Life after DE

So I have been in the states for a week now, and I'm still having some trouble getting back to normal life. I was only there for a month, but one gets so used to having certian things that its weird when they are gone. Like walking everywhere. I loved being able to do that and having to walk for a long time every day. And now, I just drive. Its not even a option to walk most of the time. Food is also a weird thing for me. I never expected I would miss bakery bread and being able to wlak down to a bakery to grab a loaf or a kuchen. Its so different. Recycling! Trash is another thing that kills me here. In germany there were seperate bins for everything. Food, paper, plastic, bottles, cans.....a tiny one gallon trash can would last an entire family a week because everything was sorted and recycled. It was great. I didnt even know that I would miss all that so much. All that aside, it is nice to be in the (general) same time zone as all my friends. Its nice to be able to see my animals and get to spend time outside in the heat. I love being able to drive my car again....I love being able to drive around with my top down and enjoy the feeling of driving again.Oh, and getting to watch my shows online is also pretty sweet. I didnt like how Fox, ABC and all the rest discriminated against forgein countries lol.
So yeah...there are alot of differences for me that Im trying to get back and used to. Its really different, but Im sure everything will fall back to normal before Germany. I hope that I'll get to go back soon....itd be really awesome to...
Other than all that, started working at the grocery store again. Its a pretty chill job. Kinda surprised that I remember alot of the PLU codes for the produce. Theres a few new people but they seem pretty nice. Its weird to say it, but Im really glad I get to work there again. Somedays are really long, but most of the time its not boring!
Yup thats my little update :)

Back in the US of A

Yesterday I embarked on a really long flight from Stuttgart to Kansas City. The entire flight time was somewhere around 16 hours! All in all it was a pretty decent flight. Loved the cross Atlantic Flight because there were little tv screens in the back of the seats and you could pick whatever you wanted to watch or play games or whatever. It was pretty sweet. Even awesomer was the fact I sat next to a guy from Finland who was traveling back to see some of his friends he made in the Us when he studied there. Probably the funniest part of it was getting teased by the security guards in Stuttgart for the obscene amount of chocolate in my backpack. I swear its not all for me! For the record- I made it back with all the kindereggs unbroken! Made it back to the farm alright too...unfortuently it decided it was going to storm for the drive back so it was pretty slow going for a while. So far havent felt much jet lag I think. Granted I did wake up at 6am thinking it was in the afternoon...currently its 5pm and I could probably be ok with going to bed (its midnight in Germany).
I am really thankful for all the people who supported me in this trip- both with prayer and monetarily. Without all the people I dont believe I would have made it there and wouldnt have been able to experiance all that I did. Germany is a completely amazing country and I really feel called to work there after I graduate. I am really hoping that next summer I will be able to go back for a longer amount of time so that I can go to language school and be able to experiance the culture for a longer amount of time. I really dont know how to thank all the people that supported me in this trip. Thank you doesnt seem to be enough, but I dont know any other way to express the gratitude I feel towards everyone.
So now I am back in the States...going to start work at the grocery store on Monday--or at least sometime this week. I asked not to start till Wednesday but never know. Its really different here in the states and Im going to have to get back to the way things are done here. Kinda really miss Germany and all of my German friends! Cannot wait to get back and see all of them again. I hope to keep in touch with everyone I met there. As for right now, I should probably start unpacking my bags. Hope everyone is well!! Till later...

