Winter Wonderland

As expected, traveling has proven challenging and nerve wrecking, but Ireland has been an overall success. So, I left at lunch time last Thursday with a funny feeling that things were going to go wrong, and the feeling was pretty accurate. On the very first train we went no more than twenty minutes and had to stop because the tracks were snowy or something. I was delighted to see two bunnies and a quail scratching around outside my train window, so I took that as a sign of good luck. I have a strong tendency to meet awesome people when I travel, and on this day they were particularly amazing. The first fellow I met was tall with a pony tail, wearing a long jacket. I learned that he’s a computer guy who likes to collect samurai swords and go to Renaissance festivals. He was eccentric but very polite and translated the German announcements for me. He was going to meet his father for the first time, even though he’s over 30. He said he was excited but nervous, but seemed really calm considering. On the next train I sat beside a guy who plays the didgeridoo in a band. He was also very nice and helpful with the German I didn’t understand. I made it to Hamburg and found that my next train would also be delayed, so I started to worry a little, but kept it all in check. I sat beside a really nice lady and her daughter on the train to Frankfurt and man am I glad I met her, she totally took care of me. She helped me find out how I could get to the airport and when I’d be getting there. I was happy to have a plan, but it wasn’t long until that train had problems too and we were once again delayed. I heard something about trouble with the breaks that they magically fixed…I decided not to think too hard about that and just hoped that I’d make it in time to catch my flight to Ireland. The lady who had been so nice went to the bathroom and happened upon another lady who was taking the same flight as me. She was pretty freaked out and had been calling the airline to tell them that the trains were having trouble. A nice man who had become involved in my dilemma called the airline too just to say that I also needed to catch that flight. I joined the lady and her son when we got to Frankfurt and we raced to the other train to the airport. Of course, this train was late too. By the time we got to the airport it was 8:00, and our flight was meant to leave at 8:15. I was just sure I’d have to stay in a hostel or something and rebook my flight, but we tried to make it to the gate anyway. We ran as fast as we could and by the grace of God, they had delayed the flight and we made it and even had to wait a while at the gate. I absolutely could not believe my luck, especially because I met such lovely, helpful people along the way. I sat beside yet another interesting man on the plane who told me ghost stories and anecdotes of Ireland. When I finally made it into Dublin, I was beat but thrilled to have made it. Denise eagerly awaited my arrival at the airport and rewarded my traveling efforts with a huge hug. We took a bus into Dublin, settled into a hostel, and saw a bit of the city. I must say, Dublin is really nice. It doesn’t feel enormous and overwhelming like many big cities. The streets are wide and pedestrian friendly and gorgeous Christmas decorations were all over the place. After a hot whiskey drink with Denise’s friends, we made it to the hostel and got some much needed rest. The next morning we spent the majority of our time waiting for Kelsey at the airport. She had some trouble with her bag so she took forever to come out to meet us, which of course worried me to death, but we finally found her. Her bag didn’t find us until the next Tuesday, but in true Kelsey style, she didn’t complain. We had a nice time walking around Dublin together that evening, but she was also quite exhausted by the evening so we went to bed pretty early.


The next morning was Christmas Eve so we got up early and took a train to Denise’s home town of Ennis. The bus drive from the train was spectacular, a ride through a true winter wonderland. Because strange weather follows me everywhere, Ireland has experienced its first bad ice storm in years. It’s made everything pretty, but the roads have been treacherous. The buses were still running though, so we made it to Denise’s aunties’ house. Her aunts, Annette and Helen, have been extremely welcoming since the moment we arrived. They settled us in and made a traditional Irish fry for our breakfast. We had sausage, black pudding, fried ham, and toast. It was filling and delicious, great way to start the holiday. Denise’s cousins and uncle stopped by soon after and all decorated the Christmas tree together. Later Denise, Kelsey, and I walked into town and met several of Denise’s friends. A few of them even performed an acoustic gig at a café that was surprisingly good. That night we went to our first Catholic Christmas mass because Denise’s friend was directing the music. It was a kids’ service and ended up being insanely crowded. Kelsey and I kinda hid ourselves away in the back so we couldn’t see much, but Denise said the kids were terribly behaved and ended up tearing off the wing of an angel statue and kept eating the hay in the Nativity scene. It was definitely an experience, but was made all the better when Denise and her friend humorously bashed the service and the priest who led it. The Irish are very quick witted, especially when they’re passing judgment. Kelsey and I were in stitches of laughter all the way home.

