Ende

Well, I haven't posted in over a month and for starters...I'm home!!! I've been home for about two and a half weeks now, but I haven't really gotten around to posting. Well heres a quick rap up of my last couple of weeks in Germany....

After my class trip to Holland I had one more week of school, then I headed off to Auschwitz and other major areas affected by the war in Poland. The trip was very interressting, but many of my good friends were still in Germany because it was with the religion class. It was nice getting to meet new people, but I would've prefered to spend the time with my friends.

After the trip I had two days left of school, the first was a sport day where I played American football...I was by far the best, which is sort of funny because I have never actually been the star football player in the U.S., but in Germany I was even asked to join the team and play quarterback. The following day was the last, and was just sort of a chill a day. Me and my host sister rode our bikes to the school, which was a lot of fun, and then we had breakfast, cleaned the room, and then received our report cards....and mine was somehow forgotten, which meant that I had to stay after school to get one from the secretary. Afterwards we played basketball for the last time, went to KFC, chilled at the beach, and then headed into the city to play some pool. A very eventful last day of school to say the least.

Afte the the last day I had 5 days of summer left in Germany, which consisted of packing and just hanging out with people for the last time. I had a going away party the last Friday that I was there and suprisingly a good 100 people showed up. It was an amazing evening, but didn't last as long as I had hoped. My very last night, my good friends came over for a barbeque, and they stayed until about 12. It was a great evening, but suprisngly not all that sad. I think the realization that I will see the important people again in my lifetime made everything so much better. The next day at the airport was the first time I cried, after giving my last hug tears just filled my eyes and I didn't see it coming at all because I had hardly felt sadness in the remaining weeks. So I sort of ran to security because I didn't want all my friends to see me like this, which I sort of regret now, because my friends told me how after I left everyone was teary eyed and it would of been nice to have been there with them to share that moment...

I got really lucky though, because I didn't fly home alone, I was with 4 other exchange students and we ran into a couple others too. Unfortunately I was sitting alone of the flight from Berlin to Frankfurt, which is when I could of used someone the most. I just looked out the window as the plane was leaving and balled my eyes out, this surreal feeling had finally come to me that my year was over. But it was an unforgetable year!

On that note I returned home to see my family awaiting my arrival....the weird thing was that it never felt like I had left. It was very nice to be home, but things didn't change at all while I was gone. I do have a slightly different group of friends, but my best friends have remained the same.

After 2 1/2 weeks I still think about Germany everyday, my German is still there, I have however forgotten a few things, but it still doesn't suck. I would love to go back and I miss it like crazy....I have made so many incredible friends over this past year and I have already so much more life experiences than most people my age. I will never forget it, and the lessons it has taught me, Germany is apart of me now and forever and I don't honestly now where I would be right now if it weren't for Germany. I will never forget you Germany! <3

Holland Klassenfahrt

Seeing as I got back from my class a little over a week ago, I figured it would be nice to inform you as to what went down while in Holland...

This trip was absolutely an amazing trip!! It was totally relaxing, but at the same time we got the chance to help out with sailing and stuff. We actually spent the week on a boat called "Manna", and we started our journey in a little city called, Lemmer, which is on the IJsselmeer. Then we made our way up north and even managed to spend on night on the North see. Every night we spent in a different harbor. Some locations were better than others, but in general they were just littles villiages. So unfortunately I don't really remember the names of them.

But this trip in general was just a great opportunity. I really got to know the people in my class much better, and that makes in much harder to leave. I don't necessarely feel american when I am with them, I just sort of feel like I fit in. They have explained to me so many things that have just made me feel welcome and comfortable to be with them. I really am going to miss them!

Aside from that, my host sister is back again, and her boyfriend from Australia too. We also celebrated my host sisters confirmation on Sunday, so that was really cool to see the differences from an American and a German confirmation. Yesterday I have my last official day of German school because next week I'm going to Poland with my school, and there we are going to Auschwitz and Krakau....time is flying!! Only 16 more days!

Last Month...

Well I apoligize for harldy posting at all in the last month, but I have actually been quite busy, so onwards with whats been up...

Well I still have hardly been in school due to so many different holidays and other cancelations, one of the days we didn't have school we celebrated one of my friends last nights in Germany, because he is also doing an exchange to Chile...that was one of the funnest nights!! I have also been going to the beach quite a bit with my friends, and then just chilling at their houses and what not. I personally feel as if I am fully immersed in the German lifestyle!! I know that this is a feeling that you're supposed to get on exchange, but it only makes leaving a lot harder!!

Also, on this past weekend we had our final Rotary conference. It was in this random city called Rheinsberg, and it was only a one nighter. We just grilled, and swam and just hung out for the last night together. It was a really fun night too, to say the least!! Then the next day, we visited once again another castle, which was probably the worst one that we've ever seen before, and afterwards we went and sang the people in our district, which supprisingly went quite well. I am going to try and post the video, but it was during this song that everyone started crying...but I suprisingly just didn't have it in me to cry, it kept wanting to come out but I just couldn't...I am really going to miss all of the exchange students, we have been through so much together, and it sucks realizing that I will probably see less than 50 procent of them in my lifetime!! But our year really ended off on a good note!

This past week was also shortened due to Himmelfahrt(Skyride??), something like when just went up to heaven...I don't think this holiday exists in the U.S. But also on this day, all the guys go out and celebrate as well, it's called "Herrentag"(Guy's day) or "Vatertag"(Father's day)...just another reason for Germans to celebrate, and it was alot of fun too!! Then we also had the day off of school yesterday and I met up with some people from my old class and just grilled in somepark over by my old school.