More Germany Updates

Slackinnn....7-12
7
Body. hurts. Ugh. I'm so not in shape for anything, but it was great fun!! Yesterday was church (obviously) and it was nice cause it was the translated version of church. Which means I understood everything and not part of everything. Then Joel and a guy from church and I went out to play some games....cricket then some baseball. Found out that when I want to be I can play it fairly decently....baseball...sigh. Managed to hit a few but not all and they weren't good hits. But that's ok. Its been years and I'm out of shape haha. Excuses. IT was a pretty chill day. Watched 'Der Diamanten-Cop' (the diamond cop?) that night in english (!!). Oh dancing was pretty dang awesome. Lovin the fact that music is pretty well the same. Got to act a fool all up in der. Not really...but kinda and it was fun. Checked out a couple skate shops in town...sweeeet. makes me wish I was a better skater and had my board with me :) Um...crocs are here too. Not the animal, the dumb shoes. Going to go to a concert with Laura and Maria (?) later today in a town that I have to buy a train ticket to. Then the English Stämmish is going on....maybe. Everything here is cloased for Pentecost...which is funny cause not everyone knows what it is beyond a holiday to have off. But its cool. I think that's all for now... :D peace from the east! (litterally...i'm in east germany lol)
8
Yeah. Hot. At least right now right here in the library where apparently the ac doesn't turn on. Hah. Pretty chill day...thought I got lost but apparently didn't. Which was really cool and now I might have a slight ego from that. Yesterday was pretty spiffy. Went out with Maria and Laura to Laura's concert in some little town by Weimar. The concert was in a tiny little church with the most intimedating pulpit I've ever seen. For reals. It was cool though. They did a pretty good job. Before all that, Maria and I hung out in Weimar and had some of the best icecream ever (holla). Saw Schiller's house, Geothe's house,Bach's house and Hitler's hotel.Bunch of history stuff there and that was pretty neat to see. Oh--took the train there adn that was a fun ordeal trying to get a ticket. Found out that if you don't pay attention on that you will end up on the ground and it will hurt. Specially if you are by the bikes. Um....so yes. That is the condesed version of yesterday. Today was a morning bible study and this evening is another. Then I'm not sure what. So yeah--my time is up on the computer now. 15 is all ya get in teh library apparently. Gonna go wander around Jena some and hopefully not get lost. Peace.
9
Mein hösen rutschung.Not really but thats what I learned today. It means "my pants slide down." Great times at the playground. Today was pretty busy, bible study, brunch, people, etc. Teh past couple days have been full but ok. Not to taxing and such. Been pretty chill and cool...litterally. Weather went from warm to freezing! Wishin I had brought a heavier jacket,but hindsight is 2020. Or so they say...I cant really see behind me without turing around ...Anyway...its nearly 11:30pm here.Which is pretty cool and means I'm headed to bed soon while the majority of people I know are starting to think about what to eat for dinner lol. Tomorrow is going to be really exciting! Going to Buchen wald (yes, same place where Obama was today) and hopefully to a castel!. Pretty excited about doing some fiun touristy things :) Hmm...what else...heard some pretty good ska music on Wednesday at Rose, found some really good german learning books with Juile, and realized that jumpstyle is not my form of dance. I leave Jena Thursday for Wurstenröt and then a few days after that for Stuttgart then US. Pretty sad about leaving Jena because I really love this city and the people here. Its very normal here for me...which is weird. So yeah...Ich leibe Jena und Ich will veillicht nächsten Jahr kommen. :) Hoffentlich vor denn. Wenn Ich habe jeder glück. Bis später!
10
