The youth there have all been so nice and I know if I ever have a problem they're there for me.

And finally there are my two new best friends, Carina and Lena. I never imagined I would find friends as great as them, and certainly not so fast. They were such a huge help when I first arrived, and it is thanks to them that my year has been so lovely. 

There are so many family members and friends I haven't even mentioned that honestly deserve paragraphs themselves, but if I wrote them all down this post would be too long (if it isn't already) and no one would read it. So I'm going to stop there.

There's only one last thing I want to express my thanks for, and that would have to be for my Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ. I am blessed every single day by Him, and I only hope that He can use me to bless others as well. 

If you are reading this, know that I love you and am thankful for you too. And if you're in America, I miss you tons. I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving and enjoys tons of turkey for me!

Germany vs. America. Round 2. Transportation.

So another big difference between Germany and America would have to be transportation. Germany has many more public transportation options. There are buses and trains and subways in almost every city. But you aren't allowed to drive until you're 18 so there has to be someway for teenagers to get around. Sometimes it's hard for me because in theory my school is only a 15 minute or less drive away, but I have to leave my house an hour beforehand so that I have time to walk, ride the train, and walk again. In America I never walked anywhere, or it was at least very seldom when I did. But here I walk a lot. That's probably good though because I eat a lot more too.
Germans also drive really fast. There isn't a speed limit on their highways and I think a lot of the time Germans tend to forget what is or isn't a highway. Their roads are also a lot curvier and smaller. Now given, their cars are smaller too, but for the first few months I was in Germany there wasn't a time I got into a car and didn't fear for my life a little bit.
There are also little things like how the traffic lights flash yellow and red right before they turn green (I'm not completely sure why but I think it's because they all drive stick and use this as a chance to changes gears so they can shoot off as soon as it turns green). They also have lots of tunnel (because they have lots of trains) but some of them are really small and you just have to hope that the cars coming the other way see you and don't try to drive in the tunnel while you're driving in it. And they have mirrors posted on the side of the road by big curves so you can see what's going on around the bend, which I think is pretty smart.
Although transportation in Germany is more environmentally friendly and driving on the Autobahn is probably a lot of fun, I am not allowed to drive here. Because of that transportation is a big set back for me and there are lots of things I can't do because I can't get there without someone to drive me. So, even though it may be selfish, I'm gonna have to give this one to America.

Germany: 1 America: 1

Germany vs America. Round 1. The Environment.

McDonald's "trash can"

So one of the biggest difference I've noticed between Germany and America would have to be environmental awareness. In a normal German house there are like 5 different types trashcans. Yes. Five. One for paper, one for glass, one for plastic, one for food, and one for everything else. In America there might be 2 in a normal household, and that's only if your family decides to recycle. Even in fast food restaurants, you don't just throw everything away. You leave your tray on a shelf and the workers sort through it all later.
They also recycle almost all of their bottles. When you buy a coke or juice or something in Germany you pay like 25 cents more because it's in a bottle, but then when you've finished drinking that coke or juice you can bring it back to the store and get your 25 cents back. And since no one wants to throw away 25 cents on a daily basis, everyone brings back their bottles and they all get recycled. It's a good system.
I've also seen way more alternative energy sources. There are windmills all over the place and tons of huge solar panels. My host family even has solar panels on their room and my host mom was telling me that they generate so much energy with them that they are able to sell it back to the energy company. So instead of paying an energy bill every month, they receive an energy check.
Gas is also really expensive in germany. It costs my host family about $150 to fill up a tank of gas, but the cars are so efficient that that tank of gas will last them about 600 miles or so.
Being vegetarian is really popular here and one of the political parties in Germany actually wants to establish a day of the week where you can't buy meat.
And of course I know that there are environmentally conscious Americans and Germans that litter, but overall I have to say that Germany is much more environmentally friendly.

