[50] Days of Germany

As of today I only have fifty days left in Germany. That's right. Fifty days. Like what? Where did the time go? I'm not sure, but if you find it, please tell it to SLOW DOWN! or SPEED UP! depending on the day and my current view on the situation. 

I don't even know where to begin with how I feel. Because first off, I'm so excited to see my family and friends and american food again! But then again, I'm so devastated to leave my family and friends and german food here. It's like I'm torn in two, half of me just wants to be home, and the other half never wants to leave. 

I read a quote the other day, and I'm going to change it a bit to make it more accurate for my situation, but it went a little like this:

I built a life for 17 years and left it for 10 months; then I built a life for 10 months and left it forever.Which was harder? 

I'm gonna guess the second. Even at my hardest times in Germany, when I was missing America, I knew that in a matter of months I would be going back home. Back home where I know how everything works and I can talk without having to plan it all out beforehand and I don't have to rely on other people to explain everything to me. But when I get back to America, and I start missing Germany, I won't have the knowledge of one day being home again to comfort me. I will never again get to experience this life fully. Even if I come back to Germany, I won't be able to see all of my friends again. I won't get the chance to get into a daily routine with my host family again. It just won't be the same.
And that is why I am choosing to focus on the "I never want to leave" feelings right now. Instead of counting the days down to when I get to go home, I'm keeping track of the days I have left. I'm making to most of the next 49 days. And there will be plenty of time for my "I just want to be home" feelings when I get home. It's okay to look forward to things in the future, but you can't forget to make the most of things today.

A German Easter

Despite the fact the America is a more religious nation than Germany, I found that easter in Germany was actually a pretty big deal.

It started on Green Thursday with communion and a short church service. People get out of school and work Friday and Monday for the holiday. On Good Friday it's actually against the law in Germany to dance, but many youth have parties or go to clubs anyway. My host family went to a church service instead. Then on Saturday I went to REfresh, which is a service just for teenagers. The topic was where am I going after I die. It was really cool and I loved the atmosphere. Then on Sunday everyone in the church met early to eat breakfast together. Afterwards we had our normal service. Then we went to my host grandmother's house for lunch. The easter bunny brought lots of candy and goodies this year. After lunch I took a nap and then we all went on a short walk to a park nearby with ducks. Then on Monday we went to my host great grandmother's house to celebrate with the other side of the family. Another day full of good food and family.

So all in all, the easter celebration was about 5 days long. Of course, for the majority in Germany it's just an opportunity to miss a little school, get some presents, and eat food. But I guess for many Americans it's just an opportunity to buy a new dress or suit, eat, and buy cheap candy the next few days.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful easter and kept in mind the real reason to celebrate!