So yesterday Rocco adn I went to Buchenwal, the last concentration camp that was freed in WW2. It rained the entire time that we were there. Pretty well very cold and miserable weather...which only added to teh cold and depressing atmosphere of the place. Its hard to give and adjective to teh place because you can'T say it was great or I had a swell time or whatnot because it really wasn't a great place wehn it was activly being used. But it was neat to see the things that were left behind and read about the history and the stories and such. Just walking around was a very moving experiance, even without the buildings all there. The few that were there were haunting to be in. Like the autospsy room...the sink and table were all there just as they were many wyears ago. And I kow mentally that they have been cleaned, but its still that feeling that there was blood in that sink and a dead or nearly dead body on that table. Very unreal. Oh and obama was there the day before so there was security tape on a few of the doors...pretty funny to see. Also saw the roses that he laid down while he was there. They were white. Yeah...not much else one can report on that.This is my last week...half week...in Jena. Which is kinda sad because there is still alot to do and see and there isn't enough time to do all of it like I would like to. But there'll always be time later...when I make it back.Which I am really hoping to be able to do and spend a longer time so that relationships can be built more in depth...I have a feeling I typed this all before.Buuut thats ok cause it is worth repeating...so I like to think. So anywas, I leave on Thursday of this week to head back to wurstenröt for a few days before heading back to Stuttgart to catch the flight back to the states. Every night this week I have something to do it seems like--which is fine by me. I'd rather be busy with something than doing abosolutely nothing. Gonna try to see if I can't use all the rest of my picuters on my camera up...it only comes to around 390 something I think that are left :) So yea, thats about it I think. Tomorrow Camilla (host sister) and I are going to cook I believe! Sweetness all the way haha. So Yup. Peace out
11
Yesterday was pretty sweet. Got to go to Leuchtenburg Castle and look around there. And even better was it was sunny while we were there after it had rained for some of the day! Today is sunny too which I'm really excited about and hope will continue to be. Oh, also went to the cokie factory which is an amazing place to go to. Then there was the bible study, whic hI understoood someof thanks to Juile's awesome translating. Last night was pretty stellar too, hung out with some peeps from the stämmtisch for a while. Today however is my last day in Jena which is really sad (to me) becauseI really like it here. At least today will be full with some fun things. Going to go to the town and walk around and take pictures one last time and meet Laura and Maria for a late lunch. I was told I needed to make brownies before I left but we'll see how that goes. Hoping tonight will be a good one because there arent any solid plans yet. Kinda hoping to get out this evening and check out the skate park. But yeah....thats about it currently.
12
So I was told earlier today that I speak good German. The girl that told me that is about 12 and only heard me say a few phrases all in the context of sport. So all it was 'Fragen!!' 'Halt!' 'Was ist dein Problem?' and 'OH Schade!!'. I thought it was really funny...cause I really can't speak all that well. Besides being told that, went to a German cookout, which amazingly is just like the ones in America they just speak a different language. Pretty cool afternoon. Played a lot of soccer and volley ball and now am pretty sore from that. Managed to knock over two drinks, trip over a bench and discover the table leg several times. Pretty ok for me I think! lol. Last night I went to a youth conference in a town thats about 13km from Wüstenrot. It was pretty neat and I like it...the songs were in english and if they weren't in english they were translated songs that I knew pretty well so I could sing along. The guy who spoke was also in Dallas right before he did that conference so it was neat getting to talk to someone who spoke english very well. Met some pretty cool people. Tomorrow is church too so I'll be able to see them again (hopefully) and hangout a bit with them. Not much is happening this week I believe, just working in the KontaktMission office till Friday when I fly out to America. Just trying to figure out how to pack everything at the moment and getting everything bought and in a bag. Pretty fun. Yup...so its midnight here now and I should be going to bed because I have to be up early....and I'm pretty dang worn out from all the sun and sports. Peace out Gnomies.

