Weird Things I Am Excited For

Wow, I have not kept up with my blog at all! Sorry! It is already July and I have 19 days left in Germany. So anyways, here is a compilation of all the things I'm excited for when I go back home, well, to Florida(my Dad got stationed there while I was living here in Germany).

1. Airconditioning. It doesn't exist where I live in Germany. It is 100 degrees fahrenheit outside and my bedroom feels like a thermos. You know, the things you used to take to Elementary school where your mom would put boiling water in it to heat it up and then dump the water out and fill it with chicken nuggets. Yeah, that's what my room feels like. The other day I stood by the salamis in the super market for like 10 minutes just to cool off.
2. Dryers. In every host family I have lived in they haven't had a dryer to dry clothes. So instead of putting my clothes directly from the washer into the dryer and having clean, dry clothes in 2 hours, I have to haul my laundry from the dryer to either the drying room (imagine an entire room dedicated to clotheslines) or the outdoor clothesline, where my underwear will be flapping in the wind for the whole neighborhood to see. Not to mention that the clothes always end up super stiff, which leads me to my next point..
3. Fabric Softener. Ah, good ole fabric softener. Prevents your extra fluffy towels from feeling like cardboard(another downfall of the clothesline system). I can not wait to use my nice soft towels when I get home. Before exchange, I didn't realize how much of a difference fabric softener makes to the feeling of clothes. I can now tell you, it's a bigger difference than you think.
4. Stores being open on Sundays. Many a day have I thought "Hmm, I should go pick this up from the store," and then realized, "Oh wait, it's Sunday." The same thing goes for restaurants. Craving Chinese food? Well that's too bad because the only thing open is Mcdonalds.
5. Free refills. Restaurants here do not offer you free refills. So you will pay 2.50 euros to get a 2.5l. After you drink that, you're done. You're not getting any more unless you pay for a new one. Not even a glass of water. That costs money to. Sometimes I really just want to ask the waiter to bring me a glass of tap water instead of those overpriced fancy waters that come in a little glass bottle. Guess what! They taste exactly the same! The only difference is one is overpriced!
6. Ice in my drink. When I have asked why the drinks don't come with ice the answer has always been either, "It's cold enough!" or, "But then you don't get as much drink." That probably stems from the fact that free refills don't exist here. Either way, I miss my ice.
7. Free bathroom facilities. Who had the idea that people should pay to use the restroom! That's just wrong! Guaranteed, the bathrooms are much more well kept, but still! I don't have money to pay 50-70 cents every time I need to go! They should be thankful that I'm not peeing myself in the middle of their restaurant!

Anyways, so these are just a few of the things that I am excited for when I go back. Yes, of course I'm excited to see my family too.

February/March Update!

           Hello everybody! I am happy to report that it seems like the end of winter is in sight! Praise the Lord, I was beginning to think it was never coming(my apologies to my readers Stateside who are still being pummeled with snow and subarctic temperatures). The sun was out today and the blue skies made me homesick for my sweet Alaska summers. Nothing beats Alaska in the summer, too bad you have to wait 2/3 of the year for it to come around. Here in my city, Goppingen, there are small flowers blooming in the parks. At first I thought they were oddly colored fungi, thank you little brothers for educating me on the different type of fungi that exist, but on further inspection I learned that they were small flowers growing in clumps of orange, purple, yellow, and white! Sunmer can not come soon enough. I just want to be able to wear shorts and sandals! I also wouldn't mind ditching my jacket.

The flowers that seem to be popping up everywhere in Goppingen

               One thing that will never cease to amuse me is seeing adults riding scooters. There is just something about grown men zipping around the city on scooters that I find extremely funny! Also, they never forget a helmet, safety first! Germans will be Germans. 

Spotted in the Stuttgart Sbahn Station

               Last weekend Ceara and I went and picked up our friend Sophie from the airport. She was coming back from India where she had been with Rotary giving out Polio vaccines. She is so lucky to have had that opportunity. Anyways, Ceara and I went with a massive welcome home sign and picked her up from the airport. Because we don't have family here, we are family for each other. It was basically like Sophie was our child and we were welcoming her home. 

Sophie, Fashion Icon, arriving home from India

             Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am having to switch host families again. No, I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not in trouble and my host family doesn't treat me bad. I don't really want to leave, but I have to. I will probably be moving in the next 1-2 weeks, or as soon as they find a new host family for me. It really stinks to have to keep moving like this because I'm a bit of a charity case. I feel like people take me on because they have to because I have no where else to go. I had a bad experience with my 1st host family and had to be moved early and now my current family can't host me any longer. Rotary is basically looking for anyone with a spare bedroom to host me. I kind of got the short end of the stick when it came to host family situations. No that does not mean I am having problems with my current family, I like them very much and wish I could stay longer. Isi and I are very close and she is just like my own sister. She likes to climb in my bed with the iPad and make me win Candy Crush for her. I own at Candy Crush. Probably the only game I can beat her in. She crushes me every time we play boardgames. I will miss her so much.

