Well, it’s a late night tonight. I can’t really sleep and well I felt a sudden urge to write come on and I figured this is always the best place to splurge about. A few updates about whats going on here since the return to America. Hm let’s see…well school is chugging along now. I managed to squeeze through the nine weeks with a ‘C’ in Pre Cal and at this point I’m just looking to pass and graduate so that was a good grade. I feel like since returning I’ve lost a certain spark about me. Maybe it was Germany, the life, the people and the major amounts of fun. Even days at the house when I would help my host mom whip up a salad or when she would dance around the house crazily ( I would post videos, but I promised not to). Those were the days.
For now I live day to day thinking about the mundane things here lately prom and sorts and how much I don’t care for them much. Although right now things have turned around and will be so for the next two weeks or so. A really great friend of mine from Germany is here to visit me and even though so far we’ve been stuck around here it’s just nice to have her around. It makes me feel like…well that it was just a dream that I woke up from. It also makes me feel, well, special. I mean she chose to come her as a birthday present. If that doesn’t make ya feel special then I don’t know what does. I mean seriously! I’m just hoping right now that I get to show her around SC a little more. I think from our two days stuck at this house that she has gotten to know it well and…yeah there isn’t much to do now. We’ll see though.
Of course, Jenni being here is the dominant thought on the down times, such as now when she’s asleep, I go back to my mundane thinking. I have to say though that since she’s been here I have been thinking more about Germany and how much I really do miss it and my life style there. Sometimes I think that well…I like it too much and that this is even a bad blog for CIEE since I’ve fallen so in love with my host country that I talk about missing it more than how I’m coping >.< But that I am doing.
Being back is definitely more of a challenge than raising the money and getting to Germany ever was. Now that I’ve experienced such freedom and having so much to do in my free time in Germany, being here in a small town lacking of everything I had there is getting to me. I guess before it didn’t bother me as much just because I had never experienced anything else, but now it’s becoming unbearable. This is also starting to…suffocate my personality as well. Not being able to get out and do what I love to do is just causing me to become a grumpy old fart. Things are slowly going back to their old way and well I know sometimes it’s good, but not in this case. Relationships are once more being strained and well my thoughts are becoming more and more negative. I know that it is both me and the people around me at fault, but I wonder what it is about me that causes me to be so. Seeing as I can only fix my side of the problem I think I should figure this out quickly, but at the same time do I really want to? I just think I need to get back to Germany. Even if things aren’t the same as before when I was an exchange student; I will be away and being my own person which I know I can do better there than I ever have here. It’s like…starting over which is good sometimes, especially depending on your past and how much of it was out of your control. And no it wouldn’t be running away in my book.
So now that I have ranted randomly a bit about well…feelings clouding me I think I’ll wrap this up. Hopefully, I’ll be posting another new blog in the next few weeks covering what Jenni and I did in our time together here on the other side of the ocean. Until then I hope everyone takes care and that Spring arrives soon for everyone like it has here!
Well it’s about time I get to posting another blog…now that I’m receiving a bit more traffic from the wonderful guys at CIEE I think it’s good for me to post more about the return life and coping ..ya know that great stuff. Well this post is actually focused on an assignment given last week in my Pre-Cal class. Our assignment was to write a minimum of 3 paragraphs covering a couple of questions. The one I chose was one I thought would be very appropriate to blog about. This is actually amazing because she said I could just blog it and then send it to her via email…so yeah I need to get it done. Psssst procrastination sucks hehe. Anyways the question in fact was ’What is the most significant thing that you have learned in the past week?’ Well this was a nice one because well the thing I learned, which I continue to learn over and over again, is that people are amazingly nice. I mean there are exceptions, but at the time this question was posed a number of unexpected things happened.
These were , of course, random acts of kindness from the people around me. Not only my friends, the family of those friends and then basic strangers as well. From being offered a ride by someone who I thought to be completely unlike that sort of person. (Yes, I know we’re not supposed to judge people. I’m sorry, I’m human.) It certainly was surprise though. Then a family member of one my friends, very randomly, gave me 40 dollars to redo my hair in the national colors of Germany. That was superbly awesome, but on a side note I have decided to let it grow out or dye it black in order to have a better chance at job opportunities. Still, she told me to keep it to buy myself something nice. I can’t thank her enough for being so kind. It’s really amazing what people will do for you when you ask, or even when you do not. So my lesson is to never under estimate the kindness of those around you.
