I Made It!

Well I figured I should probably post something now that it's been 3 days. I'm going to start back on Tuesday, which seems like forever ago! Well I got up Tuesday, got everything packed, and then went to 4-star with my family. It was really nice, but I only almost cried when I hugged my dad. Then I left, got my things, said bye to my cousins, and I was off to the airport. The car ride wasn't that sad either, it was moslty just nice and relaxing. When we got to the airport I was told that I could get on the earlier flight, but Serenity got there sort of late, so we had to wait. We finally said our good-byes and headed through security at noon. My stuff was searched because of my pins and the soaps for families. We got through security, and then waited for about a half hour, then we were off to Philly. The flight was nice and short. The flight attendent just seemed really angry at first, but she turned out to be fine. The lady next to me was really nice, and she gave me 2 silly-bandz. We got off the flight and then met up with another exchange student who had been waiting for a few minutes. I ended up leaving to get food, I ran into another exchange student who was going to Belgium, I invited him to join us, but he never showed up. Eventually a big group of students came. It was soooo much fun! After 5 hours we got on our plane to Frankfurt, and then when we got there we all got seperated.
Only 6 of us were going to Berlin. Three of us already had our tickets, so we went to customs, which was almost too easy. All he did was ask for my final destination, and then I was on my way. We went to a few stores, we also experienced our first bit of culture shock when we saw a section of nude books. We eventually went through security where the group of us met up again. I got searched once again, but this guy was a bit stranger, and he had me unwrap the stuff. After that we met up with some nice lady from Thailand, who gave us all pins. Then we headed to our gate. From there we left for Berlin! It was very sad leaving everyone, but at least the 6 of us get to see eachother. All of our luggage made it, and went out and met our host families. My host mom and older brother were waiting for me. I also said hi to Leon and some inbound students from South America who came there to meet me. Then I left for my new home. I was very confused at first. I liked it but at the same time I already wanted to leave because I was extremely tired, and I just wanted some comfort. I got home and unpacked, and from there I started to feel much better. Then me and my family had dinner, and eveything was turing out to be fine! My host family is extremely nice. After dinner, Hannes had me go with him to his friends where we watched A-Team in German. It was very confusing, and I was ready to pass out from Jet-Lag. I finally went home and got some rest!

The next day I got up, met my YEO and then I met up with my host mom's friend's daughter, who wanted to show me around Berlin. She was very nice, but talking with her was very difficult because she hardly knew English and I hardly know German. But her friend came and she knew perfect English. We went to the main part and saw all the good stuff in Berlin. It was actually a lot of fun traveling on the subways and the other things. Seeing Berlin was a lot of fun too. It was definitely the funnest thing that I had done so far.

Today wasn't very exciting. We went to the police station, so that I could get my alien card or whatever it is. Then I went to my school and got my schedule. It is so nice because the let me skip out on a lot of classes. I only have a full day on Thursday, and it is still a little shorter than American school. After that I got my Berlin transportation pass. Then I went home and didn't really do anything exciting.

I must say though, Germany is very different from the U.S., but similar at the same time. It is just one of those things that you would have to experience while you're here...

Tomorrow!!!

I seriously can't believe that I'm leaving tomorrow! It still hasn't really hit me either. I can't really sleep anymore, but that's only been going on for the past few days! But I am extremely excited! Yesterday was my going away party with my family, and it wasn't really all that sad, I think only two people cried, but it was really nice seeing everyone. Today I'm just getting ready, and later I think I'm going to the movies. It's not really going to be all that exciting of a last day here.

It also turns out that the two inbounds in Berlin that have already been there for a half year are meeting me at the airport! I was pretty excited when they told me that! I don't really think I'm doing anything exciting that day. But Thursday my host mom's friend's daughter wants to show me around Berlin, so that should be fun, and for the weekend I'm going to Saxony-Anhalt, because that is where my host mom's parents live. It should be very interesting. Then Monday I have school! I'm surprisingly excited now!

Well I hope everyone has a great year, and I will fill you all in when I get there!

Less than a week!

I leave for Berlin in 6 days now! It still seems really weird and I haven't really lost any sleep at all, and it just seems like time has been going faster. It really hasn't affected me at all. But it has been weird that about half of the people have already left. My host brother left for Argentina already too, so I won't get to meet him! But I think he's having an amazing time.