Isi and I, in my bed

                My mom comes in just 24 days!!! I am beyond excited for the trip we're doing when she gets here. We are going to go around southern Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and possibly Switzerland. It's going to be the best Mother-Daughter trip ever. By the time she comes I will have gone 7 months without seeing her. Speaking of which, today is my 6th month anniversary! I now have just under 5 months left until I go back to the USA. Wow the time goes fast. I don't know how it happened but half my exchange is over! The idea of going back to the US and not having my exchange family scares me but I know that I have to leave sometime.. If I stayed here forever this time wouldn't be as special.

Not the best picture of us, but it's one of the more recent ones (meaning 9 months old.. distance probs..) and I think we actually look related in it

January/February Update

At this exact moment, I have been in Germany for 22 weeks, 85 hours, and 3,588 seconds. Perhaps time moves differently in Germany, because there is no way I have been here that long. But then again, maybe I have. My mother has kindly informed me that there is dust on my place at the dinner table. Slightly heartbreaking, but I guess it was bound to happen sometime. On the topic of homesickness, I’m not really that homesick, although some days are better than others. I’ve found what helps me to get over it is to play some country music(the music of my childhood, thanks to my Nebraska-raised parents) and unavoidably have a good cry. Then pull myself together and plan something fun with my friends. I’m not saying that I do this often, but I will admit that I’ve done it more than once. My homesickness is more me wishing my family was here to experience this awesome opportunity with me than me actually wanting to go home.

Sophie, Ceara, and I

I have been so blessed in the fact that I have been able to become extremely close with my fellow exchange students over the past couple months. We have bonded over missed trains, host family problems, the desire to travel, and the mutual knowledge that this is a special time in our lives so we must take advantage of it. I have started to notice a pattern in the personalities exchange students possess. For the most part, we are instigators. We are the part of society that has ideas, and then works to make them reality. Too many people have dreams but don’t realize that they can become more than just that, dreams. Us exchange students are constantly coming up with new plans, and when Rotary(or our parents) doesn’t shut them down, we make them happen. I admit to some of our plans being a little far fetched, but we always have good intentions. One of our plans that got shut down by Rotary was when we found tickets to London for 20 Euros on Ryan Air. That was rejected because we failed to produce an adult crazy enough to go with us. I find it amazing that I am now comfortable with traveling long distances alone and booking youth hostels for my friends and I. In the USA I would have never dreamed of traveling to a random city with friends and staying the night in a hostel. Exchange has given me a whole new confidence in myself.

Ceara, Caroline, and I in Stuttgart

Last week I was in church with my best friend and her host family when I realized that I actually understood almost everything being said! That was such a relief considering I’m terrified that I am not going to learn the language. I guess you could say my German is okay, but I really want to get better. I’ve started reading german books aloud at night. I find it helps with my pronunciation and my grammatik. I am unsure of the english word for “Grammatik”, so I’m just going to settle on the German. I remember it being similar but I can't think of what it is. The longer I’m in Germany, the more simple words like that I forget. For example, the other day I was counting in English, and I forgot the numbers! It was so embarrassing because I couldn’t remember for the life of me what came after eleven. When I speak with the other exchange students we speak in a mixture of English and German. People have asked us why we don’t just speak in English, considering most of us are native English speakers, but they don’t understand that sometimes it’s just easier to speak in German. Also, some words just sound better auf Deutsch! Also, when speaking another language, it’s not like throughout the conversation you’re converting words to english, you just somehow know the meanings of the other language. It just feels natural. I am unsure if that makes sense, but it’s like putting another brain in your head.

"Grammar learned by Yoda you have"

Five months ago, I would have assumed that at almost halfway through my exchange year I would have ceased to make silly mistakes. Nope. Yesterday I took a train going the complete opposite direction of where I wanted to go. You would think that I would know by now! It was extremely embarrassing because I had to ask the young and very good-looking(what?? I’m still a teenage girl!) German guy next to me where we were. He was laughing so hard and I was mortified. Oh well, it happens to the best of us. The other day I took the wrong bus to my friend’s house and ended up at a bus stop next to the highway in the middle of No Where, Germany. I called my friends with my last amount of battery and half cried, half screamed, “WHERE AM I??? HELP ME!” They advised me to go to the other bus stop across the street and try to go back into the city. So I did what I needed to do to cross that highway. Envision Frogger, but with me instead of a frog. I waited on the side of the highway in the freezing cold wearing a skirt and a light jacket for 20 minutes until the next bus came. All the while, I was silently cursing myself for wanting to come to Europe instead of warm and semi tropical South America. I was about ready to abandon all hope and hitchhike, when I heard the low grumble of a bus far too old to be still in use. The doors opened, and it was like a heavenly chorus had descended from above. I strode onto that bus and hightailed it straight to the back, where the heater was located. When the bus finally reached the city bus station, I looked outside to see my friends hysterically waving. I hopped off the bus and ran to them and we embraced as if we were long lost lovers, even though we had seen each other the day before.