Yes, I do have the train of thought enough to now intertwine this into the life of any exchange student. You see while abroad this was a big lesson I learned and I think that all exchange students will learn. People are amazingly nice and in times when you’re vulnerable and all alone there is nothing better than that kind new classmate of yours to simply ask you to sit with them at break or to go hang out after school. I know that while abroad I saw so much selflessness to help me and to make sure I was happy and enjoying my time. Your host parents and families are the biggest one of these. These are selfless families that have graciously accepted a strange foreign teen into their home! Thank about it we all know how our parents talk about dealing with us teens…and then think how these families accept strangers that just so happen to be…teens into their home for lengthy periods of time. If that isn’t ultimate kindness I don’t know what is. Then they are those wonderful friends that accept you with your weird foreign ways your “cute” accent. Never can we as a whole thank these people enough for the memories they will help make that will last a lifetime. Okay, so I’ll stop with the cheesy rant, but seriously. I encourage all past, present and future exchange students to take a step back and think about all the selfless things those people did, are doing or will do for you. It’s humbling. Then I challenge you to do the same, help someone out, give a random compliment go out of your way to do something to show that we humans aren’t so bad at all and don’t forget to say thanks when others do the same for you. It’s good for your health anyways, like seriously saying ‘thank you’ releases endorphins into your body which make you happy and happy is healthy!
Oh and yes like every blog of mine since being back I’ll once more say the compilation blog of those journal entries of mine will be coming shortly we’re moved into a new house and I’ve got a room now with all my wonderful papers and assortments so I can finally find all of them and begin to compile. As far as my reversal culture shock. It’s going, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Germany and my wonderful time abroad, but as said it humbles and makes me sad lol. I’m just so grateful it happened…and it was said to be impossible. Anyways, it’s not too bad since I’ll be heading back in August again heh! So that’s gonna conclude this one and well I hope it’s up to the standards of my Pre-Cal teach..since this is a grade heh. Hope she finds motivation and inspiration enough to give me an ‘A’…jeezums I need it heh.
Well as of today marks one month since I’ve been back in the United States. A whole month which has honestly gone by pretty fast and I’m happy about that part. Since being back I haven’t accomplished much, other than making it to school everyday. I have, however, spent a good bit of my time with friends which really helps with the longing to be back in Germany. The major problems I have had since being back is majorly the freedom of being able to do anything when I felt like it. Such as going to Hamburg when I was bored or going to see friends as I pleased. These things I can’t do as easily due to the fact that the only way to get around easily and safely is by car. Something I am currently lackign as well as the license to drive this car that I don’t have. Secondly, major problem is lack of privacy. Due to our living arrangements at the moment I don’t have a room something I had in Germany as well as my own bathroom so it’s been a big big change. Something else, which isn’t as pressing, is not having the wonderfully healthy and delicious meals my host mom cooked. Man was she an amazing cook!
Anyways, life has gone on here mockingly fast yet slow. I have luckily kept in pretty good contact with my friends in Germany, but the time difference presents problems from time to time. Usually on Sundays I chat a lot with them and my host family as well. I can’t wait for the day that I return to that amazing life of mine in Germany. Never was I so happy and now I’ve lost that everyday ‘I’m living a dream and life is great’ happy feeling, but I’m working on a balance to enjoy myself as much as possible while in the void between going back.
Also, school is going well. Boring at times, but bare able enough. My main class to take is Pre-Calculus and well my mind has never accepted math and it’s keeping up with its track record. My other classes include the musical morning of Piano and then followed by concert band and jazz band. The day ends with German 2, and no I’m not being cheap and taking the class over with my new knowledge, I’m teaching in absence of the German teacher. The teacher was involved in a car accident and has endured many surgeries and will not be able to continue teaching until what looks to be March. So this semester I have been the German teacher, and let me tell you I have a new respect for teachers. Such as the whole staying up late to get lesson plans ready in hopes that you can keep the classes attention and actually teach them something and all those sorts. It is definitely an eye opener and is challenging me , but I have some new steam and I’m going to give it my all until Mr. Samuel is recovered well enough to take back over.