Now today just packing and getting ready for our trip to Holland tomorow!! Five days on a boot sailing through Holland!! I'm actually not too excited, but it should still be cool. I'll make sure to update after I get back!

9 Months

Today marks my 9th month in Germany, and I must say...time sure does fly!!

I honestly don't know where to start in this post seeing as I haven't updated in 3 weeks. After the Easter holidays I had another week of holidays and then school started again. In the break I didn't really do too much, I just met a couple of people, and just sort of hung out. When school began it wasn't really anything special, few teachers acknowledged the fact that I was even gone, and my class mates also treated it as if I was never gone. I kept getting the same comment over and over about how tan I looked, but other than that, there wasn't too much said about my Eurotour or anyones holidays in general. But I think it was for the best that just focused on school and the next couple of months....

After my first week of school my parents took a hiking trip in Saxony somewhere, so they let me have a few friends over and it was very chill, then the next day was Bölscherfest and it was pretty lame with alot of drunk trashy people going around and getting into fights. As funny as it was, it wasn't too much fun. Then the next day I finally met up with the exchange students again, and we played soccer in Mauerpark, which is this really cool park where some parts of the Berlin Wall still remain, but there was a fleemarket or something going on, so it was really crowded!

The 13th class has also began to write their A-level exams, and the 10th grade started taking their MSA tests, and it says if they can move onto the 11th grade or if they stay behind...another thing is if they pass they can also drop out of school all together, but most students don't do that. But because of these tests I have alot of random days where I have no school, which has been really nice, but really confusing too. We generally just meet up and play basketball though!

I don't really think anything else exciting has occured. In this next month I have my last Rotary conference, then I travel to Holland with my class and then a poland trip with my class as well. And in between all of that my sisters have confirmation, on is graduating, a possible Düsseldorf trip, and another one with my family as well. These next 47 days will keep me busy!! I look forward to them, but at the same time I am sort of dreading going home...

Endlich....EUROPAREISE!!

So...finally after over a week of procrastinating I am finally going to post a blog over my Eurotour!! Let me just start out by saying that the 2 1/2 weeks I spent on Eurotour were probably the best 2 1/2 weeks of my life, and it truely was a trip of a lifetime...well, with that being said, onwards we go...

Day 1 Berlin-Dresden

We met up in Berlin Ostbahnhof(East station) at 10 and headed off to Dresden, Germany. When we got there we were given a tour in English, by some guy that seemed to make a rant against America every 5 seconds. After this, we went back to our Mexican styled hotel, ate, and then headed out to discover Dresden for the night.

Day 2 Dresden-Prague
After getting up we did one last thing in Dresden and that was seeing this computer modified Dresden from the 1700's, I don't know how to describe it other than saying that it was pretty legit. After that we drove to Prauge in the Czech Republic, and we were in what appeared to be the sketchy part of Pragug. We were actually in a 4 star hotel, but to the rest of the worlds standards it would be mabye a 2 star hotel. After room assignments and eating some awful food, we went into the legit parts of Prague, which was also pretty legit! Also something interessting about Prague is that people either know German and English....or nothing!! We couldn't even ask the police how to get back...

Day 3 Prague

Before we did our city tours, we were greeted with the news that one of our exchange students had spent the night in the hospital. Fortunately they were back before we got up, and they were going to be able to make it through Eurotour, but it was just a little bit of a shock seeing as it was only the 2nd night. Aside from that we did a city tour by foot, English and German like always, and hardly anyone was in the English group so all the English native speakers had to join...it became quite the irritating pattern. After the tour we ran into another German Eurotour group and so we went shopping with them and drank a couple legit Czech beers with them too. Then we ate disgusting Czech food again, watch a Black Light Theatre group perform, and roamed around Prague that night again. O, and I also made the Prague Drinking Team...that's just an inside joke with literally no referrence to alcohol at all...so please don't be concerned!

Day 4 Prague-Vienna
The bus ride took up most of the day,and it sucked because I was sick...we did stop at some little Medival-Themed amusment park but there was literally no where to eat, other than sit down resturants, or you could buy from a French Fry machine...so needless to say we went hungry. But it was all worth it because when we go to Vienna we had the best schnitzel ever, as well as one the most entertaining dinners ever. Afterwards, we sort of just walked around the city and chilled.

Day 5 Vienna
We had another city tour today, but this time it was a bus and walking tour and finally only in Germany!! I loved the ladies accent by the way too, it was not so evil sounding like the Berlin accent...now I can't stand my evil Berlin-German accent or my Nasily American-English accent. But Vienna was just an amazing city in general, the accent was just a plus. We got to eat legit Apple Struddel too! Well only I did because I got the last with out realizing...anyways, after this we had freetime and we went shopping like usual. Then we headed back, changed into nice clothing and headed to a classical concert, which was suprisingly good. I personally think I would move back to Vienna in a heart beat if I could...


Day 6 Vienna-Venice
Once again another long driving day. We arrived in a city outside of Venice just in time to take a quick look at the beach, then go back and eat like Italians. After eating, we all changed and the temparture had gone down quite a bit, but we still when swimming. Then we played some soccer and just chilled on the beach...

Day 7 Venice
We got up relatively early to catch a boat that would take us into the city of Vennice. We made it there on time and the boat ride just made me feel sick. After about a half hour we arrived and I must say, Venice is absolutely beautiful! It is clean and there's not waiting for bikes and cars. Only boats and people there. We were immideately given freetime and we roamed, ate ice cream, ate pizza, ate ice cream again, and then 4 hours later we met the group and took boat taxis to the opposite side of the city and we walked back from there with this real cool tourguide lady. She did it in German, and she kept calling us her kids. She also had us stop at this once place to buy the worlds best ice cream...it was literally the best. After the tour we headed back on the boat, when we got to the hotel we had schnitzel again and then headed back to the beach for probably the funnest night on Eurotour!! Except for the fact that my camera received sand damage, and made a personal choice never to open up again...