The random town that I got stuck in

I have been living in my current host family for almost 2 months now! I am happy to say that I feel very at home here. After a not so pleasant experience in my first family, I am very thankful for my second. My host sister, Isi, is 10 and she is so cute, although I will admit she has her moments! I can tell it’s still a little hard for her to not be an only child anymore. For example I will be sitting on the couch and she will walk in and say, “Now I am here,” and try to make me leave. Once she tried to tell me I wasn’t allowed to use the water glasses because they were hers(they’re not)! I ended up tickling her until she gave up and agreed that I could use them. That little girl drives me nuts but I love her so much! She just came into my room with the cutest the Lion King “Friend Book” and asked me to write in it. It has all of her little friends from school in it and then me. My heart is so happy that she sees me as her sister and loves me. I wouldn’t say my host mother, Gabi, is like a second mom to me, but I respect her very much. She is a business woman and you can tell by the way she runs her household. She is not motherly towards me in the sense that she’s always giving me hugs and such, but I know that if I need anythingI can go to her. I appreciate how my host parents respect and trust me and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. I also am very thankful that they take time to inquire what my plans are for the weekend, instead of springing family plans on me the day of. They respect that I make plans with my friends and allow me quite a bit of freedom. Every Tuesday and Thursday my host dad, Reimer, picks me up from my German course and I treasure the small conversations we have in that short drive. No they’re not anything deep, but it is just a small routine that I enjoy. He always asks me the same question, “How was your class?” and I always reply with “boring,” and then we both laugh. Like I said, not much, but it’s still nice. Reimer is a man of few words, but every now and then he’ll crack a hilarious joke. I am so happy to have been placed in this family.

Cooking with Oma and Isi

Selfie with Isi (she insisted on featuring the boar teeth)

I am so thankful for having “found” Rotary. One split second decision changed my life. Rotary has not only given me the opportunity of a lifetime, but it has also provided me with a second family in the Rotarians, and has enabled me to meet other exchange students who have become my closest friends. I am also thankful for my parents for supporting me in all of my endeavors and helping me every step of the way. I can not wait to see what experiences the rest of my exchange year brings.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” -Henry Miller

Pfun in Pfeffingen

               The other weekend I got the chance to visit one of my best friends, Caroline, in her teeny tiny village named Pfeffingen (the 'P' is silent). There was a total of pfour people staying in her bedroom, Ceara, Ricardo, Caroline, and me, each of us pfighting pfor the right to sleep in the bed instead of the on the pfloor. Pfeffingen was so pretty because it was covered in snow. My city, Goppingen, doesn't have any snow currently, making me hopeful that spring is just around the corner. In Pfeffingen, we took advantage of the snow with our makeshift snow gear that consisted of American pflag onesies, neon green Moon boots, oversized sweatpants, mismatched gloves, and boots that weren't exactly made pfor the snow. Needless to say, we were quite the sight. Once we were ready to go, Caroline's host mom told us where the sleds were. To our surprise, the sleds were traditional wooden sleds with rusty metal skids(I am not sure if that is the right word, my english is pfailing me). Unfortunately, they were not exactly the pfastest sleds in the world. So we took to just running and jumping down the hill. It pfelt good to be throwing snowballs and enjoying winter again.

The sleds that didn't work..

pFat exchange students too pfat to walk up mild incline

Sophie, Ceara, Caroline, Me, Ricardo

Christmas Time is Here

Well, it's Christmas time in Germany!!! I mean I guess it has been since November (these German's start really early), but it's now actually Christmas time! Honestly, it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Yes, there are tons of Christmas markets, but I don't know. It just doesn't feel like Christmas. I feel like time is going by so quickly here and the holidays just kind of snuck up on me!

Christmas Market in my city, Goeppingen

The other day I received two packages from my family! One from my grandparents (Thanks Gramma and Grampa Kunkel!!!) and one from my parents. In them were a bunch of christmas presents. Although it kills me not to open them, I will wait until Christmas. I find it strange that my host family doesn't have the Christmas tree up. Are we even going to put one up at all? Also, I learned from my host mom that they don't do stockings from Santa here. Santa doesn't even come here! What they do have is St. Nicholas. He comes on the 6th of December and tells you if you've been good or bad. He's basically Santa, except for he always has two black men with him. The black men are the supposed bad men that will reprimand you if you've been naughty. St. Nicholas is the one who tells them what to do. Little kids all over are scared to death of those black men. They are honestly really creepy.

St. Nicholas and the two black men

I know it's a little late to be posting this, but here is a picture of me on Mt. Titlis in Switzerland.

I absolutely love getting together with the other exchange students. We always have so much fun together. Eurotour is going to be absolutely amazing. This past weekend we got together in Ueberlingen to celebrate Lake(USA) and Pietro's(Brazil) birthdays.