As for now that is all. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come in the following weeks such as the massive blog with the diary entries from before I left Germany so say tuned! I hope you’re all great and till next time!
Well when they say you’re going to have reversal culture shock and homesickness they weren’t kidding. I guess now I’m out of the ‘Honeymoon’ stage with being back and day by day I get more and more frustrated with being back. It’s been nothing less of a big change and that is for sure. From a life of complete freedom of being to go as pleased to being constrained to a house because of no car and no license changes things. Especially when you’re having to live with another family and you have no room. A big change from having a room of my own and not to mention bathroom. Did I mention how awesome my Host family was? I mean once I got over my leap of homesickness and found my friends…I was happy. A happy I had never known before and now…it’s gone. Replaced with aggravation and frustration. It comes down simple to these words something that I know has to be true. I just don’t belong here anymore.
Back from Germany that is…yes, for those few who read that are farther away,such as my friends from eduFire, I have returned. First I’ll tell you, like I have for the millionth time now(I don’t mind), why I’ve come home. You see I’m missing one requirement for my diploma and that is one math class or credit. Well my school district does not accept credits from abroad or ‘unaccredited’ schools as they put it. I did try to do the course online while in Germany, but it didn’t work..like technical problems. I do admit that I had chances before, but foolishly I let them slip away and so now I find myself back home a semester early. It’s been about two weeks now that I’ve been back so I figured I would let everyone know formally on here.
Of course, I’ve been overwhelmed with emotions of missing Germany and also by well getting accustomed to the life here and seeing all my friends here again. It’s weird…being back…but I miss Germany ever so much. I miss my host family that made everything possible for me there. From accepting me into thier home to granting me a bike which got me everywhere there…to my friends and sorts, it’s all thanks to them. Heck it’s thanks to them that I met half my friends there. If it hadn’t of been for them taking me to Großhansdorf’s Oktoberfest on one of my lowest days I would have never met so many of the friends which I miss so much now. Oh and the gifts they gave me which made my stay even more memorable. Such as my birthday present, which I here once about, a trip to Munich to see Magda. Or my amazing Christmas gift; a trip to Austria for a week snowboarding in the alps with them skiing. It seems the gifts they gave me all granted me with travel. The bike, the birthday present and my christmas gift. Most importantly though, they opened up thier life, family and home to me with embracing arms, something I will never ever ever be able to thank them enough for. So Thank You Sven, Heike, Sina, Morten and Kira from the very very bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for making my dream come true in every way.
It’s because of them that I miss my friends there. I miss how easy it was to get where I wanted..with a bike! I miss it..here…well I don’t have a car or full driver’s license yet so I can’t anyway unless I go out with a friend who does…a bummer compared to what I could do in Germany. So in my boredom due to lack of transportation here causes me to miss Germany. It’s odd though…with this missing…I feel like I have to go back…of course to see my host family and friends, but I feel something else. Something that tells me that..something…I have no clue what…but something is there for me. I mean I had planned on going back for studying in university and even live there and work, but now something else is calling me back and I cannot get back soon enough. If I could I would leave June 8th right after the graduation ceremony. I would hope on a plane and go looking for whatever it is there that gives me this strange feeling. Maybe it’s just I miss it so much that calls me back there…no clue, but when I think about going back i get this weird feeling and it just tells me I have to. Weird, huh? Well that means I’ve got to find a way to get back and as soon as possible.
So that’s whats on the mind at the moment…and don’t quit reading or checking up on my blogbecause I do plan to keep it going withhow it is with the differences now and I have a massively huge blogcoming up withmy diary entries of my last month in Germanythat I couldn’t write here since my early return was also a surprise to my friends. So, instead of posting on here I kept a journal of sorts and I’m working on typing them all to post here. I believe that will make an interesting read for us all…including myself so check in for that which should be up in the next monthor so…it’s a lot. Till my next entry I hope all of you guys are doing great both here in America and to my friends who also read in Germany. I miss you guys in Germany and I hope we’ll all see each other soon!