Day 8 Venice-Rome
It was another really long driving day today. We arrived in Rome, and today we were only allowed to take our backpacks with because we had to travel with the Subway instead of going with bus. We actually got off one stop to late, so we got stuck walking 30 minutes thru the dangerous streets of Rome. We walked past the Vatican, and 5 minutes later we arrived at our hotel. Then we had really good Italian food again, and afterwards headed out and saw the Vatican at night...which was suprisingly open, and it was amazing!


Day 9 Rome
We did another tour today, and it was in German! It really sucked not having a camera to take picutres, but I think I managed to steal enough from people anyways. After the tour we had pizza and wine, and then we headed to the Colleseum which was suprisingly dissapointing. Rome was actually a small city, and we had really nothing left to see and a day left, so we literally went back and slept because we couldn't take the sleep deprivation anymore. It was suprisingly a somewhat lame day.

Day 10 Rome-The Vatican City

On this day we literally got to go see the Pope! We had to wake up at about 6 and then we had like 30 minutes to eat and get ready. Everyone was late except for a few people, so she just let us go early. We ended up waiting for 2 hours, and of course the pope came in the Pope-mobile, which was very cool...then he took a seat, and from that point on, the ceremony just got extremely boring. He read really long texts in 7 different languages, which was quite impressive, except his English accent was bad, and I understood his German better...they also forgot to mention our names, even though they were supposed to.

After the ceremony we went and viewed the Vatican property...we went inside of the Basilica, which was the coolest church that I've been in, and I've seen many since coming to Germany. Once we were done looking around in there, we headed out to grab a little more Pizza and ice cream, and later headed back to the hotel to eat and head out for our night ride to Innsbruck...

Day 11 Innsbruck

We arrived early in Innsbruck, then just went straight to our hotel, and afterwards headed to the Swarovski Crystal World. It was just some interesting factory, where everything was made out of Crystals and was just sort of strange. After this we headed into the city for some freetime, and Innsbruck turned out to be a really amazing city. It is located right on the Alps, and it was just beautiful, and very authentic Austrian. Later that night we tried to explore the night life of Innsbruck, but that was sort of a failed attempt...

Day 12 Innsbruck-Nesselwang

Today was one of those really relaxed days that we had all been waiting for. We drove about 2 hours and crossed over from Austria to Germany finally, and then we visited a castel called the Linderhof Castel, and it was extremely tiny, but everything was convered in Gold! Unfortunately I was stuck in the English group again...but I was sort of feeling English by that point anyways...afterwards we headed to our hotel, and we were the only people there, and then we got passes to go to this big swimming place, where I lost my key, so there was something else I had to pay for!

Day 13 Nesselwang-Schloss Neuschwanstein
Once again, today was a very relaxed day. We got to see the Neuschwastein Castle, which is meant to be the Fairy tale castle...it is what disney uses as its basis for the castel at disney world. This was all the we did for the day, but the castel was very interessting and where it was located was just astounding. After visiting the castel we went to a ski resort and road up to the top to just chill in the snow and eat. Then we went back down and we all got to go riding on these slide things, I don't know how to explain it, but it was alot of fun! We actually did end up staying in the same hotel that night, so we headed back to the swim place again, except for this time some of us hit up the Sauna, which was one of the most relaxing things of my life, and if my parents do read this, I did take my pants off...

Day 14 Munich

Well we got to visit the famous city of Munich today. To start out we go a tour of the Olympic region of the city, and then a little bit longer tour from the bus of the rest of the city. Munich is suprisingly a really cool city. After finishing our tour, and visiting the hostel, we headed to the main part of Munich. There we had free time and of course everyone went to the main Brewery of Munich, including our Rotarians. Then we headed over to the Hard Rock Café, and we ate legit American cheesburgers and ice cream, then once again we headed to another Brewery to try Augestien Beer because our tour guide said it was the best beer in the world...it was only alright. I really wish we could've had more time in Munich, it was too much of an amazing city for so little time...
I also ran into Hunter too that night at the Hostel...he was my really good friend from my district back in the U.S., and we live in Neighbouring towns in the U.S. So it was sort of strange running into him in Munich as he was doing his Eurotour with his French District. I wish we could've gotten a better picture though...

Day 15 Regensburg

We headed to Regensburg today, which is also a Bavarian city, with only about 100,000 residents, but at one point it was actually the 2nd largest city in Germany. We made a quick stop first at this one thing called the Vahalla, and it was just a bunch of busts of old German people, and other Europeans. But Regensburg was a very nice authenic Bavarian town, that was hardly destroyed in the war, unlike most German cities. We did once again a city tour, and once again in English. The guy was very funny, but very creepy at the same time. We ran into some famous Australian chef, I did go up and meet him, but all the Austrlians were freaking out about it. So after the tour was done, we went back to eat sauerkraut and sausages from the place that he was filming his show, which was unfortunately already over. Then we met up with the group, had dinner, and then we all finally hung out together for the night, which was one of the first times since Venice. It was a great night chilling at the water...

Day 16 Regensburg-Berlin

We arrived in Berlin somewhat late this day, and the only thing planned was dinner. So of course we went and bought döner, and you don't even know how amazing döner tastes after not have eaten it for 2 weeks. I had enough of it though, that I couldn't eat the Dinner provided at the hostel, then we headed out again and chilled on the bank of the spree for the night...