Christmas morning was complete with cute little presents in stockings from Denise and her aunts and a huge Christmas lunch. We had turkey, ham, dressing, carrots, and fried potatoes, followed by a warm figgy pudding. It was familiar and delicious, and really felt like Christmas. We had hoped to visit a neighbor that evening but the ice froze any hopes of leaving the house. We happily watched movies and a funny Irish show called “Father Ted” and cuddled up on the couch next to the fire. It was pleasant just to be in the house and pick up on the funny Irish phrases. They like to say “Go away” (pronounced go aweee) in when someone says something shocking, I guess we say “Get outta town.” They also like to say “Your man” when describing any man. I like that one. Sadly, they don’t actually say “Top of the morning to ye,” but they do say ye instead of ya’ll. It’s an adorable country.

Anyhow, the day after Christmas is a big celebration here too. It’s called St. Stephen’s Day and it’s rooted in the church for a guy who was the first martyr, but as far as I can tell, it’s just an excuse to prolong the holidays. People usually go out to the pubs and since the roads had cleared a little by the evening, we went out in town that night and met more of Denise’s friends. Ennis feels a lot like downtown Athens, lots of stores and pubs with the young folk running around everywhere. It was energetic and fun, I liked it.

The next day we finally made it to the countryside and saw Denise’s aunt, uncle, and cousins. They were welcoming, like all Irish seem to be, and gave us yummy tea and cake. I’d call them simple, good hearted country folk just like all of us. They kept us laughing and smiling. As you’ve probably gathered, Ireland feels a lot like home, more that Germany at least. The language factor helps tremendously, but the family interactions are more familiar too. I guess having Kelsey here also makes it feel more normal, so it’s been refreshing.

The next day the three of us set out to a town called Gallway and explored a bit. It was a cute town so we walked around a lot and did a little shopping. We made some tasty chicken curry in the hostel that night and then met up with our friend Marc Dwyre from camp. Ireland feels much more like a small town than a small country, everybody knows everybody. I didn’t think I’d ever see Dwyre again after camp, but low and behold, we chatted over my first authentic Guinness. He and his girlfriend were good fun and we had a lot of laughs. The next morning we headed out of the town pretty early because it was rainy and yucky. We went into town once to get some coffee that afternoon, but other than that we cuddled up inside and tried to stay warm.

So today was a pretty huge adventure. We got up early and marched to the bus station, excited to see the famous Cliffs of Moher. The drive up was nice and pretty short. We figured it would be cold, but I don’t think I knew the true definition of cold until today. Our walk up to the best view of the cliffs was unreal, wind blowing a billion miles an hour in our faces, snow and other wet stuff stingy our skin, and puddles of slush rendering our toes useless. We snapped a few pictures and then paid way too much for coffee as we warmed up at the tourist center. Well, this is where the story just gets sad. We had to wait a while for the bus, and like idiots, we lost track of time. We walked outside right at 1:15 only to see our bus drive away. Oh were we upset. We found another bus and the driver said he could get us to a town where we could change buses and get home. On the up side, that bus took a different path down and it was gorgeous. We saw a lot more of the traditional countryside that you always see in movies. We went alongside the sea for a while and passed countless farms with cute ponies and sheep. When we finally got to the town where we needed to stop I was both sleepy and car sick, but the heart stopping wind took care of that fast. We found the bus stop and waited a full thirty minutes until the next bus came. Kelsey and I tried to think of a time we’d been colder in our lives, but neither of us could. The moist, brisk wind robbed all of our heat and our wet shoes made our feet ache. Bluh. So the bus finally came to get us, and naturally, it stopped just moments after it started. The driver said that there were problems and a technician was coming to fix the problem but it should be fast. Well, turns out that was a total lie. Other passengers told us that before we got on the bus a man had been yelling at his wife and actually hitting her, something about her being pregnant. The driver had actually called the police and they came on the bus and escorted the man off. Luckily he didn’t resist and we finally got started again. Denise’s aunt picked us up at the bus station and took us straight to the Chinese restaurant where we could grab our take out. We got home and devoured the food, and I’m currently sitting near the fire, still trying to warm up.