PS: The song that I was listening to while writing this is Comptine d’un autre ete : L’apres midi you should check it out if you don’t know it already!
Well last weekend was one of the coolest things I’ve done since I’ve been to Germany..I got to travel down to Munich to see Magdalena…but she didn’t have a clue. Oh yeah but first let me explain who the wonderful Magda is! In my 10th grade year she was one of the 2 exchange students from Germany in our school who was in band with us and everything. I got to become pretty good friends with her during that year and well I most definitely wanted to see her while I’m here in Germany. As I was saying…Magda had no idea that I was coming to see her…just like earlier that week she had no clue that Dallas and Jesse were coming too…hehe so we gave her quite a week of surprises! Anyways onto the wonderful weekend it was! It all started pretty early last friday…I had to wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning to get ready to go..since my flight took off at 6:30 I needed to be there an hour early and well…it all added up to waking up at 4, but it was most definitely worth it. The plane ride was really beautiful as well because at the start it was dark and I got to see the lights of Hamburg from above and then as we flew farther and farther towards the great destination the sun started to rise. I’ve gotta say if you haven’t sen the sun rise from a plane…well you’re missing out. It was so beautiful and then the beautiful lands of Germany below us were all white with snow..it was absolutely gorgeous. So finally the plane landed in Munich and man was I excited!! Well after I got off the plane I have to admit I had a little trouble finding the exit because well it was confusing..but finally I got out of there and Magda’s mom was waiting for me…and we were off! The ride form the airport to her house was full of so much excitement I could hardly stay still..but as we drove by Allianz Areana (Home of FC Bayern München my favorite soccer team in the world) I was struck with amazement at the awesomeness of the stadium..I had seen pictures and always thought it was cool but it’s definitely something else to see it in person! So finally after being amazed by the wonder and beauty of Allianz Areana the ride went on until we were finally there. Her mom said we’d go up and just ring the doorbell and let her answer the door so we went up the stairs and rang and we waited. The door finally opened and there she was…but she hadn’t seen me quite yet and then she looked over and bam…she started to what seemed to me was trembling and kept saying “too much…too much” so I’m guessing it was a big surprise…wait I know it was. It was so priceless that moment and it’s one I will NEVER forget. Unfortunately she had school that day so after the shocked was over we hung for just a short bit of time in her room with Jesse and Dallas and then she had to go. Well at this point I must say that of course it was totally awesome to see Jesse and Dallas too! To see two of my friends from back home and spend time with them in Germany was awesome and unbelievable! Since Magda was in school Her mom took Jesse, Dallas, and I down to the inner city to show me for the first time and to finally visit a FC Bayern Fanshop..hehe..it was really cool and pretty in the downtown area…after a while though Magda’s mom (Susanna) took us to the 2 hr. city tour bus…it showed us all of the important spots in Munich including the Olympic park and stuff..It was really cool and of course really pretty lol…afterwards we headed back to the house to meet back up with Magda and to get ready for the party. Now you’d think it would’ve been her birthday party since her birthday was that last monday…but no. I was told that she and her friends had decided to celebrate Christmas early and so on the last weekend of November we had Christmas at Magda’s with her friends. It was lotsa fun and well hopefully there’ll be some pictures up on my blog before too long of Munich and some of the party as well.