Germany: 1 America:0

St. Martins Tag

So this is actually not going to be a Germany vs. America blog post. But the next one will be, I promise. I just wanted to tell y'all about my experience on Tuesday November 12, or St. Martins Day. It's a holiday here in Germany for little kids in honor of St. Martin. It started out with all the little kids and their parents (and me) meeting in the teeny tiny church for a program put on by the kindergartners and their teachers. It was full to the brim and extremely hot. The kindergartners sang songs and the teachers acted out a skit all about good 'ol Martin.
So the story goes that there was a really poor man outside in the snow and he was about to freeze to death, and then St. Martin rides up on his horse with some other soldiers and sees the poor man. He then proceeds to take out his sword, cut his jacket in half, and give part of it to the poor man. Later that night he has a dream that the poor man he gave the jacket too was actually Jesus and he goes on to live his life for God. All of the teachers were women so the skit was pretty funny.
After the skit all the kids get their lanterns and go on a march through the town, which is led by St. Martin himself and his trusty steed. The march ended at the kindergarten, where there was a big fire and refreshments. There was coffee, tea, and some hot alcoholic drink to drink and then for food there was fettes brot (which I'm pretty sure is literally just fat smeared on bread), pickles, and these little gingerbread shaped bread men.

It was just really cool to experience and I know as a kid I would of loved getting to make a lantern in school and then march through town showing it off.

UPDATE: St. Martin and Martin Luther are NOT the same person, and your religion teacher will laugh at you if you write about them on your religion test as though they are. Sorry for any confusion.

A Whole New World

So I've decided to change things up a little bit. So far my posts have mostly been about me and what I'm doing. But now that I've been here for a few months I've fallen into a routine and not much new is going on, so it wouldn't be very interesting for me to write about doing the same things week after week. But I assure you that if I do end up doing anything noteworthy I'll be sure to notify you of it.
For the next few weeks or so I've decided to write about the difference between America and Germany. Before I came here I always thought that Germany and America were pretty similar. I mean yeah, they speak a different language, but other than that they live basically the same as us right? But that's turned out to actually be pretty far from the truth. Most everything is different. From things around the house such as windows and light switches and how the doors lock to the things that are important to the people. And some of the things are better and some are worse and some are just different. But I guess they all make Germany Germany and America America and I think that's pretty cool. I hope you do too!
If you have anything in particular you're curious about or would like to hear about just shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer it or even write a post about it! If not I'll have to come up with ideas on my own!

 Left and Middle: German windows open 2 ways, you can open them like a door or you can tip them open at the top.
Right: German light switches are little square buttons you push. This one is for the bathroom and it's outside on the wall in the hallway and it lights up when it's on so you know if it's in use or not.

Back in the Swing of Things

After two weeks of vacation it was certainly difficult to get out of bed at 5:30 Monday morning. But I did it and, as saddening as it was to have to go back to school, it was really great to see all of my friends again. I'm back into my old routine again.
This week my math teacher was on a field trip so school started 2 hours later on both Wednesday (11:00) and Friday (9:15). But it doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get, I'm still always exhausted.
For the past few weeks my family has been renovating the front yard. We bought a new garage, tore out the old driveway, picked out trees, and they are currently laying the stones for our new driveway. It looks so pretty and I'm really excited to see the finished product! I'll add pictures when it's done.
This Thursday was Halloween and it was pretty disappointing how little was going on. Halloween still isn't very big here, and the few things there are to do are mostly for little kids. I did go to a halloween party with my host sister, but that was it. Almost no one mentioned it in school and there certainly wasn't anyone in costume. It was still a good day though.
It finally November and I'm officially 25% of the way through my exchange year. It's very bittersweet. I'm really excited to get to go back and get to see all of my friends and family again, but I want this year to last forever. I just have to keep reminding myself that's it's very possibly I won't get the chance to live in Germany again, but I'll definitely get to see my friends and family again, so I just have to make the most of this opportunity while I have it.

Fall Break! -Week 2

This past week hasn’t been too exciting. I’ve been kind of sick -just a cold or something- so there’s been a lot of sleeping going on. 

Tuesday and Thursday were family birthday parties. I swear everyone in the family has a birthday in like a one month span. We have more next week. So most German birthday parties for older people (by this I really just mean not teenagers) start in the afternoon with coffee and cake. A few hours later there’s dinner. Then they bring out the schnapps. And then they set out snacks (most chips, small chocolates, and these things called flips that look and feel like the puffy Cheetos but they’re peanut butter flavored, I’m not a big fan). So basically it’s a lot of eating and drinking and sitting and talking and if you’re there the whole time it can last like 7 hours. It can be a little boring because I don’t know very many people and I’m still not able to just jump in on any conversation. It can also be overwhelming because everyone will start talking at once and it gets loud and there are so many conversations going and it all blurs together and I can’t understand anything. But the food is always really good and I really like the German cakes (probably a little too much.. :/). 