Day 17 Berlin

We expected that this day would be extremely boring seeing as a good 2/5 of us live in Berlin or at least close enough that they're there once a month. But it actually wasn't at all. It was refreshing being back in a well known enviornment, plus there was a boat tour of the city planned for us, which was something the most of us had never done before, and probably never were going to...but it was still interessting. Then once again we didn't have anything planned for the rest of the day except for dinner, so we took a quick group photo in front of Brandenburger tor, then some people when to the Jewish Mueseum and the others had freetime. So went to Zoologischer Garten and got Döner...what else. Then we walked through Tiergarten, and found a good place and just slept.

After our nap, we walked back to the Hostel and there we met everyone for dinner. It was some place with a stage, and coaches, and it was just sort of chill. When we arrived, all the rotarians were there from our past meetings, including our head guy who didn't come with. We had to perform a song for him, that we had been learning, and he pretty much just bashed us, but we've never really gotten along with him, so it didn't really affect anyone, plus we already knew that it sucked...but after we got done arguing with him, people started breaking out in random singing, and it wasn't really too sad, but more just fun. After we stopped sing around 10, Kerstin told us the plan for the next day, and then it was just sort of over...but we all talked and we wanted to spend our last night together, so we met up infront of Reichstag(on Hitler's Birthday??), then we headed over to a little open area by the Spree and just chilled and had fun together for the last time! That's where the tears began, but it was an unforgetable night...

Day 18(The last) Berlin

We all rolled out of bed at about 8, and ate breakfast together for the last time. Then we walked to Hauptbahnhof as a group, where we watched people go one by one. Kerstin made the announcement that anyone who attended Eurotour was invited to our last conference at the end of May, which made the mood alot better...so leaving wasn't necessarely so hard, and we went home earlier than expected to just sleep!! When I got back only my host sister was there, and I just went back to bed, and rolled out at like 5 to eat dinner and meet up with friends who came by about 8...even though I missed my friends, I just wanted to sleep! But in all honesty that was the greatest feeling in the world, that I had German friends that card enough about me to show up and make sure that I was doing good...

Like I said, those were the best 2 1/2 weeks of my life, and I don't think that I'll ever quite get the opportunity like it again...that is of course until Eurotour Reunion!!

Frohe Ostern!

I am assuming this isn't the post that you guys were expecting, seeing as I returned from Eurotour 5 days ago now, and easter was only 2 days ago, but I haven't had quite enough time to right this big exciting post...so I'll try to get to that tomorrow. All I can say is that Eurotour was amazing, and I will try my hardest to finish that post...aside from that Easter was also amazing!! It started out with us getting up at 5:30 in the morning, then going to some christmas tree burning thing put on by the church, followed by a church service, which is even more boring in German. After that my host dad was incharge of a little group walk through the forrest and we ended up at the kindergarten, where my host mom actually works, for breakfast...which was very good, except for the fact that it was nothing like the American brunch I was used to, and the fact that they kept running out of coffee...that doesn't go well with Germans. When we were done with breakfast, we went back home and had a little siesta!

The host grandparents came over at 4 and we had German cake and other sweets. Then we had to leave the house so that the easter bunny could come and hide all the chocolate. We just went out front and played ping-pong with a couple good friends, until everything was ready, then we had to search for our presents, which were suprisingly were hidden quiet well. I got a basket from my host family, chocolates from one of my Grandmas, and then an ornament with chocolate inside from my other grandma....needless to say, a little bit too much chocolate!!

We ended up grilling for our easter dinner, and I finally got some legit steak and fish! It was one of the better easter dinners, seeing as we generally only eat Easter brunch in America, and not so often dinner. So all in all it was a pretty good Easter!!

Short little update....

I am just getting back from the airport after me and my host dad dropped off my mom and sister. They came for about 4 days and we just explored Berlin and hung out. There really isn't too much to say other than that because I'm really not in the mood to write but I won't have anytime for a few weeks because I leave tomorrow for Eurotour! I'm suprisingly not freaking out and jumping out of my seat, I'm just tired and getting ready. I don't have school for 2 weeks, and I already feel sort of sad. Like I've said before, I feel better around my school friends than exchange students now, but I know that'll change after spending 18 days with them. Well, that's it for now, and I'll be updating on facebook and probably post another post in about 3 weeks!

The Seventh Month Mark....

This is a little late, but as of last Friday I have officially been in Germany for seven months....seven months away from Marysville, seven months away from Americans, seven months away from English, and mostly seven months away from my family. But I have made it! I have made it this far without regrets, and there is only about 3 months left, and I am still not looking forward to go....

Aside from my opening note, it has been the same old same old. I actually had no idea what to post in the last couple of weeks, so I'm just going to do a little more of an update. I have only hung out with my German friends in the past couple of weeks. I only met up with the exchange students once, and that was to meet Adrian's mom who came to visit. I think we are all just releasing that we don't have to rely on eachother like before. We all have friends now, we all have a very good understanding of the language, and we're all just having fun and realizing that the point isn't to be with other exchange students, but to be with Germans and do as the Germans do.

Two weekends ago was Jonas' Birthday and we just hung out and stayed over at his place. Then the next day we played basketball and then we to Tobi's(another German Friend) for a little bit. Then I went home relatively early and the next day skyped my mom and aunt to figured out if they were coming to visit or not. My host parents were present as well, so I got to work on my translating skills!!