Saturday was awesome too….of course. We all (Magda and her family, Jesse, Dallas, and I) rode into the mountains and jeeeezums it was…words can’t describe how amazingly beautiful it was! We went on this really awesome trail thing through the mountains that was carve out of water like the Grand Canyon and it’s called Partnachklamm. I really couldn’t believe I was walking through something like what it was. It was like something you would see in a movie..sorta like in Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter…it was soooooooooo awesome and I’m soooooo happy that I go to go there and with Magda, Jesse, and Dallas…and don’t forget the rest of the (s)Kittls! After we made it all the way through the amazing partnachklamm we kept on journeying to the top of the mountain we were on to see Zugspitze with a good view of one of the old Kings summer houses…then we ate at a restaurant with that amazing view the whole time. It was really amazing…and I know I’ve used that word a million times…but hey…it works. After our amazing dinner we headed back towards Munich and Magda’s. It was on the way back that I found out that a lot of my close friends actually do read my blog…including Magda…so this one might be an awkward one for you to read Magda…hehe. It’s really cool to know that people actually do read my blogs and find them..somewhat interesting because well to my knowledge you keep reading them… at least my friends. Anyhow, once we were back we rested a while and chatted and sorts until Magda’s bestie Caro came over to hang with us..and then shortly after Simon (Magda’s bro) had finished cooking our dinner and so we all went and ate. (Btw Magda do tell your bro the food was really good your mom too! ;D ) Afterwards we took a while to decide what we were gonna do but we finally decided to go out for a lovely ice cream which proved to be an adventure itself. First we went to find the ice cream shop Magda knew about and well..it took a while and by the time we found it..well they were closed. So then we had to go all the way back in the opposite direction to another ice cream shop that was opened…but none-the-less it was some good ice cream. That was mainly our saturday night…I did go out later with Caro to a club and well it was a club so we danced and of course that was a lot of fun too.
Sadly the next day was short since my flight was so early so I basically got up packed and did the morning stuff and then we all drove off to the airport. It was such an awesome weekend…but it was much much too short and I wish I could’ve stayed there for an entire week…or more…but atleast I got to go and see Magda, Jesse and Dallas and everyone else. I really really really enjoyed it and I can’t thank Magda and her family enough for being so awesome and allowing me to stay there for the weekend!! Thanks you guys you are totally amazing!!!!
As for now almost a week later…well nothing much has happened. I have done some christmas shopping in Hamburg and stuff but thats about it…oh and it snowed…again. SO yeah it’s just the usual life here..the one that I absolutely love . I seriously have never been this happy in my life! Anyways..I think this wraps it up for now! Sure there’ll be plenty more this month since it’s the holiday season!
So it’s been a while since I’ve wrote a nice sized blog and well here we go…I actually wrote this one on my way back from Darmstadt..I had a good 3 or 4 hours on a train to write so yeah.
So honestly, the life has been pretty quiet and normal with no big triumphs or revelations. I’m still thinking in English, but I have a feeling that will end very soon (I’m being positive). Although the returnees I met in Darmstadt all said it was about three months before they started thinking in their host country’s language and I’m at the three month mark…today actually. Anyways the main thing I’ve been doing lately is trying to spend as much time as possible hanging with friends and absorbing the culture and all the awesomeness of being in Germany. It truly is amazing to be here and is everything a Dream should be.
As far as what I’ve done lately about a week or so ago I went with Jenni to this cool thing in Hamburg called the Hamburger Dom, which is like the state fair back home except it’s just a little smaller and is there a lot longer lol… It’s pretty awesome to have gone to and I felt like it sorta made up for missing the state fair back home, so I’m content…thanks Jenni! As far a the rest of that weekend I actually stayed with my friend Justin and we went to a birthday party of one of his friends and then the next day my soccer team had a game. Sadly we lost the game, but that happens.
Oh! School…..hm…boring as ever. I still don’t really understand much of what the teachers are saying as far as when they are teaching on the topics and stuff. The german is so topic specific and hard to understand, but the normal conversations stuff I understand great now. I can keep up really well and have complete conversations in German so….it’s getting better.
Now onto the reason of why I’m writing this on a train! This past weekend was the weekend that DFSR (my German program partner) had their seminar for their german students that are outbound exchange students. It was cool to meet all the german students that were going to heading out to endure the same adventure I’m experiencing now. Also another great part was that I got to meet back up with some of my friends I made while I was in Heppenheim during my first two weeks in Germany. Patrica (Cananda), Teagen(Australia), Georgia (Australia), and Miria (Japan) were all there too so we had plenty of time to hang out! It was an awesome time, but I think we all agree that the most fun we had was on the swings there! It was this awesome setup and you all swung towards each other in this circle setup it was soooooo hilarious! There are some pics up in Flickr now of Darmstadt and some tha I got from Teags that are from when she was with me in Hamburg. So now onto the epic adventure that was Saturday night!