Well this week I've been hanging out with people everyday, because I didn't really have time to throw a party since I can't do anything this weekend. I think I'm going to try to do something Monday though. Sunday I have my family party, which will probably be the first time that I cry. I leave for the airport at 9:45 Tuesday morning, and my flight leaves for Philly at 1:33. There I meet up with like 30 exchange students, but like half of them head off to Brussels and Amsterdam. Then the rest of us go to Frankfurt, and then like 4 or 5 of us head to Berlin-Tegel! At Berlin, I think only my host mom will meet me, but also Leon will be there picking up his new brother! His is from California and I meet up with him in Philly. I just found that out and I was sooo excited!

Well I've got one bag packed, but I plan to finish the rest Monday because I need the rest of the clothes to wear. But I am pretty much done with everything else, and that is sooo relieving!

Only 7 more day until I'm there!

My and Safire's Article

Safire and I were in our local newspaper today for our departure, so here's the article...

http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20100803/NEWS01/8030307/Local-students-ready-for-year-across-the-Atlantic

Hopefully you are able to view! The pictures were not really the greatest, but I must say the article was pretty good!

Official Itinerary

I finally got an email from my travel agent! Well the ticket was a little bit more that I wanted to be, but it was less than I expect by about $4. Here is my itinerary...

U.S. Airways

August 17th

Leave Detroit at 1:33 p.m.

Arrive in Philadelphia at 3:10 p.m.

August 17th-18th

Leave Philadelphia at 8:25 p.m.

Arrive in Frankfurt at 10:20 a.m.

August 18th

Leave Frankfurt at Noon

Arrive in Berlin at 1:05 p.m.!!!

I'm soooo excited now that I know exactly when I will be arriving! I also finally purchased my ticket, because I guess if I had waited any longer, the price would've gone up! I found out from my travel agent that I will be meeting up with one girl in Detroit, and then about 30 exchange students going to either Belgium or Germany in Philly. I did receive some bad news though, my host brother is leaving the 6th instead of the 20th so I won't ever get to meet him! It's good for him, but it is unfortunate for me! O well, only 3 more weeks!!

Less Than a Month!!

I still can't really picture myself in Germany!! It's even harder to believe that a month from today, I will actually be a couple days into my exchange. Everything about this is all just sort of weird. I'm not really nervous, but at the same time I'm not ridiculously excited either. I am basically just content. The two girls going to India have already been there for a few days and that's even hard to believe! I'm sure that as time comes I will begin to feel more nervous, but I have this feeling that I would actually realize that this is actually happening until I'm there!

Well I still don't know about my next couple of host families! My YEO hasn't emailed me back yet but hopefully soon. I also still have no clue about my ticket!! Some kids are leaving in 10 days for Germany and they still don't know! But it sounds like I'm going to Amsterdam first and then to Berlin! It will be kind of nice being able to take a break and actually being able to talk to my host mom on the phone before I meet her! She seems like the nicest lady in world....well I hope! But I'm sure me and her will get along fine.

I still have so much more to do before I leave! Hopefully I can bring in some more money too!

Grand Rapids!!

Grand Rapids was amazing!! It was one of the best weekend of my life, but at the same time it was one of the saddest. I met so many people, and had a lot of fun, but it was the last time that I will get to see a lot of the people I have gotten to know so well over this past year. I have found these people easier to talk to relate to than even my own friends. I hope that I am able to find friends like this is Berlin.

Back to Grand Rapids, there were a few boring speakers, but for the most part there were a lot of really good ones. The opening ceremonies were incredible, and there were a lot of random people singing, which made it much better! I was bummed out that there was no one going to Berlin. There are a few people in my district, but no one close to Berlin. I also met a rebound from Berlin who I have been talking to, and an inbound. Unfortunately I didn't have cards, and neither did she, So we will never meet.

The food wasn't very good there. But what did you expect from a college? It's sort of funny because that food will probably be 10 times better than some of the food that some students will eat on their exchange. There really isn't too much to talk about, we just hung out with everyone for the last time, and there were a lot of tears! I feel bad for all the inbounds, as our journeys begin, theirs are just ending. I'm going to miss all of them, but fortunately a lot of them were already planning on coming to Berlin to see the inbound from Berlin.

I honestly don't think that I will ever have a weekend like this ever again. It won't be the same next year because no everyone will be there. Hopefully we can all get together sometime before we leave. It is crazy to believe that two people are leaving tomorrow! Both of the people are leaving for India, and I am extremely jealous that they get to leave tomorrow. I leave 5 weeks from today! They will be there well over a month before I arrive! But I am glad that I get a few weeks to say bye to my friends and family! It is still hard to believe that I am leaving! I am excited, but extremely nervous at the same time. I'm sure that things will get more and more weird as time gets closer.