Then this past weekend we were literally at a party in my little village, Schöneiche. We showed up and there was a fight going on and we just waited until it was done, then went to lock up our bikes and my friend got a glass thrown at her, so it almost broke out again until they pushed us inside and the other people got kicked out. It was a pretty legit party, other than that. It was a birthday party for a few people from my soccer team. My older host sister was there, and her friend and my friends. My old host brother's girlfriend was there too, and it was nice talking to her since we hadn't seen eachother since December. It was probably one of the funnest nights I had here. It's really annoying though how eveyone wants to speak English to me and then I respond in German, and it always goes back and forth and it doesn't help us improve our languages in anyway, but that's just how Germans get at these parties....Then Saturday I went to Sarah with a few friends and we stayed over. Then the next day we played basketball again. I love how I'm finally the best at baskeball!!

But over these past weeks there is a lot going through my head. I don't feel like an exchange student anymore, and I don't feel like Germany is all that foreign. I will admit, the language still feels very foreign, especially because I am not fluent yet, but it still doesn't matter, I feel like I belong. I feel like I understand my friends here, better than most people in the U.S. There has already been moments in which we've almost started crying because we've only known eachother since January, but I already feel close, and I don't feel like I could ever leave my friends. I wish there was a way that I could graduate here, but I know that wouldn't fly with my mom. But I just don't think that leaving will be as easy as I thought, this reverse culture shock already appears to be growing as a spend more time with my German Friends, making leaving harder and harder....

But on a brighter note my mom and sister come next Wednesday for a 4 day visit. I wish it was longer, but I have to go on Eurtour the following monday, so they will be leaving Sunday, then I will be leaving for 18 days! I'm excited for my eurotour, but I'm a little disappointed too. I feel like were getting cheated in the places were going. Of course Prag, Vienna, Venice, Rom, and Munich will be cool, but there are many other places like Zuruck we could've gone to over these little villages that we are going to and also two days in Berlin!!! Half of us live in Berlin, and the other half was already here...this makes not sense!! One of my friend's eurotour will go to 12 different countries, for only 400 euros more...I am still very excited, but this is just how I am feeling....

But now in June, along with going to Holland with my class, we can now go to Auschwitz in Poland!! This may sound weird, but I've actually always wanted to go there, and it should be extremely interesting. June will be an amazing month, and I can already say that!!

I apologize for this very poorly written post, I can't really think so well in English anymore, and I sort of was writting what poped into my head....

I will try to post next Sunday when my mom leaves, and when I'm getting ready for Eurotour!!

Nothing New...

The title pretty much sums up everything that has been going on since my Birthday. I'm still going to give a little recap anyways...

Last week was sort of boring in school, I was sick on Monday, then my host mom gave me a note to give to my teacher next day but I forgot, and he never asked either. I sort of makes me wonder why I even go to school if it doesn't matter to the school, but whatever, I still love all seeing all my friends everyday! School is only sometimes boring, but my friends make it all worth it!

The on Friday I went to the bookstore to get my host mom a birthday present, I wanted to ask the lady for a book, but I told her I didn't know the German title, just the author. So I told her "Harper Lee" and she knew what I was referring too. Then she got it for me and asked if I had just gotten back from an exchange in America, and she was suprised when I was actually an exchange student....pretty good feeling right there! Then I got two more books for myself, "Der Kleine Prinz" which is called "The Little Prince" in English. It's sort of a little kid book, but it's perfect for me since I'm still not amazing at reading. I also got "Berlin Alexanderplatz", it's a German book too, but a lot more difficult than the other. I've really been enjoying reading in German, espeically when I can read for a while without having to look up a word. I've been reading "Anne Frank" and I can read it faster and faster everyday!

Then later that day, I went with one of my host sisters and my old host brother to Kreuzberg for a going away party for a family friend, who was also in Austria. She is going to Ghana for a charity project and for her University. My older host sister from Düsseldorf was also there because it's her best friend, and as a birthday suprise for my host mom. Pretty interesting night, and suprisingly, the most fun thing at this party was a little board game where you just try to keep an airplane up. It's funny how interesting somethings can be...

Saturday was very chill, we just had to get ready for my host mom's birthday party. But only my host mom and one of my host sister's were cooking, so I did nothing. The party was nice. I didn't really do much because they were all older, so I just hung out with my host siblings. Then at midnight everyone sang, gave my host mom a hug and presents, then it was already over. Nothing really all that special.

On Sunday we went to this place in Berlin-Dahlem called the Botanischer Garten, where we got a tour and listen to classical music and drank Coffee. It was a little boring for my taste, but it was perfect for my host mom, it was everything that she loves put together...

This next weekend I'm hanging out with Jonas the whole weekend. He's probably my best German friend and he had his birthday today, so were just gonna chill and celebrate. The next two or three weekends will just be simple, then my mom will hopefully be here, and then Eurotour!! I'm suprisingly not too excited, but that is because the day it starts, I will be at officially three months left!! It goes way to fast!!

German Birthday!!

Last Wednesday I celebrated my 17th Birthday, and it was probably the best birthday I've ever had! I went down for breakfast like any other day, but instead I was greeted by some German traditional Birthday song, and then a hug from everybody and they just wished me the best with everything. Then we had cheesecake because they were trying to make it as American as possible.

At school I got hugs and handshakes from everybody, including the teachers, they sang to me in practically every class, and I even got two cakes from people in my class! Very legit German cakes with Haribo inside!! They tasted amazing!

Then I met up with Adrian, another American, and we bought Reese's Peanut Butter cups at KaDeWe, and just chilled for a few hours. Then I went back to Fredrichshagen, and met my host family, and we went to some American Restaurant and I tried to be as cheap as possible, but my host dad took my water away when I got it, and said that I have to drink beer on my only birthday in Germany, but I didn't complain. First time eating a legit American burger in a while too!!