I’m starting to look forward to my birthday coming up in January. Unfortunately it’s on a Tuesday, but 18 is a really big deal here because that’s when you’re allowed to do everything (vote, drive, etc.) and even though I won’t be allowed to do any of those things here I’m still hoping to have a pretty big party. 

Last night was REfresh, which is basically like a really big youth group service. It was a lot of fun, but I couldn’t quite understand it all. After that there was a birthday party for a girl in our youth group which I didn’t actually know about but I still ended up there anyway. It was a little lame, but I was able to talk to so many people and I think I’m starting to form stronger friendships with the people in my youth group. I even told them about my Candy Crush addiction. It was some top notch bonding time. 

I found it a little weird that the girl was having her birthday party at the church and there was alcohol and secular music and everything, but no one else seemed to find it odd. It’s just a difference in cultures I guess. I still cringe when I hear the F-word in school or church, but it’s normal to them. 

I have to go back to school tomorrow, which I’m not looking forward to. But the clocks did go back an hour here today, so at least 5:30 won’t feel so early… Maybe..

Fall Break!

So this past week was our family vacation in Berlin! Berlin was great. It was beautiful and big and had tons of great places to shop and eat. Everything a girl could want! But it was also a little overwhelming. All of the people and stores and cars and languages. There was literally SO much to take in and it was exhausting and wonderful all at the same time. 

On Monday we arrived, took a look around, and visited a few malls.

Tuesday we did all of our sightseeing. We bought tickets for a bus that drove to all of the big sightseeing spots (the Brandenburger Tor, Checkpoint Charlie, etc.) and you could pick which ones you wanted to get off at and spend a little time looking at and then which ones you didn’t really care to see. It was a great way to see all of the big tourist things, especially since it was raining. I felt really sorry for all of the people who decided to take bike tours! We visited the Ritter Sport Shop, where I got to custom order my own candy bar (which was really just an hour of waiting in line, 30 seconds of picking my ingredients, and then 40 minutes of waiting for it to be finished… but it was yummy!).

Then Wednesday we visited the Berlin Aquarium and Zoo and did a lot of shopping! My host dad had picked out a Turkish restaurant ahead of time that he really wanted to eat at. After walking, riding the U-bahn, riding the S-bahn, and walking some more (mostly in the wrong direction) we FINALLY found the restaurant (after an hour or two). We stood outside, read the menu for a few minutes, and then decided to go somewhere else. I certainly got my exercise this week!

Thursday we headed back home, but not before stopping at this big huge dome called Tropical Islands, which actually is an indoor island. It was so crazy to walk from 10 degrees Celsius into a building that’s 28 degrees. We changed from our winter jackets into our bathing suits and went for a nice swim. It was really cool!

It was nice to come home though, and to be in my own bed and not have to walk so much. It was also really nice to realize I now think of this house as home and this bed as my own. I’m certainly getting comfortable here, and to think that my year here is ¼ over is scary!

Today is Friday and it was a pretty relaxed day at home. I unpacked my bag and hung up my new clothes. I’m about to eat dinner, get ready, and finish off the day with a Kirmes Disko in one of the neighboring towns with friends from school and friends from church! 