Well it was a saturday night in Germany…what should one do? Well the answer is clear, you go clubbing. SO Teags and I were on a mission to find a cool club to go to so since we were in a city that we both didn’t know well we turned to the internet to find a few clubs that we could check out and see what we thought. Well after we had found a few and marked then on a map we entitled ‘The Key’ we headed off. We found the first club with ease, but when we got there it was still early and hardly anyone was there so we decided we’d check out somewhere else. So we headed off in the direction of one of the other clubs. Well here I must deviate and tell a side story so that you better understand what happens next. You see my favorite drink in the whole entire world is Dr. Pepper. Well because I know some foods and drinks are not in Germany so…before I flew to Germany I drank one last Dr.Pepper in the thought that well I might not have one for a whole year. Well while in Darmstadt I was talking with Max who was an exchange student in America and we were on the topic of American foods and drinks and then I thought about asking him if he knew whether I could find Dr. Pepper in Germany. Amazingly he said yes and that at some gas stations they had Dr. Pepper. Well just the night before I had been to one in Darmstadt and well they didn’t have it, so I wasn’t feeling so lucky. Now this is where we merge back to saturday night. You see as Teags and I searched for this second club we passed by one of the same types of gas stations that Max had said might carry Dr. Pepper. Well I told teags on the way back to the hostel we would have to stop by and we continued. After about 10 or 15 minutes we checked the map again to see how far away we were. This is when we realized we had gone in the opposite direction and were almost all the way across town from where we wanted to be. Of course we turned around then and headed in the right direction. So since we had gone in the wrong direction and we wouldn’t be passing by the gas station any more we went ahead and stopped by. It was small but I quickly raced to the sodas in hope of seeing that magnificent bottle sitting there. At first glance nothing, but I wasn’t giving up. I searched even harder and then I saw it. Hidden behind the frame of the fridge was that glorious liquid that I had missed for the longest of time. I quickly opened up the fridge with all the different sodas and grabbed the holy grail of sodas and began to exclaim out loud my joyfulness. Luckily there was only teags and the cashier there so..it wasn’t as embarrassing as it could be. As I walked to the register I continued to murmur my rejoice of finally finding the one drink I thought I wouldn’t have until June. I paid and then I twisted the cap to hear the refreshing ’sish’ as the carbon left the bottle and then I lifted the bottle and let the sweet fizzing elixir fill my mouth. I was in heaven. For that one moment the whole world was in harmony with me as I enjoyed the taste of the drink I thought I wouldn’ have more months and months to come. After the moment was over Teags and I headed back out and towards the club (in the right direction this time). As we headed I was explaining to her how we wouldn’t of found the Dr. Pepper unless we had gotten lost. In the end I decided it was fate for us to get lost and find the Dr. Pepper…..pure fate. So…that’s basically the most epic thing that has happened in the past few weeks…I know some of you will not be able to understand the gravity and epicness of this story, but that’s okay. Then again all of you might be thinking now..that you just wasted a bit of your life reading a stupid story about someone drinking a Dr. Pepper…but you guys said you wanted to live vicariously…and so there you go…lol. Anyways that’s gonna do it for this episode heh.
So now you’re up to date with me and I hope everyone else is doing great as well. Let me know how you’re doing! Just leave a comment here on the blog and stuff..I always feel cool when I have comments heheh…but anyways until next time!