Afterwards, we went back home and I opened up all my presents. I got a cd from 6kornbrot, German candies, legit puma soccer shoes since I play soccer now, flowers, and of course a beer glass and more beer. So I had another beer with my host dad, and then I went up stairs to skype with my family to end the night. A pretty legit Birthday to say the least...

Then on Friday I went to my first Abitur party with my school! It's a party put on by the Graduating class, and practically the whole school went. It was a great time, I really can't explain that well because it was just dancing and chilling with friends the whole time. There was also a pirate theme, so pretty much everybody dressed up. Someone drew a scar on my face before I went in, so I go in for a Euro cheaper!!

Then yesterday I met up with the exchange students, we didn't really do much, and I also wasn't really in mood for anything. But it was still a good time, and nice to see everyone again....

Nichts Besonderes

Nothing special has been really going on lately, in all honesty it is finally a little bit boring...

But since the conference there has been nothing at all going on. I play soccer now on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with one of my neighbours. It pretty much suck because I have play now for a week, and I'm playing with people who have been playing since they were 3 and are older than me. But it's finally nice to do something active, since I'm probably the fattest I've been in my whole life. I love German food, but I miss playing sports every second of the day!!

I also said goodbye to my favorite oldie Guilia, which would make it officially the last of my oldies to be gone! It's sad because I've learned so much from them, but it's really cool because I'm now at the part of my exchange when I met my oldies, and now I can really see how much I've changed!

I officially have my flight information home. I will be leaving from Germany at 8:45 on the 4th of July and arriving back the same day at sometime around 5 or 6 in the afternoon. I'm actually starting to get a little bit excited to go back. I'm excited to see my friends and my family again, but at the same time I still don't want to leave Germany. I'll be back in 4 1/2 months now, and I'm going to try and make every second count!!

But nothing to really look forward to, I have my birthday on Wednesday, and the next exciting thing is going to be Eurotour on the 4th of April and that is the beginning of nonstop doing stuff. I went thru the schedual with my host mom, and I'm pretty much doing something every second in April, May, June, and then I'll be gone in July...So this next month will just be a chill month, and preparing for the all the adventures about to happen!

Bad Saarow

Bad Saarow....THE BEST ORIENTATION SO FAR!!! I still don't get why it was there...but here is a little recap of what went down...

On Friday I went to school, then had to run back to my house and ended up meeting one of my host sisters on the tram and it was the most we had talked in a long time! Then we went home together and I grabbed my stuff and headed out again. I rode with the bus to Fürstenwalde and meet up with the other exchange students who were waiting for the bust to Bad Saarow. It took us about 10 or 15 minutes to leave because we had so many people and the bust driver was frustrated with us! Apparently the first bus driver refused half the group, which is why my group was so big!!

We all made it there on time and the just ate dinner and waited for the other district to show up. This conference was a combination of two districts...1940, which is my district and most of Berlin, Brandenburg, and ever a little north of Brandenburg...and the other district was 1890 which is Hamburg and others regions near Denmark.

The got there at 8 and they were all right. We never really clicked with all of them, just a few like some of the ones that we flew with from Philly to Frankfurt. But we still chilled with them that night, and it was very fun and relaxing night because Rotary let us throw a party for one of the girl's Birthday!

The next day we headed to Berlin. It sort of sucked that we had to go to Berlin and that we didn't get to go some place new, but we still got to visit places like were Valkyrie took place, and we also got to go in the Reichstag!! It is very interesting how relaxed they are compared to the U.S. This is the equivalent to our Capital Building, but practically anyone can go in if they have an appointment. It was better a couple months ago, but now with terrorist threats, it's appoinments only!

It was sort of boring at first. Some lady explained for an hour about the history of Reichstag and normally what I would do was translate for one of the newbies what she said because it makes it more fun, but I was in the front row so I could sleep or do anything! But afterward we got to go in the big dom and see over the entire city! Berlin is really an amazing city!

After Reichstag, we had a city bus tour, so I just said with other Berlin people and we just talked and didn't really pay attention too much. We did have to get out to see the Berlin wall, but I had never seen this part before, and it was amazing to see.
After Berlin, we went back to Bad Saarow, ate some cold dinner, then we did our country presentations. We sang the national anthem and then talked about the superbowl for our presentation. It was probably one of the boring ones, especially because the person who explained it didn't make any sense, but it think it was somewhat funny. The other presentations went well too, and it's very interessting because everyone had to include music, and just the different types of music are so cool!

Then we had a little bit of time, and they set up for the dance. I went to a friends room and just talked about we completely missed the pin exchange, so I missed out on a lot for my jacket! But I still passed out what I had and then we headed for the dance. It was alright, but I left after the first 10 minutes and we just chilled. Rotary didn't really care what we did, so we all hung out the whole night and went to bed about 3. But it was possibly one of the best nights ever with my district! I finally feel really close with everyone, and it isn't the English speakers and Spanish speaks anymore. It's officially everyone together now!!

We have all grown so much in the past 6 months. We all can communicate with eachother in German, and we are all a lot more mature. This weekend was absolutely incredible and I really look forward to Eurotour with everyone. 18 days together will be a great time, and it will be amazing see Europe!! I don't regret not getting to know the other district so well because the fact that were clicky with lots of small groups, made it really difficult on all of us, and it then end that is what helped us come together! From all the districts I've met, I can honestly say that district 1940 in the best in Germany! I wouldn't want to be in anyother district!!