Das Leben ist Schön

My motto for this week has been: Das Leben ist schön (Life is good). And it really is! This last weekend was Kirmes in Bebra. I got to go on Friday to the Disko with my friends, and then on Sunday I went for a little while with my host family. Saturday we had 2 family birthday parties to attend (during which I consumed 6 pieces of cake.. oops..). The second party ended in fireworks, which ended up falling over and shooting at us and the house. No one got hurt and nothing was damaged thankfully! Monday and Tuesday were pretty uneventful. Wednesday one of my teachers wasn’t there, so instead of the 4 hours of class we would have had with her, we did some bookwork together in 1 and then went home. Then I helped my host mom with her children’s gymnastics class (I can now semi understand/communicate with some of the kids!) and then my Betreuer came to visit. Thursday another one of my teachers was sick, but we sadly didn’t get to go home early. Most of the kids spent their time studying for the English test we had next, but I didn’t really need to do that so it was just a free block for me (I spent it napping). Then Thursday night I went to youth group again, where we built a huge spiderweb all across the room and it was pretty awesome, but inconvenient when you needed to move around. Today was a half day, so I only had 2 ½ hours of school and now it's fall break!!! We have two weeks off from school and my host family leaves Monday for Berlin! I can’t wait to tell you all about it! 

Our spiderweb!

Happy German Reunification Day!

So life has been a little busy lately, but today is a national holiday, which means no work or school! Here’s a little info to catch you up on what’s been going on:

• Last Saturday was my host grandfather’s (on my host dad’s side) birthday party. A common theme I’ve seen at German birthday parties- amazing food!!

Me with a piece of the wall at Point Alpha. 

• Then on Sunday my host family and I drove up to Point Alpha, which was a US post on the border between East and West Germany. A lot of the stuff was in English, so it was easy to understand and it was pretty interesting.
• Monday-Wednesday I was on a Team Building field trip with my class. We were on the Edersee (which is some lake, but where we were it didn't have much water anymore and you could actually walk around in it). It was absolutely freezing and the activities we did weren't very fun. But I still had a wonderful time. I feel a lot closer to a lot of my classmates. One of the girls in our class smoked in an area of the camp you're not supposed to smoke in (well there’s really only one area you can smoke in and it’s down a mountain) and so she was told she either had to pay 140 euros (somewhere around $200) or get picked up. She couldn’t get picked up though and she didn't have the money, so she was freaking out. As soon as everyone in the class found out, we did the math and all donated 5 euros to her cause, plus 30 euros we won from our Gesundheitstag. It was really cool because everyone in the class was so willing to help her out and no one hesitated for even a moment to agree to it. I think that was probably one of the biggest team building moments for us.

A really cool monument from Point Alpha,
representing the two regions of
Germany being reunited.

And now we’re back to today, October 3^rd, the German holiday for their reunification. After World War II Germany as a whole and then the capital, Berlin, were split into four zones (US, France, Great Britain, and Russia). Later on the US, France, and Great Britain decided to rejoin their zones together (West Germany), but Russia did not want to give up their piece (East Germany), leaving Germany and Berlin split down the middle. Today marks the date that East and West Germany were finally brought back together and Germany was once again whole. I was a little disappointed by the lack of festivities today. My host mom said most people spend their free day hiking or biking, but I was really hoping for some cool traditions, like our fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Nevertheless it was a good day! I was able to sleep in, and my host family ate lunch at my host dad’s boss’s wife’s restaurant, which was having a little Oktoberfest thing. The food was really good and I finished my meal off with a nutella crepe. After multiple tries I have determined that it is impossible to eat a nutella crepe without making a mess. But they’re  certainly worth it!

PS: I typed this on Thursday, but unfortunately my internet was not working on my laptop, so I had to post it today. :/ 

PPS: An update on the situation with the smoking, someone else during our stay smoked inside one of the cabins, and the camp determined that since smoking in a cabin is worse that just smoking outside, the girl in our class would only have to pay 40 euros and whoever smoked inside the cabin would have to pay the 140. Which means we all get our money back!

2 Cool 4 School

So German schools are a lot different than American schools, and the schedules are way more confusing! Here's a look into my week:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
7:30-8:15	Computer Sciences	Sport		Physics	Math
8:15-9:00	Computer Sciences	Sport		Physics	Math
9:15-10:00	History	Economics	Math	German	English
10:00-10:45	History	Economics	Math	German	English
11:00-11:45	Accounting	Economics	Biology	Accounting	German
11:45-12:30	Accounting	Economics	Biology	English	German
12:45-1:30	Religion	Economics	Politics	English
1:30-2:15		Practice Firm	Politics
2:30-3:15		Practice Firm
3:15-4:00		Practice Firm

A few notes about my schedule:

• I only have computer sciences every other week, so the Mondays that I don't have it are my favorite because school starts late and is really short.
• Tuesdays are the worst because not only are they the longest but they also have FIVE times economics and then practice firm. But sport is actually fun!
• Practice firm is a class where you literally pretend to work in a made up office. I'm in the personnel department so I spend 2 1/2 hours every tuesday checking fake emails and sorting fake mail for a fake business. Today I even got to file fake taxes for our fake income. It's pretty bad.
• Wednesdays are also good days because they start late and are short. But Wednesdays are always good days.