We’ve all decided that our bad luck today is a good thing; we’re getting it out of the way so everything will go smoothly in Paris. We’ll finish packing tonight and will grab a taxi at 4:40 in the morning to the airport. Our boarding passes are printed and we’ve called our hotel and received the directions to get there from the airport, so I guess we’re as ready as we can be. We’ve not planned every single day, but we know the main things we want to check out. We’re not tired of each other yet and we’ve made it through some hurdles already, so I think we’re a strong traveling team. Denise and I have enjoyed rehashing our camp experience and Kelsey and I can still make each other laugh with stupid jokes, so I couldn’t be happier. It’s refreshing to be around such strong and lovely individuals who I admire so much. We’ve had fun even during the down time when the ice made us house bound. They’re getting to know each other pretty well too, and luckily they seem to like each other a lot. Ah, how blessed we are. Keep praying for us, we’ve still got lots more to do and see and will still need a hedge of protection. We’ll be really lucky if none of us get sick after the cold day, but so far so good. So, more stories and adventures to come. Wow, New Years in Paris, I can’t believe it! Love and miss you all. Thanks for putting up with us being gone for the holidays, know that we thought of you plenty, and get ready to read more stories and adventures!

Frohe Weihnachten!

Warm clothes and plenty of socks....check
Passport....check
Train snacks...check
Updated Ipod....check
Traveling Butterflys in my tummy....check

Gracious, it's here!  Today is the big day when the potentially coolest trip of my life begins.  I'll leave Edewecht around lunch, make several switches and arrive in Frankfurt around 5, and leave for Ireland around 8, arriving by 9.  There, my lovely friend Denise will collect me and we'll grab Kelsey in the morning and commence an Irish Countryside Christmas.  Oh good lord, I'm excited.  After we've had our fun with the leprechauns, we'll head out to Paris on the 31st.  Yeah, it's really much too amazing to wrap my mind around.  These are two places I've always dreamed of visiting and I get to experience them during the holidays with two of my favorite people.  Because it's so magical, I've actually refused until this point to truly believe it will happen.  So, I'm going to continue mentally preparing myself for disaster, so if it strikes, I won't be totally heart broken.  Who am I kidding, I'd be totally heart broken.  Prayers and concern are appreciated during this time, especially considering the crazy weather everywhere.

Okay, so I must apologize for the lack of blogging lately, but because I've been saving my money for this trip, I've only left the house on a few occasions for anything other than class.  But, Thursday I finally had something to do.  First off, it snowed Thursday, like real, lasts longer than 3 hours, snow. I was simultaneously thrilled and unnerved because I had to drive and pick up Piet and Catrin from school.  My driving was pretty good for a Southern girl and everyone was fine.  Later that evening, Elisa joined my host family and me in Oldenburg to listen to a children's Christmas concert.  All and all it was nice.  They sang a lot of German songs but a few good English songs including  "Oh Happy Day."  They didn't have quite the amount of soul that song needs, but the lead singer was good and pulled it off.  Afterward Elisa and I met up with our Italian buddy Daniele and after we'd grabbed some crepes (thin pancakes) with nutella, we traipsed off to the opera house.  I'd been looking forward to seeing Madame Butterfly for a while, but I have to say flat out, it wasn't so good.  The singing was fine, even though it was in Italian with a German accent, but the costumes and the set were tacky tacky tacky.  They used astro turf on the floor, had a creepy puppet that looked like an old man to play the kid, and the clothes were present day, which always irks me. Town and Gown puts this crew to shame.  Speaking of crew, I could see the tennis shoe of one crew member from the wings during the entire last act!  So, sorry to be a negative nancy, but this wasn't my cup of tea.  Still, the company was lovely and we had a blast singing songs on the snowy drive home.

Friday Piet and I made a snowman with Elisa that looked pretty awkward with no arms and a duck-billed cap, but it was quite fun.  When we came inside Catrin had a warm fire blazing in the furnace and was making some thin waffles with powdered sugar for a snack.  D-licious.  That night I joined the folks with whom I clean veggies at a private restaurant up the road for a Christmas dinner.  I accurately predicted that I'd be the only person under 40 there, but it was wonderful none the less.  We ate veggie soup, corn, potatoes, pork, and steak followed by raspberries and cream for dessert.  My goodness, it was tasty.  From the dining room there was a huge window that displayed another room with two bowling lanes.  After the food had settled, several people had a go.  It was an old fashioned set up and the balls were smaller than ours and had no holes.  Also, the pins are attached to strings at the top and are just pulled up and neatly placed back down after each turn.  I tried my luck and did so-so.  I expected much worse, so I was pleased.  Everyone seemed to have a great time and were very welcoming of me.  I hate that I can't communicate with them better because most don't speak much English, but we've all gotten pretty good with body language.  Hopefully my German will continue to pick up over the next few months.