Running to the other group of people who were coincidentally also wearing onesies

Picture with the other people in onesies

With the other American girls at a Christmas market

I have gotten so lucky with my new class. They are so nice and welcoming and I'm so thankful for them. On the last day before winter break we did Secret Santa and I about died when one of the guys received a pack of beer. Only in Germany. I personally got a small stuffed reindeer and some chocolate. I'm always ready for chocolate. Maybe that's why I'm gaining all this exchange weight. Oh well!

New Month, New Family, New Experiences

I have officially been gone for 3 and a half months now! My lack of blog posts are due to somedays not having anything to say, and then others where I have too much to say. Well, I began my 4th month of exchange in Switzerland where Delfi(exchange student from Argentina) and I were staying with a Swiss Rotarian and his family. It was probably one of the best weekends I've had on my entire exchange. Delfi and I missed school on Friday the 5th and took a 4 hour train ride to Zurich, Switzerland where we met Roman and Susy Fuglister and one of their daughters. We spent friday going around Zurich and it was so beautiful, but so expensive. On saturday we went to a thermal pool that had half of it indoors and half outdoors and it was amazing. It was so relaxing. That night we went to a christmas market in town. The next day we went skiing on Mount Titlis and the view, although cloudy, was amazing. It was so beautiful. That night we were supposed to take the train home, but due to traffic conditions, our train pulled away just as we were running to catch it. So we ended up staying another night there. Apparently all of Germany seems to think that Christmas starts in November. Although weird, I'm not complaining! I love going to all the Christmas Markets because they are so beautiful. My favorite would have to be the one in Ulm. It takes place right in front of the Church and it absolutely stunning at night. I also switched families this week. I chose to switch families early for a variety of reasons. Although I knew it was for the best, telling them that I was leaving felt like a lot like we were breaking up. It was not a good feeling. But I am much happier in my new host family. I will stay in this family until May. I'm sorry if this posts lacks interesting content, it's just that I find it very hard to sum up everything. I will try to post more regularly, but no promises. As always, thank you for reading! I hope to be more interesting in my next posts.

These Days..

My city, Goeppingen, is so pretty nowadays. They are starting to string lights over the main street in preparation for the Christmas markets! I love walking through it at night because it's so pretty with all the lights.

I took this while walking to my language course.

I have developed an addiction for Kinder Chocolate. It's so good. I don't understand why they banned Kinder eggs in the US! Because I mean the kid would have to have a really big mouth to choke on the thing containing the toy inside the egg. Honestly, how would you even be able to swallow that?? America doesn't make sense.

These Kinder eggs are bigger than my hand.

In Germany I find it hilarious how people can just bring their dogs anywhere. Out shopping, to a nice restaurant, to a little cafe in the city for coffee. It's not just little dogs they take places, they will bring their big dogs, to be honest they look more like a bears than dogs, out to public places! I'm not sure if you can even do that in America! But I tell ya, there is no way I would bring my dog to a restaurant. She would jump up and try to eat some stranger's food.

Dog just chilling while it's owner drinks some coffee.

This past weekend I took the train up to Heidenheim to visit my other exchange students friends and have a "party." There were only I think 13 people there. But hey, still counts. I love getting together with the others because that's when we can really let out our frustrations and I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out with a bunch of foreigns. I love listening to their accents too. When they speak they sound so cute. None of us are really that homesick. I mean we all have moments, but they pass fairly quickly. 

*NOT A PICTURE WITH OTHER EXCHANGE STUDENTS*

Picture with two of my classmates.

You Know You're an Exchange Student When..

You know you're an exchange student when..
-You have no idea what the meaning of "homework" is
-You have developed a rare talent enabling you to sleep any time and anywhere
-You have mastered the "smile and nod"
-You use your nationality as an excuse for anything and everything
-You have a secret stash of snacks in your room
-You count waking up in the morning as exercise
-You freak out when you hear your native language
-You spend a ridiculous amount of money on foreign candy
-Your hobbies include Nutella, Nutella, and.... oh yeah, Nutella
-You have pretended to understand your host language, and then said "yes" to a non yes or no question. For example, "What did you do yesterday?" "Yes!"
-You're scared to ask what the food is
-You find yourself avoiding conversations so you don't have to talk
-You never know what's going on
-You spend most of your time on the internet.. Stalking other exchange students
-Your "jam" is a song in your host language that you don't know the meaning of.. but you'll still sing it like you do
-You try to mix languages
-You are the only student who is allowed to sleep in class, because you're foreign so it's okay
-When you get packages from home that contain food, the food is gone within an hour(feel free to send me more goldfish)
-You spend money like it's Monopoly money
-People stare at you all the time, because you're foreign.. and fabulous.. Like Shakira
-You look down upon the 1 week long "exchange students"
-You feel bad about yourself when other exchange students speak the language better than you do
-You haven't spoken with another person from your home country in so long that your own accent is starting to sound weird to you
-You quote movies from your home country all the time but no one gets the quote so they just think you're super weird..
-Your oh so original nickname is your country/state
-You use "I'm not fat, I'm an exchange student" as a legitimate excuse
-You can relate to the song Talk Dirty to Me by Jason Derulo, "Been around the world, don't speak the language"(Except that's the only part of the song because Rotary says No Dating)
-You have given up all hope that someone will pronounce your name correctly

1 month!