So today I realized a good number of really good things. That was my goal, as I rode home from my soccer training. I was thinking about all the good things that have happened to me and all the good things I have that I’ve realized since I’ve came to Germany. It basically all started because I was enjoying the feeling after a good hard training session and then I started to realize how much more active and healthy my life style is here and then well it was an avalanche of gratitude. I realized that I have such awesome people that surround me not only here now, but back home too. Especially right now for those friends here in Germany because they have to put up with me..my bad german..and my moody homesickness. I know sometimes I complain about things sucking here to you guys (and you know who I’m talking to :] ), but I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me and that you will do. It’s difficult to put up with me in America, just ask my dad, but here it’s double sometimes…and I thank you for putting up with me and arguing with me about all I have here and what I will miss. I need that and you fall no where short of doing that and I don’t think I could ever thank you guys enough for taking me in. I can’t thank any of you guys here in Grmany enough for the days you spend hanging out with me and I’ll get specific here: Jenni, Johanna, Clara, Justin and Thorben (there are more I know don’t get mad…please?) I am soooooo soooo sooooooooooooooooo thankful for all my friends here in Germany. You can imagine I’m sure how much if you just think of being surrounded by a foriegn language in a new school where you know no one. You appreciate your friends a lot more after that. It goes for my friends back home as well….I know ( or at least you say) that you guys miss me a lot and that means so much to me. I can’t begin to express how much you guys truly mean to me and how much I truly miss you guys. Of course I’m also grateful for my family…my dad and sister have done a lot for me and specifically to get me here (lets not forget Grandpa either) and I thank you guys a million times over. I seriously do love and miss you guys and can’t wait to see you all again, but have you know I’ll miss Germany a whole lot too..so get ready for the reverse homesickness that will come!
Of course there was tons more of the little things that came to mind, but that would make this a überly long blog and well for now I like to keep them short and sweet, and so I will do that. Although first we arrive at what I titled my blog entry for today. After all this thinking on my way home I realized that no longer do I think my best while in the shower, like most do, but now while I’m riding my 3 km to and from school and soccer training…not only does the bike ride get the blood flowing and the muscles working..I guess it realy stimulates the good ole brain too…I like the bike ride..it’s relaxing…soo…where do you think the best?
I know it’s not right that I don’t write as much I should on here…but sometimes I just get too caught up to get around to writing. I would like to go over everything that has happened since the last time I’ve posted but that would take more time thanhave. Although I can say that I’ve taken an awesome trip to Berlin and enjoyed a nice fall break since last time I wrote here. I also celebrated my 18th birthday last Friday on the 24th. I had a awesome party and it was by far my best birthday I’ve ever had and it’s because of all my friends that it was so and my host family. Both my friends in America and my friends here made it a birthday to remember, as it should be as my 18th and as my birthday in Germany!
Anyways, today I’m writing because well I need an output for the stress I’m feeling now and just because I need to vent…and sometimesthat isn’t so easy here for me. It seems everyday now I’m in a constant battle with myself. It’s almost like the book I’m currently reading which is The Hostby Stephanie Meyer. In it the earth has been invaded by aliens who take over bodies of humans and live as humans, suppressing the host body’s former person. Although for the main character the soul placed in the body is challenged by the host. Well I almost feel like that because now it’s like there are two of me in one body much like Wanderer and Melanie. There is the American me and then the German me….but the German me doesn’t speak German that well and is quiet (most of the time). So everyday I want to express myself the way I would in my American way, but I can’t because I can’t speak the language and express myself the way I am able to do back home. Of course I understand this is to be expected, but it’s aggravating. So this leads to the everyday battle of homesickness because well back home I don’t have a problem expressing myself and I want that so it causes the homesickness. Then the two clash because I love being here in Germany but I miss home so much and it makes me want to go home but want to stayand this is everyday. Sometimes I think if I could just think and speak
German things would get better, hell I’m almost sure they would…but it’s just not happening which pisses me off. I want to speak it fluently so much and sometimes I really try but I get frustrated and just give up on it. Stress. Then on top of that I can just never get enough sleep so I’m grumpy…so yeah. I know this is more of a whine post but hey…life isn’t fun all the time…and sometimes you just need to complain. Anyways no one said you had to read it lol. It’s funny though when people ask me how it’s going here I say great…just because it’s amazing to be here…just aggravating that I can’t speak fluently and sorts… So I think I’ve complained enough to call it quits for this blog…maybe I’ll have some time to come back and write about Berlin and my Birthday later this week…as for now…blegh…but it’ll get better soon always does.