A few notes about German School vs. American School:

• When your teacher can't make it to class, there aren't any subs so you just get to go home an hour early or have an hour of free time. 
• Kids and teachers cuss fairly regularly and it isn't a big deal, whereas in America you would get detention or ISS. 
• Baking a cake is a common punishment in Germany. I'm not sure it's much of a deterrent, but hey, I like cake so I'm not complaining. 
• There isn't a dress code in German schools, now given it's freezing most of the year so short shorts are only worn for a few weeks, but they are allowed those few weeks nevertheless. This also means there are lots of piercings and bright hair and exposed shoulders. It's a big change considering in America I wasn't allowed to wear sweatpants or leggings.
• Kids walk to school/take the train to school at (for me) a surprisingly young age. Seeing 8 year olds getting off the train by themselves always gives me a weird feeling.
• In German schools you get a 15 minute break between every 2 class slots. This break can be spent talking with friends, smoking in the parking lot (which a surprising number of the students do), going to the little restaurant across the street for a 1 Euro pizza, or picking up a snack from the cafeteria. This is a lot of free time compared to the one 10 minute break and two 5 minute breaks (which was barely enough time to get to class) I got in my American high school.
• You also don't eat lunch in German schools. I bring along a little sandwich that I eat during one of my 15 minute breaks. And on really long days I will sometimes buy a pizza, but no matter what time I get home from school I still go and eat lunch with my host mom. 
• Most of your classes are in one room. There are a few special classes (computer, biology, sport) that have to be taught in a particular room, but all of the other classes are taught in your class's classroom. It's the teachers who change rooms, not the students. 

And I guess that's everything. Or at least everything I can think of at the moment. 

Beginning Week 3!

If you could take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine the most stereotypical German evening, you may very well be seeing my Saturday night. If you imagined lots of German people drinking lots of German beer and swaying back and forth to their German songs, you would be right on par. The only thing that was lacking, quite to my disappointment, was the Lederhosen. 

Sunday we had the parade throughout our village. The German's idea of a parade involves lots of floats pulled by tractors, men dressed as women, and, of course, beer. It was interesting to say the least, though the candy was sparse. 

One of my favorite parts of the day is after my host parents have put Rahel (my host sister) to sleep and we all go sit in the living room. We talk, watch TV and movies, eat ice cream and chocolate, and end most nights in prayer together. Last night we watched Along Came Polly (...und dann kam Polly in German) and tonight we watched Everybody Loves Raymond (which unfortunately is only available in English, but it's an old favorite from back home so it was still good). I find myself often worrying that my host family will regret agreeing to have me stay or that I'm not being a very good host daughter, but after our time together at night I feel much better about things. 

Kirmes!

This weekend my village is having Kirmes. I'm not sure how to explain it, because there isn't really anything like it in America.

Thursday is the opening ceremony and lots of groups perform dances. Then Friday there's a parade for the kids and they all get these cool lanterns that their parents make and they march throughout the town. My host sister's lantern was a ballerina. After the parade there's a Kinderdisco, which is a dance for all the kids and it's really cute. 

I went to my friend's house and we all hung out before the dance for the teenagers/young adults started. It takes place in this huge tent and it's kinda similar to homecoming, only with better music, better dancing, and the alcohol is all legal. But then outside of the tent it's like a fair with lots of games and bumper cars, which are actually the most amazing thing in the world. There are all these fog machines and loud music and it's such great fun. It was one of the best nights of my life.

Tonight there is more music and dancing, but this time it's more geared towards adults. I'm going with my host family and hopefully gonna meet up with a few people from school. It should be fun! 