                After 1 month is Germany, my language skills are pretty eh. I find myself hesitant to speak in German because I don't have the words to voice my thoughts and opinions yet. However, people seem to think that because I don't speak in German, I don't understand anything they say. Surprise, I do. I'm not saying I understand everything, but I understand a fair amount. So when people think they can talk about me and I won't know what they're saying... think again! I mean come on, you would be surprised how much body language conveys.. On occasion, if I'm really focusing, I can understand what is being said, or at least guess. I listen for the words that I do know and piece by piece I put together what is behind said. It is very helpful when people speak slowly and clearly.
                Before I got to Germany, I was unaware that I would be taking a German language course(on top of school). Although I am thankful for the opportunity to learn the basics of German, I find the class extremely painful. I die a little inside with each lesson. It is so boring. The teacher speaks very quickly at times and then I don't know what is going on and neither does anyone else in the class. The class is from 6:00-8:15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I dread each class. I would love to skip class altogether, but I know that it is in my best interest to attend the lessons no matter how much I hate them.
                Last Saturday, the 4th, I celebrated my 1 month of being in country by going to Oktoberfest in Munich with the other exchange students in my Rotary district. It was not a Rotary sponsored event, we just all got in contact and planned it ourselves. It was s much fun! We were in a beer tent for 7 hours that day(to go in the beer tent you have to be at least 16). If you leave the beer yrny there is no way you're getting back into it. So that is why we were in it for so long. I learned a new Germany word, "Prost!" Prost=Cheers. I also me several other exchange students from other organizations. It was really cool to talk to them about their experiences so far. I had never seen so many people drunk before 12 pm. I guess that is normal at Oktoberfest?
               I have also attended my 1st soccer game! It was a game between Stuttgart and Hannover. At the stadium, I noticed a section of the stands were fenced off and filled with security. Confused, I asked my friends why. They explained that it was the seating for the fans of the opposite team(in this case Hannover) and the fences were put up to keep the fans of rival teams from beating each other up! These Germans really take their soccer seriously... The atmosphere reminded me a lot of a NASCAR race I went to in Alabama. So much drinking and smoking. It was quite the experience... By the way, Stuttgart won.

Things I have Learned as an Exchange Student

• Washing your whites and darks together in the washing machine will not kill you.
• You only truly need 3 pairs of shoes.
• That strange foreign food that looks extremely questionable will not give you food poisoning.
• Frequent contact with your family will not cause you to lose touch with your life on exchange
• Being an exchange student doesn't make you feel any different, you're still you, just living in a different country.
• Unfortunately, you will not have best friends within 2 weeks. Not even 3 weeks.
• Accept the weight gain, it is inevitable.
• Riding the train and bus alone is no big deal.
• You can't always do things according to your schedule. Other people have plans too.
• Sometimes you must do things that you dislike in order to benefit you in the long run.
• Sometimes you have more in common with a group of adult immigrants who are from all over the world than you do with people your own age.
• The United States education system needs to step it up. Every student in Europe can speak at least 2 languages.
• Defining a culture is impossible. You can't fully understand until you live it.
• Take every opportunity. You never know what doors it might open up.
• If you think everything will be taken care of for you, you need to step into reality and accept responsibility for what needs to be done. Your Mommy will not always be there to make sure everything gets done.
• Exchange is what you make it. You can make it the best year of your life, or the worst. 

The Trials and Tribulations of Learning a Language

Language will always be a mind boggling concept to me. The fact that a different series of sounds can mean something to one group of people and then mean something entirely different to another is fascinating. Often times when I am sitting in class, I will listen to everyone speak and at first it will sound like they are having a conversation, but then as I focus more on the sounds they are making, I understand everything! Just kidding. I wish. In reality, to me they sound like they are crazy and just making random noises. But then, on very rare occasion, I actually understand what they are saying! The feeling of actually hearing a conversation between other people is extremely comforting. It doesn't matter if it is a simple, "It is so cold in here!" Just the fact that I am starting to comprehend the language makes me feel better. It is like I am finally being let in on a big secret that everyone else knows. I can not wait to be able to understand more of the puzzle that is called German. 

The Little Things..