Also, while we were discussing Eurotour today, they came in and said that 200 Euros worth of alcohol was taken from the liquor cabinet...I'm sure that the other district had fun paying for that one!! ^^

Other news...I payed for my Holland trip and it's from May 30th to June 5th with my class on a boat, and I also replied to my Travel Agent and I plan to be home for the 4th of July....time is really ticking...

Winterferien

Austria....

possibly one of the most interesting, exciting, and painful vacations of my enire life!

Well, we got up at 3 in the morning and headed to Saalbach, Austria. That was the first time that I had ever been to northern Germany or Austria, and it was absolutely incredible. We got to make a stop Munich to pick up my host sister, and it was cool seeing what is the "sterotypical" Germany up close a.k.a. Bavaria. But it was extremely cool.

We arrived in Austria noonish and just chilled for the rest of the day, and met people as they arrived. There was about 35 people total, and one was an old exchange student from one of the families, and the other was a 3 year old. So I didn't have to feel like the only one that was slowing everything down!

For the first 3 days I attended a snowboarding course,and the instructors were mostly from Holland, so their German was relatively easy to understand. At first my snowboard was too small, and I had to run to the place and explain to the guy everything wrong, and then he had my type stuff into a machine, and of course I used the machine in English. Then I had a question and he told me I could use German, and then I had to explain to him that I'm not actually German and that my English is better. He didn't really understand, until I told him that I was an American, but that suprisingly happened a lot in Austria! I was complimented on my German more in Austria than ever before because they all just assume that I have a Berliner accent, wereas in Berlin they all know that I'm American...

Aside from that, I got back & probably experienced one of the most stressful vacation days ever. My class started out with 12, and ended with 5. Needless to say it was a somewhat intensive course. But I managed, along with the other little kids from Berlin who were only 8 and 10, who ended up being my good friends for the week, the second I heard their Berlin accents. But the next day of class was better, there was 5 or so new Berliners, and it was a lot of fun, but the third day sucked because the group got to big and I had a new instructor who was much better than the first, but I got stuck doing the same thing I had already learned with people that I couldn't stand. The third day was extremely pointless, but I did get to speak a little English because my snowboard instructor hardly new German!

After the class I met my host family at the top for a beer, and then we all road down together. I honestly didn't know that I could snowboard! I was extremely slow, but I made it home with only one major fall, where I also fell off the mountain, and it was suprisingly good! The next days went well too, I enjoyed riding with my family but they were extremely fast and they would always have to stop for me, and I was the only beginner in the whole group, so I tried to ride by myself for most of the week.

Aside from snowboarding, it was a very good week just hanging out with Germans and playing German games, and there was ever a few Austrian traditions thrown in. Even though it was often stressful with learning to snowboard, the nights were always a great time and unfortunately I'll probably never get to experience something like this again! It was possibly the best vacation that I've ever had!

Also, ROTARY COFERENCE THIS WEEKEND!!

Aufgeregt!!

I'm so excited to go to Austria now!!! I leave at 3 in the morning my time, so I still have 7 more hours and I don't know what to anymore! Everything has been going great and everything is going great with my host family too! I couldn't of asked for a better time to go snowboarding with my host family!! I am going to a city called Saalbach-Hinterglremm, Austria, for a week with a few other families and that is about a total of 35 people or so. My family makes up for 10 of them. But it will be a week of hopefully only German and I believe no internet!!! But apparently the Austrian accent is difficult and I have to take a snowboarding course for a few days with Austrian instructors, so hopefully it goes well!

I also got my report card today. It's probably the most dissappointing report card ever, but it doesn't matter to me because I was only there for a month....

Well I'll make sure to fill everybody in when I get back, and hopefully with some pictures!! This year of adventures just keeps getting more and more adverturous!

Halfway there...

Well I've never actually counted the days before today, but I was sitting in class with a friend and she wanted to know where I was in my exchange. So I counted and as of today, if I leave when I intend to, then I am exactly halfway done with my exchange. It was freaky to notice this, but at the same time extremely sad because I came to the relization today that I am going to back to the U.S. in what seems like no time at all. I look forward to all of these things that are about to happen, but every with event that is going to occur in the next 5 months, is just leading me closer to my departure. I do love the U.S., don't get me wrong, but still apart of me will be German forever now. I've lived the life of a German for the past 5 1/2 months and I've grown more than I ever have in my entire lifetime. I have a much different outlook on life. I hardly knew anything about the world 6 months ago and now that I've finally gotten to live life abroad, and everything is just so much different. It's one of those things that are impossible to explain even to other people that have had the same opportunities as me. Every experience is different, and I'm glad that I've been put where I am. Through all the struggles that I've endured, they have only made me stronger in the end.

This half will be much different from the first half for sure. I now know Berlin very well, unlike at first where I got lost the first time I ventured out on my own. I can also finally communicate in only German when I really want to, but I'm still trying to make it better every day and I've finally got the techniques down to learn German faster and better. I realize that my German my not be perfect when I leave, but I tell myself everyday that even if I left now, I would still be satisified with how my German worked out! So I'm really looking forward to this last half, and definitely for the new adventures that are to come!

5 months down...

...and unfortunately only 5 or 6 months left....

I really don't know what to write for the post other than it's reaching the half way point and I'm not excited. But I am excited to see how much more I'll change in last half of the year. My German has improved tremendously since I've gotten here. I hate talking about it, because I know it's not good, but I am able to only speak in German when I really want, and I understand almost everything now. I did speak some English on Friday because I was at Giulia's going away party, but other than that I've hardly spoken English since the holidays.