Don't Worry, Be Happy

My entire summer was spent worrying. Worrying about online classes and working and fitting in all my goodbyes and packing. But more than anything, I was worrying about leaving it all behind. I was worried I'd made the wrong decision when I accepted this scholarship. I'm not brave or strong or independent. I'd never washed my own clothes or gone more than a few weeks without my parents. My German really isn't too great and I have enough trouble making friends in my own language. When it came time to say goodbye to my parents I was scared more than I ever admitted. But after a few days with the other kids I began to make really good friends and a few of my worries began to fade and everything was so much fun. But by the end of camp those fears that had disappeared were replaced by new ones. I was about to leave all of my new friends and live with complete strangers and start going to a school where I knew no one in a town where I knew no one in a country where I knew 49 other kids. It was such a scary thought. I remember the last day of language camp we all walked around the room hugging and crying and we were all so nervous to meet our families.And then I met them and they were wonderful. Things were awkward and quiet, but I loved them and they were so incredibly nice to me and everything went so well. And then I had school and the kids were so welcoming and the teacher were so understanding and again, everything went so well. So it's finally dawned on me that all that worrying was really for nothing. I could spend my year worrying about everything that could go wrong (and there’s a lot that could go wrong!), or I could spend it being happy, and learning from my experiences when things do go wrong. And I think the latter is a much better idea. :)

And so it goes

I'm currently typing from my iPod because my laptop is experiencing technical difficulties, which is unfortunate to say the least. But life must go on.

This weekend was certainly a good one! On Saturday I got to climb this really big hill and look out over all of the villages around mine. It was so incredibly beautiful, even if the field smelled of manure (which honestly reminded me of my sweet home, Alabama). 

Then Saturday night I hung out with some girls from school and it was so much fun and I'm so relieved that I might be actually making friends. 

Sunday all the churches in town had a community service so it was like one really big church. I like the idea, but I much prefer the smaller church atmosphere from last weeks service. After church we all came home and took naps (which also reminded me of home because that's exactly what my family likes to do after church). Then we went to a car show which was actually just a bunch of cars and was pretty boring and cold. But we didn't stay long. We ended the weekend watching a movie together. It was lovely. 

Today was a good Monday because every other Monday school starts 2 hours later. My school schedule is quite confusing and one day I will take the time to write it all for you. 

I also got to meet the mayor today, and he gave me a cookie so I think I like him. And I guess that's all I have to say. Later!   

Life in the Fast Lane

I was really scared my first week here would be really hard, because I wouldn't of had a chance to make friend or join clubs and I'd have too much free time. Free time leads to facebook and thinking and missing and ultimately homesickness. Which is not what I want. But this first week has been so incredibly busy.
I start my day off at 5:30 am, breakfast is around 6:15, I leave the house at 6:30, and I'm at the train station at 6:45. When I get home from school I eat lunch with my host mom and usually take a nap (cause naps are the best and listening to German all day is exhausting).
Yesterday one of my teachers at school was sick, so we got out an hour early, which is an awesome thing about German high schools. We had dinner with my host mom's parents and then I went to youth group at church. Everyone there was so nice and the boy next to me spoke really good English and was able to translate for me when I got lost or couldn't understand. After the meeting I was talking to a couple of the youth and they found out that I had not eaten at a German McDonalds yet. So we all loaded up and I was able to experience my first international fast food restaurant (America's food is better and bigger and we have free refills, but the German restaurant is nicer. Also, there aren't trash cans, they throw it all away for you).
Today was Friday and Fridays are always good days because weekends and stuff. Except this morning started off rough. I forgot my purse and didn't realize until I was on the train and a lady was asking to see everyone's ticket. I was ticketless and moneyless and really scared, but I played it cool and hid in the corner and thankfully made it off without being asked about it. After school I went to the most beautiful lake with my host dad's younger brother and his friend. It was really cold, but totally worth it.
Tomorrow (technically today, since it's past 12 now) marks one week that I have lived with my host family. It's been an awkward and amazing week. I can't wait to see what adventures await me. <3

Gesundheit Tag!

So today was the health day at school. We did a variety of activities: from jump roping, to relaxation exercises, to learning about how to brush our teeth, to tae bo (which is in fact NOT taboo). It was a pretty busy day and ended with us pushing each other through an obstacle course on a baby bike with goggles on. It was certainly different than anything I've ever done in an american high school. I'd like to say more, but it's so late and I'm so sleepy.. I'll write more tomorrow! Tschau!