It's strange what you miss when you leave home. For me it's the small things. I miss arguing with my parents, holding my dog hostage in my bed, my brothers eating the rest of my food when I can't finish it, hugs, my Mom's cooking, and even my older brother's painstakingly slow driving. When you leave home you would never guess that you would miss arguing with your family. I mean who in their right mind thinks, "I will miss yelling about stupid things that don't matter in the long run!" So far, this exchange is teaching me to appreciate the small things in life. I know this isn't a super upbeat post, but I just thought it was interesting what I actually have ended up missing the most. Also, no, nothing is wrong, I am still having the time of my life in Germany. I am just a little homesick.

Just Another Day..

I have been in Germany for almost two weeks now and I am head over heels in love with my life here. No, not everything goes perfectly, but I wouldn't change where I am for all the wealth in the world. I don't know how I will be able to leave here.. For those of you who were worried about the age difference between my classmates and I(Mom), it has not been a problem. Everyone in my class is super nice. Today Cedric took me out for lunch (I had classes from 8-12:10, then more classes from 2-5:15) and we met up with a bunch of guys from class at an outdoor restaurant. The restaurant was called "The Rock." At this restaurant you can order food named after famous singers such as Jennifer Lopez and Greenday. I personally ordered the Conchita Wurst. For those of you who don't know, Conchita is a singer. He/She/It won Eurovision last year. Eurovision is a singing contest that is really popular in Europe. The Conchita Wurst was actually very good! It was chicken, cheese, tomato, and bbq sauce wrapped in a toasted tortilla. Although I have only really talked to guys here(Dad I know you're reading this and please don't have a heart attack), it's all good. I've only been in school for 3 days. I have a whole year to make friends. For gym class today (we have it once a week and it is the last class of the day) I chose football(soccer for all the Americans reading this). I was THE ONLY girl in the entire class. I don't think any of the guys had ever even seen a girl before. The teacher made us run in the forest and it was awful. But I needed the exercise, as Cedric said(he's in the class)I worked off that Conchita Wurst. After running we played a mini football game. I am absolutely awful. I have the skills of a 2 year old. It's okay though because I'm foreign. Anyways, I am having a great time here.

Love living in "Farmville"

Lunch today

Selfie with Conchita Wurst (featuring the guys in my class)

This is Conchita

First Day of School!

Today, September 15th, 2014, was my first day of school. They put me in grade 13 with my host sister, Isi. Everyone in that grade is at least 2 years older than me! This guy in my class is 20 years old. I am 16. School started at 8:00 am and Isi drove us there. My school is so big and confusing! Once we got to school Isi saw all her friends in the class and they started speaking German very quickly so I just sat on a table awkwardly. I felt so antisocial. I could tell that everyone in the class was looking at me like "who is this strange person sitting over there?" Finally people started talking to me. I was so thankful because it was incredibly awkward. I sat next to a guy named Cedric for home room. He was very nice and spoke english very well (he was an exchange student to Virginia 3 years ago). My next class was Chemistry. I sat next to Isi and I understood nothing. My next class was economics, taught in english. It was so funny to read what the teacher had written in english because most of it didn't even make sense to me! He kept calling on me to ask about words and I felt so bad when I couldn't remember the english word. That class lasted 2 hours long and I sat next to Cedric again. My last class of the day was Religion. I was so surprised that they had a religion class! That is not allowed in America. For religion class you separate into 2 groups, Catholic and Protestant. I have no idea what happens if you're atheist. That is when Isi and I went our separate ways, she is Catholic and I am Protestant. I followed Cedric to the Protestant class. Religion class is by far my favorite. All we did was sit at our desks and sing as our teacher played guitar. He described the way we sounded as being "like angels.. on drugs." We sang Read All About It by Emeli Sande. It was sooo funny. I think I will enjoy school here very much. Sometimes I just sit there and think about how I can't believe this is my life. I am so thankful for my parents supporting me in this. I am having the most amazing time. I am in love with Germany. Update on the food: I am getting used to it and even starting to like it!