Germany updates

So I've been slackin on updating this site so here's the past several updates...
#1
Hey guys! I made it to Germany and all is really good here! Ther people here are really cool and since they found out that i speak some german, they have been using me to translate and are telling me that them speaking english to me will never help me--though alot of the tie i have trouble understanding what they are saying! haha Other than that today is a pretty chill day. The girl i'm rooming with for the weekend is very nice. She and her friend are headed to Albania on Sunday. Tomorrow we're gong to go Schwabishhall to do some sight seeing and fight the onset of jet lag. Which hasn't really hit me full force yet but it also haven't been here very long. Anyway, i'll have internet access till Sunday then I do not know if I'll be able to get back online often. Sunday I head to Jena for my internship. That's about it folks! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

#2
Today was pretty awesome. The group that I've been with this week went to this really old town Schwäbish hall....It was pretty cool! We walked around for hours and went to the Church of St. Micheal. Which was neat...I'm not really big on old churches like that, but teh paintings and history was really neat to get to see. WE also saw the spot where the Nazis burned all the Jewish stuff from the synagouge....it was right outside the church. Later, Micha and I went on a trip for some icecream and coffee (he got coffee, i got afelsaft....its like apple juice) and I got to order my first almost meal in german! The lady who took our order was very nice and loved that i was trying to speak german. She apparently has relatives in Chicago which I thought was pretty cool. We--all 60 of us- just got out of our first meeting for the weekend. It was neat getting to sing and worship in german. Two of the songs--open teh eyes of our hearts and here i am to worship--i reconiyed and sang in english because that's how i learned and know them best. It was very cool. Um....i think that's about it! Hopefully I'll be able to get on tomorrow!!

#3
Yesterday was all seminars. Kinda like what I'll be doing later today. It was neat, but I had learned most of it in class. WE went over culture shock and a few other topics. It was cool hearing it in a different language. Later that day...ok...night...Micha, Ashley, Sam, Heather and I went to the Havanna bar in teh town. It was cool! I got a whirlwind...which is non alcoholic. I was the only one who didnät order something iwth alcohol in it, but that was ok cause I did get to taste two different german beers (both gross) and a wine (very good!). It was fun. Then Micha and I played tischekickaka with some random german guy and lost. Badly. we had one point by the time they got to 10. Today there's another seminar in a few. Then lunch and then Sam, Ashley and I leave for the airport to drop them off. David is going to drop me off at a McD's so I can catch a ride with some guy up to Jena. Its about a 5 hour drive and I'm told the scenery will change rapidly from green and calm like it is here to grey and communist like. Its kinda cool getting to go ride with some random people across the country. Apparently its very normal here and you don't get stolen or anything. Which I'm cool with haha. I mostly plan on reading. My german is getting a little better I think. At least I'm told often it is getting better. I've learned a lot of new words and am randomly puttin ghtem into converstaion. OH! I met a lady yesterday that worked in Isreal till they kicked her out. Shes very cool. Any way...Iäve got to go grab my bags and load them before the next session. Peace out yo!

#4
Today is the second day in Jena...at least I think its the second day and that's what my journal says. ITs a pretty neat little town. Has a ton of history. Luther was here and there's the oldest planetarium and stuff. My host mom and I went down to the square adn she showed me where the local college peeps hang and where the mall is (!!) so I can go and hang out there when ever. Last night Rocco (host dad) adn I went to a (n?) English Stämmisch...its like a group that meets to speak only english. IT was pretty neat and the peeps there are pretty cool. Hopefully nest week I'll be able to go again....but its a holiday here. Pentecost (yeah...I didn't know it was a holiday..) Um yeah. OH! The ride up to Jena was interesting. The random person and I couldn't talk very much so it was a very very quite ride. I did see a deer here and pigs, sheep, cows and horses....which you can imagine I got very excited over...haha. Other than that it was ok. Apparently its very normal to do that ere...tis almost like a taxi service but they don't charge by the mile or something like that. There's a lot of walking here...um...I found a place to get chocolate stuffs :D yay! I think that's about it right now...yup. peace.