First Impressions

I had my first day of German high school today. I'm attending a Berufliche Gymnasium, which means it's a high school geared towards preparing students for their professions. I'm taking lots of business related classes, and that's very interesting. There's a lot of vocabulary that I don't know, but I'm sure with time it'll come to me.
My host mom knows a girl named Carina and I am in her class. We will ride the train together to school and have all of our classes together. She's incredibly nice and helpful, but I'm very worried I'm going to become more of a hassle than a friend.
Tomorrow, instead of our normal classes we have a Gesundheit Tag, which is a health day. So we go to different stations with our classmates and do different stuff, like play taboo and exercise. Hopefully it will be a lot of fun!
Also I got my German cell phone today! So I'd say overall it was a pretty successful and extremely draining first day! <3

Sunday, Fun day

Today feels like it went by really, really quickly and really, really slowly at the same time. We started off the morning with breakfast. They told me halb acht, but I forgot that that meant half an hour before 8 and not after. So they had to come get me. I felt really bad, but they were so nice about everything. 

We went to church and everyone was so welcoming. I couldn't understand much, but it was still a lot of fun. The youth meet on Thursdays and they invited me to come. I'm a bit nervous, but I plan on going and hopefully making a few friends. 

After church we went out to eat with my host dad's parents and it was wonderful. There was a parade while we were there and it was really odd and interesting. After lunch we rested and then walked around town. I found out where the train station is, which is how I will get to and from school. 

I was able to skype my parents and that was bitter sweet. Kaylee and Rahel got to meet and say "hello!" and "hallo!" I also received my first college acceptance letter.

 

School starts tomorrow. I'm kinda freaking out, but hopefully alles wird gut sein. I have to wake up pretty early, so I'm heading to bed. Gute Nacht! 

A New Home

Today I met the people that I will be living with for the next ten months. It's a weird feeling. I barely know them at all, but they will be my support and family during this year. It's only been a day, but they have been absolutely amazing. I love the room they've prepared for me and they have such a beautiful house. I'm incredibly lucky to have been given such a wonderful family. The little girl, Rahel, is adorable, though she makes me miss my sister more than ever.

They don't speak much English with me though, and everything is in German. It's difficult for me, and a bit awkward, but so far so good. I can understand much more than I can say. And things will get better and easier with time. 

I get to meet some other family members tonight, and then tomorrow we're going to church and then Monday I start school. It's a lot to take in in such a short amount of time. My body and mind are exhausted. I'll be sleeping well tonight! And probably every night for the next few months. 

The Ride of a Lifetime

Today is the last day of language camp and I'm bombarded with a whole slew of emotions. I'm so sad to see all my new friends and mentors leave, and I am so scared to leave the safe little American bubble that Schloß Wittgenstein has provided. But more than anything else I am excited. Excited to meet my host family and get settled into my new room. Excited to attend my new church and start my new school. I'm so full of emotion it's a bit overwhelming. I may explode at an moment. But it's an amazing feeling.

Camp has been wonderful and weird and eye opening. I've learned so much about Germany: the language, the people, the culture; but I've also learned a lot about myself. It's been an incredible and exhausting three weeks and I'm a little scared to leave it all behind.

But I'm ready. Ready for the real German world. Let the challenges begin. God has armed me with an amazing brain to think with, wonderful people to support me, a positive attitude, and an incredible opportunity to go to a new place and stretch my limits. With Him all things are possible. Even high school in a language you're just beginning to understand. Leh go.

In dem Schloß!

I have been in Germany for about two days now and it is... hard to express. Everything is, well, so German. The houses, the people, the ice cream shops. It's wonderful and confusing. The mornings in Germany are lovely. Almost lovely enough to make me  morning person, but not quite. The meals are different, but not bad. There's a lot of bread. Like, a ton. The people in my group are great, and the scenery is breathtaking. The teamers and teachers are the best, and I already know I'm going to learn a lot. I'm missing my friends and family like crazy, but I'm so excited to begin my adventure! Bis bald!