My German Mom makes the best bread ever

First Few Days

In my first few days I have realized how much of a struggle this year will actually be. Only other exchange students can truly understand what it is like. I do not understand anything. I am so confused all the time! I am fairly nervous for school too(it starts on Monday). What if everyone thinks I dress funny! More importantly, I UNDERSTAND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Most of the time I just smile and nod. But I think everyone knows that I really have no idea what is going on. It is very lonely and hard to not be able to interact with other people. Yes, most people speak english. But when people are in groups they all speak German and I sit there and wonder what everyone thinks is so funny. It's like one big inside joke that I can't even begin to understand. Also, when people approach me in German I just smile and say "Ja" because I feel like I'll disappoint them when they find out that I'm actually American and have no idea what they're saying. As the hashtag on Twitter goes, the struggle is real. Another one of my problems is getting used to the food. Oh how I miss my Mom's cooking! Germans eat a lot of sausage. In America, I refused to eat sausage because it looked disgusting and I didn't like the taste(I wasn't a big meat eater). So you can imagine how I felt when suddenly it was on my plate at almost every single meal! But I will eat it! And I will learn to love it! They have so many different types of sausage and to me it all looks so gross... But I am an exchange student in Germany so I will eat it all. I know it sounds like I am complaining too much... but I am having the best time! I swear my host family's goal is to make me fat! They feed me chocolate all the time and I wonder how some of this food qualifies as lunch! I would classify it as dessert. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally fine with eating dessert for lunch, but I don't know if my clothes will fit me if I continue eating like this! However, they say that if you don't gain weight on exchange you're doing something wrong. Last night all of Leonie's (would be host sister but she's on exchange in Sitka, Alaska) friends came over and met me. They were so funny, at least they were when I actually understood what was happening! They all speak so quickly and they speak in slang terms. My host family is great. My parents are so nice and my sister is really cool and my little brother... well... we have some serious language barriers! Till and I have the funniest conversations. Sometimes I just give up and have him type what he's trying to tell me. I'll say something in english and he'll look at me funny and then I'll remember that he doesn't speak english. It is hilarious. Anyways, I'm having a great time. We went to the castle in Donzdorf yesterday and it was so pretty! I'm absolutely in love with Germany. I can't wait to be able to speak the language! Best choice I ever made.

Journey to Germany

On Thursday at 5:30am I left my house for the biggest adventure of my life. I had absolutely no idea that what was supposed to be a smooth 21 hour journey would become a very stressful 26 hour journey. My flight to Seattle from Anchorage went very smoothly. The lady who sat next to me was very nice and that was a relief. Once I got to Seattle I had a 2 hour layover. During that layover, I met Morgan (I have previously met Morgan, he is from my same district in Alaska) and Gordon, from Canada. We formed a "posse" and hunted around the airport for icecream. We ended up getting frozen yogurt. As we were boarding our flight, we saw the flash of another blazer. The girl saw us at the same moment and raised her arm and shouted "I see you!" Then we all boarded the plane. Once on the plane, we learned that all of our seats were super far apart from each other. We kept waiting for the plane to fill up with people, but hardly anyone else boarded! There wear probably only 20-30 people on that flight. So I ended up asking if I could move seats to be next to the other exchange student girl. The flight attendant said yes and Morgan and I picked up all of our stuff and scrambled around the plane to get to Gordon and the other girl (we didn't know her yet). I sat next to the girl and Morgan sat next to Gordon. Once the flight took off, I learned that the girls name was Kierstin. We talked the whole flight(4 hours) and became friends. Once our flight landed in Detroit, we realized we only had 30 minutes before our next flight took off. We hurried and got to our gate and met a whole bunch of other exchange students. We then asked them to watch our stuff as we ran through the airport to Mcdonalds to get some lunch, seeing as this was the big flight across the Atlantic to Amsterdam. The "posse" ended up ordering 20 chicken nuggets for us all to share. Once we got our food, we sprinted back to our gate just as they were about to close the doors (the other exchange students were freaking out). We made it on without a second to spare. Once on the plane, Kiersrin and I asked the men who we're sitting next to is if they could switch seats with us so we could sit together. They said yes and we thought we were in the clear. Wrong. The other delightful people on the flight had used up every single overhead bin. All the other exchange students were able to make theirs fit but mine wouldn't. So I was frantically asking the people on the flight if they could move their purses (why they needed to be in an overhead bin I will never know) under their seats that way I wouldn't have to pay $100 to check my bag. The people on the flight seemed insulted that I would even ask them that! I was extremely appalled at how snobby, difficult, and selfish the people were. It was a tiny purse! If I moved it over my bag would fit in the bin! There I was. Running around the plane practically begging people to make a little extra room and I was nearly in tears and it was so stressful and awful. Then an angel appeared in the form of a flight attendant. A kind man in the first class had seen me panicking and had  volunteered his overhead bin that was completely empty. The flight attendant took my bag away, and with it my stress. Until another thing happened. We spilled all 20 chicken nuggets on the floor. The lady flight attendants were 100% done with us. That flight seemed to last forever. But at least I had Kierstin! All the other exchange students had to sit with other people that they didn't know. A poor boy from Wisconsin sat in the last row of the flight with an Asian woman who didn't say a word the entire time. I was only able to sleep for an hour during the 7 hour flight. As we flew over the Atlantic Ocean there was a lightning storm and there was lightning all around us and really bad turbulence. It was really cool but really scary at the same time. Once we reached Amsterdam, (it was beautiful by the way) the two other exchange students and I realized that we only had 20 minutes before our flight was scheduled to take off. We booked it all the way through the airport to where we went through customs and then another security check. After that we only had 7 minutes until take off. Still hopeful we would make it, we ran to our gate and walked up to the counter only to hear the 4 most hated words in exchange student history: "Your flight has left." Immediately the stress sweating kicked in and it was extra bad because we were all in our heavy blazers running around. We were 4 teenagers, stranded in a Amsterdam. I asked the lady at the desk what're should do and she directed us to the transfer station to transfer our tickets to a different flight. That went smoothly. I went to text my host parents, then I realized: I lost my phone. The panic began again. I had Gordon (he was still waiting for his flight to board) watch my stuff and I ran back to security in hopes that they had my phone. I saw another angel on disguise that day. In the form of a Dutch airport security lady. She handed me my phone saying "I hoped you would come back." If we had made the flight I would have left my iPhone in Amsterdam. Exhausted from 21 hours of travel and immense stress, I sat on a couch in the transfer area with the 2 other exchange students headed to Stuttgart. We then waited for 3 hours for our flight out of Amsterdam to Stuttgart. We got to our gate an hour early just to be sure that we wouldn't miss our flight. I went and tried to buy some water, only to discover that my card was declined. I ended up paying with USD. I then took advantage of the free wifi and texted my dad asking him to call the bank and ask why my card was declined. He called them and apparently the shut off my card because they thought my 3 in flight wifi purchases during my flights across the US (worth it) looked "suspicious." Who are they to judge what I buy! After I got the whole debit card thing figured out, I opened my water to take a drink, only to notice that it was carbonated. It was absolutely disgusting. It tastes so wrong on so many different levels! All I wanted was regular old normal bottled water and I ended up with some crazy fizzy water. Finally our plane to Stuttgart started boarding. I was asleep before the plane even took off. That's how exhausted I was. I didn't wake up until I heard "In 10 minutes we will arrive in Stuttgart." I was so confused because it went by so quickly! One minute I was awake in Amsterdam and the next I was about to land in Stuttgart. Germany was amazing from above. There were so many farms and cute villages. Once we landed, we all went as fast as we could to get to baggage, that way we could collect our luggage and meet our families. I got my bag and I said goodbye to the other 2 exchange students and walked out and was immediately greeted by my host family. They made me a sign and everything! It was so great. They asked me if I was hungry and I said yes. I hadn't eaten since we flew over Canada. They took me up through the hills (there was a castle on top of one of the hills!!!) to a restaurant that served traditional German food. I had my little brother, Till, order for me since I had no idea what anything was. I also ordered water and it was brought to me in a big glass bottle with what looked like a mini wine glass. I was so confused! My sister, Isabel, and Till ordered sprite and it came without ice. Till ended up ordering me some schnitzel. It was soooo good. It's kind of like fried chicken except its pork and everyone judges you if you eat it with your hands. I also tried German potato salad. It's a far cry from American potato salad. It tasted so bitter! I must say, their food will definitely take some getting used to. After dinner we drove along a winding road leading through various villages. My host family has a big green Volkswagen van and it is the cutest thing ever. We finally reached my house and it is also super cute. They had a big American flag hanging up and it was so nice. My bedroom is AWESOME. It's on the top floor and has a skylight and a balcony. The balcony is next to an apple tree and there are fresh apples hanging from it. I love how the church bells ring to mark every hour. It is so beautiful. I think I will enjoy living here very much. Today my host parents took me to a plane show. It was very entertaining. Please enjoy these pictures and thank you for reading!