Well today was most definitely a great day! It all starts with the fact that after my one short class I had today my fall break started. That’s 2 whole weeks of nooooo confusing German school…what could be better?! Well This afternoon defintely kicked it off to a greeaaattt start!!
After art today Clara, Jenni, Johanna and I all went to the local ‘Berlin Döner’ to grab a bite to eat after school to sorta celebrate the beginning of break..and just to hang out. That was..mostly uneventful except for the part that be sat at a bus stop to eat lol. Afterwards though is where the fun started. We quickly went to Jenni’s house to grab her bike and then we were off to Clara’s house for the afternoon. On the way we sang weird songs and then even threw in some Christmas songs for the hell of it. I guess it got hilarious was we got to Clara’s. Webcams usually are something that most people have fun with…what ever way they choose, but we defintely had a blast taking random pictures today. We took a million of them and they are all on the blog now, but in the midst of our picture taking Johanna was stung by bee(Hummel in German)…on her knee. We were trying to take a picture of just our eyes and so we were sitting on our knees and then Johanna screamed and ..screamed some more and as she frantically got up there was a bee where her knee had been. After a few miutes or so she was better and the bee was gone and..well it was back to our pictures. Then we started playing some music and well…the embarassing video of me dancing was made..and now..it’s up on youtube..of course. It was a pretty hilarious afternoon…oh and Clara had tons of FC Bayern München photos that she gave me..so now I’m putting uo some new updated photos of my room for you guys to see. Oh and I guess I’ll host the video of me on here for you guys too….>.<
Well, it’s a late night tonight. I can’t really sleep and well I felt a sudden urge to write come on and I figured this is always the best place to splurge about. A few updates about whats going on here since the return to America. Hm let’s see…well school is chugging along now. I [...]
Well it’s about time I get to posting another blog…now that I’m receiving a bit more traffic from the wonderful guys at CIEE I think it’s good for me to post more about the return life and coping ..ya know that great stuff. Well this post is actually focused on an assignment given last week [...]
Well as of today marks one month since I’ve been back in the United States. A whole month which has honestly gone by pretty fast and I’m happy about that part. Since being back I haven’t accomplished much, other than making it to school everyday. I have, however, spent a good bit of my time [...]
Well when they say you’re going to have reversal culture shock and homesickness they weren’t kidding. I guess now I’m out of the ‘Honeymoon’ stage with being back and day by day I get more and more frustrated with being back. It’s been nothing less of a big change and that is for sure. From [...]
Back from Germany that is…yes, for those few who read that are farther away,such as my friends from eduFire, I have returned. First I’ll tell you, like I have for the millionth time now(I don’t mind), why I’ve come home. You see I’m missing one requirement for my diploma and that is one math class [...]
Well last weekend was one of the coolest things I’ve done since I’ve been to Germany..I got to travel down to Munich to see Magdalena…but she didn’t have a clue. Oh yeah but first let me explain who the wonderful Magda is! In my 10th grade year she was one of the 2 exchange students [...]
So it’s been a while since I’ve wrote a nice sized blog and well here we go…I actually wrote this one on my way back from Darmstadt..I had a good 3 or 4 hours on a train to write so yeah. So honestly, the life has been pretty quiet and normal with no big triumphs or [...]
So today I realized a good number of really good things. That was my goal, as I rode home from my soccer training. I was thinking about all the good things that have happened to me and all the good things I have that I’ve realized since I’ve came to Germany. It basically all started [...]
I know it’s not right that I don’t write as much I should on here…but sometimes I just get too caught up to get around to writing. I would like to go over everything that has happened since the last time I’ve posted but that would take more time than have. Although I can say [...]
Well today was most definitely a great day! It all starts with the fact that after my one short class I had today my fall break started. That’s 2 whole weeks of nooooo confusing German school…what could be better?! Well This afternoon defintely kicked it off to a greeaaattt start!! After art today Clara, Jenni, Johanna [...]
. I seriously have never been this happy in my life! Anyways..I think this wraps it up for now! Sure there’ll be plenty more this month since it’s the holiday season!