I am also very happy with my school and I finally do stuff often with them...every Thursday is officially DÖNERSTAG(Donnerstag), and we just eat Döner because it's still probably the best food in the world. Then we are also often hanging out, or just doing stuff. I really like my last school, but my new school is a lot more frendly and welcoming. I've already visited my old school twice and I really don't miss it too much. I miss a lot of the people, but definitely not all. I think I was just better off at a Gymnasium.

There is also a lot to look forward to in the next few months. I have this week, then next week and then the week after we go on holidays. So me and my family are driving with a few other families to Austria!! And the best part is, is that Rotary is giving me 400 Euros to go!! So I might even be getting to keep some money. Then the weekend after break I have another Rotary conference. I'm not really excited because it is mostly held in Berlin and we are getting a city tour of the city I already know well enough. Last year it was held on an island on the Baltic see, and that would of been a lot cooler, but it's held with another district and our district is in charge of hosting this year!

Then like I've said 1000 times already, in April I go on Eurotour!!! I don't have any school for a month because when I get back we go on break! The end of the year is very easy. Also in June I get to go to Holland on a school trip and we ride around in a boat for a week on go on shore everyday. And it's not expensive! It'll be a good last couple days with my school. Then after that I have 3 weeks and then probably going home. I still haven't picked an official date yet. I am waiting until February or March to say for sure...But I'm still not excited at all to decide!!

What to do?!?!?

Well this is one thing that I never had really hoped to worry about. But I am stuck on when I should go home and it's bugging me enough that I had to blog about it. I'm contemplating when I should go home! There is a big conference in July at the beginning of the month, the same one that I attended last year. If I go back I will be there for the 4th of July, but I will have a total of 4 or 5 days of Summer. But if I go back 1 or 2 weeks later then I get to experience German summer and learn more. At first I planned on going to this conference no doubt, but suprisingly I enjoy things a lot more than expected. The thing that's stuck in my head is that I only get to experience this once and I don't know if a weekend long conference is worth leaving all this behind early....the sad part is, is that I'm not even have way through, but I've been told that I need to make up my mind soon! What to do?!?!?

A Very German Christmas...and New Years!!

Well....I survived what is supposed to be the hardest part of the exchange year...the holiday seasons....and suprisingly, it wasn't too bad.

Well my holidays started the 23rd. I got a messaged after posting my last blog and some kids from my new school wanted to go a Christmas Market, and it was a great time! Then later that night my older host sister from Düsseldorf came with her Australian boyfriend. I realized that I was going to speak too much English when he started out by introducing himself in English...

Then the 24th came, and this is considered to be the official Christmas day in Germany. But it doesn't really feel like Christmas at all like in the U.S. Mornings aren't so exciting. We got up, had breakfast, and then me and the Australian set up the tree. Then we kind of just chilled and took the whole day to get ready for church. Then we walked about a half hour to the church and met the Grandparents. It was a very short and simple mass and the first time I had attended a mass since I left, so I'm glad I got to go to church.

After the mass we headed back home and had dinner!! Very typical Geman meal with a lot of meat, fish, potatoe salad, and of course beer! It was one of the best Christmas dinners I've ever had. Then right after dinner we went and said down and exchange presents. It's not like how we do it in the U.S. where we go and take all of our presents and sit down. People pass out 1 or 2 at a time and it's a lot more patient. I suprisingly got quiet a bit from my host family, something I wasn't expecting or asking for. Everyone was so generous and I really felt like I was a part of the family.

Then after presents we had another little thing in the church. It was just a Modern day play of the birth of Jesus and it was interesting. Then I went to a party at my older host brothers and I got to speak a lot of English because I was around the Australian the whole time and people just speak English to him, so they would do the same to me too. But it was a great party and I got home around 4:30 and got to skype my family a little...probably a dumb idea on my part.

On the American Christmas day, we didn't do much at all. Two more Australians came to us in the early morning and we just went sleeding on the back of a car. Then we had a big dinner and pretty much the same thing the next day. Except we had a lot of people come over for a bonfire with Swedish fires!! Best idea in the world!

The rest of the break was just relaxing. We went sleeding a few times. We went to a place called Tropical Islands, which is the biggest water resort place in Europe. I even tried to go shopping one day but it didn't work out because I forgot my credit card at home, so I had a total of 50 euro! So I didn't accomplish anything, and I have yet to buy Winter clothes.

New Year's Eve in Berlin was incredible!! It didn't work out how I planned it, but it was was still great....I met up with some friends at the main station in Berlin. Then we went to Brandenburger Tor, which is the big place where the party is at in Berlin. Then everyone was cold, so we walked back to the main station and with a little time left we walked back but I managed to lose almost everyone but a few people, and we just ended up staying at Reichstag(German Parliment Building) because they closed the gates to get in to Brandenburger Tor at 11 because there was already over a million people there. But Reichstag was still good too and the moment it turned midnight you just heard eveyone screaming and fireworks going off into the air, and it was one of the greatest moments of my exchange. I can't even describe it how great it was.

We stayed for a half hour, then walked back to the main station to meet up with the others. I ended up leaving with Guillermo to meet my host sister and the other Australians at a party. We meet a ton of Germans because we had no idea how to get there, and they didn't either. So by time we found the place I had a group of over 10 people that I had brought with to the party. It ended being a typical German techno party which are actually the best ones!! We stayed for a couple of hours and left at 3, and got home at 5:30. Best New Years ever!!

New Years day was nothing special. I came down stairs at 1 to eat breakfast and got hugs from everyone. The we chilled and watched a couple of movies and just had a lazy day. Today is the same thing but now I have to get ready for school to officially start. I was already there one day, but I'm still extremely nervous!!

O, and...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!!