Making my way to the plane

Last mother daughter selfie; in line to board

My view once we took off in Alaska

Morgan and I found Shamoo in Seattle

Kierstin and I

Flying over the Atlantic, towards day light

My first meal in Germany, schnitzel 

My water in a glass bottle

One Day Left

1 day left in my wonderful home state. Last night I had my last home cooked meal: barbecue chicken and potato salad. It was absolutely delicious. I will miss my Mom's cooking. I also ended up seeing Harper again! She had a dress of mine that I let her borrow back in May.. So we drove to her house and picked it up. This goodbye was a little sadder and I actually teared up. I also said goodbye to Kelsey, my friend since the 4th grade. However, the saddest goodbye is yet to come; leaving my dog. I will miss my Lucy so much. I wish I could put her in my suitcase and bring her with me. Speaking of suitcases, I have probably packed and unpacked everything 6 times. The first time I had everything all packed up and then I went and weighed it and it was 60 lbs. That's 10 lbs over the allowed amount.. So obviously, instead of going through and taking out stuff, I just put all 13 pairs of shoes in my carry on. We'll see if it's still too heavy... If it is, I guess I'll just have to wear lots of layers on the plane. After all, no shoe left behind! It still doesn't seem real that I'm doing this. I don't think it will hit me until I'm on the plane taking off. I'm so excited! But I still have so much left to do! Today I have my last Rotary meeting with Anchorage East. I love going to them because it helps me stay connected with the club and the food is the bomb.com. Lukas promised he'd come so we could say goodbye. Will he actually come..? I don't know. Even if he doesn't end up coming, it will still be great to say goodbye to the people who have given me such an opportunity. I doubt I'll get any sleep tonight... Well anyways, this might be my last post until I've actually left. So please pray that I have a safe flight!

All packed!

Lucy, my dog

Last last best friend selfie with Harper

Saying goodbye to Kelsey