#5
Yesterday was pretty eventful. I got to go shopping with the host mom at an Aldi's like store. I was excited that it was something that I could reconize. After that Rocco took me to a homedeopt mets sams club meets food court store...which was pretty cool. I got a watch so now I know what time it is and don't feel so out of it when I want to do something. And then there's what happened in the afternoon. I was supposed to meet Julia for lunch (girl who goes to church here) at the Menza. I had been there before and thought I could make it there on may own so I walked from the house. Bad decision #1. I got to the place where I knw it was, but wasn't sure if I should turn left or right so I chose left. Bad decision #2. Ended up walking for 20 mins lost in Jena and had to ask 5 people where the menya was because the only people I could find to ask were old and either didn't know enligsh or didn't feel like speaking it. So I finally get back to the place where I started adn found out that I was basically in the Menza the entire time. By then it was a quarter to one and I figured she had left. Which sucked, but hey! I know where the menza is now! Anyway, found a mcd's because that was the only place I could go to to eat and not have to decipher the signs...btw it does taste different over here. Managed to find a bookstore and got a book on Jena...not that I can really read it, but it does have pretty pictures and an ice cream shop. Pretty eventful. Then I was planning on going to the planatarizum to catch a show. I spent so long translating the signs that I missed the show. But now I know what 'Spargel' means. It was a eventful afternoon. Later that night Joel )host bro) tok me to watch the soccer game at Cheers (like the tv show, but less funny and more beer). It was pretty neat, Barcelona won and the waitresses thought it was just awesome I was from america. Apparently its a novelty. We got nback, found I had walked the equvalint of about 10 miles today and am feeling pretty ok about that. Woo! In a few I'm supposed to go people visiting I think and then try to meet Julia again at the menza then rest. Here its up around 8\8:30 bed around 12. With no naps :( Tomorrow I will b helping with the youth group and saturday night is club night. :) :D

#6
The weather here is insane! We went from nice sunny, hot but not too hot day to chilly, rain not rain days. Imsanity!! Right now I'm waiting to see if it'll rain in teh am so I can go hang out at the library in the pm. Yesterday was a pretty calm day. Went on a home visit-this time I could understand most of what was said because it was half in english, quarter in african pidgen and quarter in german. Which was sweet. Then I went up to the menza again...couldn't find Julia but that's cool cause I'll se her sunday at church. Instead I went to Cheers which is that 'American' sports bar. IT was funny to me cause the menu had a lot of misspellings and when I ordered a BLT the guy didn't know what that was so I had to order it in full german...which was weird. Ordering an american dish in a americanish place in german. Yup. Then it was down to wander in a few shops and check out the sports store. The lady was very nice and was amazed i was learning German and wanted to speal to her. Not that this relates in any remote way, but my nails are getting long and its bothering me lol. Umm then there was the Kids' club for the church ladies and kids. IT was a good bye party for the Nigerian family here that is moving to Utah. They asked alot of questions about the states and wether the mormons will bother them and what's taboo and so on.It was really fun getting to talk to them cause they don't speak much german but can speak english very well. Yeah...not alot is happening today till youth group. Its pretty laid back. Found out that I am addicted to the ice cream here and can order that like nobody's business. um...badabadabada....kinda

excited about going to the dance club tomorrow and finding it ironic that it took me going to another country to go to one. almost out of books to read!! Moved on to the german skateboarding mags. i think that's about it...yup. ok. chat laters!!

that's all there is so far!

Day Before

Right now there's a list at least a good quarter mile long that I need to complete before i leave tomorrow to Germany. One of which is fiquring out a way to call back to the states after arriving. I found out today that texting will still charge a awesome international fee so that won't work. Also, the notebook (laptop) I was planning to get fell through due to unforseen circumstances. Which is cool, it'll be a nice little lent from the internet...oh how sad life will be with out twitter! (haha) Fortuently, I'm not too concerned about all of that because I have a wonderful new camera that will do videos and stuff that I'll upload when I'm back in the states.
Another little obstacle I have is finding the insurance company I'm supposed to go through. Unfortuently, I didn't transfer the e-mails from my school account to my private account so that info is lost somewhere in cyberspace. But fortuently, my mission agency is really nice and are sending it to me sometime today. So that's not a big worry, just a annoyance.
The major thing right now is figuring out how to pack everything and get it under the weight limit. Luckily, I'm am expert packer and have the majority of it done already. Now I just have to get to town and pick up the last few items I need to survive a thirteen hour flight.
Other than all that, everything is shaping up pretty nicely! Hopefully the rest of the day and tomorrow morning will follow suit. I'll be able to update all the way till I leave Detroit, then hopefully I'll get to type some in a internet cafe! That's all for now! Peace!

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