Saturday was completely uneventful but Sunday was nice.  Piet came in my room at early thirty to wake me up for breakfast.  After we'd had our usual weekend breakfast of croissants and boiled egg, we lugged the Christmas tree in from the garage.  I put on the Charlie Brown Christmas music and we happily decorated the tree as the snow fell outside.  Germans do trees a little different than us.  They use fake lights, but not as many as most of us.  They don't get crazy with the garland and ribbon, and have fewer ornaments.  But, the trees are beautified with real candles that sit in these sturdy little holders.  We lit the tree that night and it was simply gorgeous.  I indulged in my guilty pleasure Christmas movie, "The Family Stone," and felt all fuzzy and sentimental. Catrin, Jorn, and Piet have managed to make it feel like Christmas for me over here, and that's the biggest gift they could have given me.  Now I'll spend the real deal with my baby sister, ahhh, so excited.

Yesterday was devoted to errands and packing.  Speaking of which, I should attend to the final details of preparation before I leave the house in a couple hours.  Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers! I'll do my best to blog throughout the trip if Denise has internet, but if not I'll keep a journal and write it all for you when I get back.  Dotsons, welcome the new kid for me and eat an extra piece of Aunt Shelia's peanut butter pie.  Harris crowd, be extra nice to my mom and compliment all of her food, because it's always insanely delicious.  Love you, Merry Christmas!!

Boots and Buses

I have been putting off this blog because I've been anxiously awaiting something to write about, but alas, it's all routine lately.  Piet has been healthy for a change so he's been in a good mood and we've had lots of fun together. Christmas is in full swing here and I'm enjoying the process of learning German traditions. As I said before, on the 6th St. Nicklaus comes to Germany and leaves gifts in the shoes of nice boys and girls, but only if the shoes are nice and clean.  Usually the kid only puts one shoe out so they won't appear stingy.  Well, in true Piet style, the darling put out both shoes and got a remote control bus : )  He was thrilled beyond belief, and I think he left oranges as a thank you present to St. Nick.  I think this tradition and the big to-do about advents calendars is pretty cool, but I still prefer some of our little things. Germans don't do stockings like we do, which is one of my favorite things about Christmas (I enjoy do dads) and they can't hold a candle to American Christmas decorations.  For those who like simplicity and order in your Christmas aesthetic, this is the place for you.  However, I was raised during the Flood Town glory days, and for me, the tackier the better.  We've got little trinkets around the house, but we're waiting to put up the Christmas Tree.  We'll be putting ours up on the 19th, and that's early for my family.  They usually wait until the day or so before Christmas but they have graciously offered to put it up early since I'll be leaving on the 22nd for Ireland.  Ahhh, so soon!  I'm packing light and all my tickets are bought, so I guess I'm as ready as I can be, but I'm still anxious.  If anyone has traveled to Ireland or Paris and has some "must sees" send them my way.  Good Grief, I can't wait!

Aside from Christmas fun and looking forward to the trip, very little is going on.  I've made several trips to the Christmas Market with friends where I've had pork chop sandwiches and candied almonds, which are delicious, but no huge stories.  Running is still going well, class is class, and the veggies are still quite fun to clean.  I did manage to make lunch for my family today; a sausage and tortellini soup Kelsey discovered, and it was a big hit.  More than anything. I'm learning how to be domestic here.  I'll be a great Kleine Haus Frau, Little House Wife, someday.  But not any day soon : ) 

So for now I'm spending my evenings watching my favorite television show, Veronica Mars, and eating cereal.  I'll have much more to say in the coming weeks as I attend an opera and visit other foreign lands.  Until then, stay out of the Chatsworth wind and snow, good luck on your finals, and tell Stephanie to have her baby already!  Guten Nacht!

"Filling" the Love

Only wonderful things to say about Germany once again.  So, as you probably know, last week was Thanksgiving...in America.  Europeans aren't so keen on the holiday because the Pilgrims abandoned them and began what we like to call the greatest country in the world.  Well, they should be jealous; being away from home only reinforces my belief that Thanksgiving is un-stinking-believable. As planned, I did my best to bring our wonderful culture to this cold, cold land, and I must say, it was quite a success.  However, I'm going to describe the week day by day, so as to avoid any confusion. 

So, Tuesday was normal but pleasant.  Shopped around Oldenburg before class and found a pretty card for my host mom's birthday, which we celebrated on Wednesday.  For me, this felt a ton like our Thanksgiving.  Both her parents and Jorn's parents came over and we had a huuuuge lunch of the infamous meat roll ups we have for most fancy occasions.  Everybody was in high spirits and the weather was lovely.  This house has lots of big windows (I know your jealous, Mamma) so when it's sunny the whole house feels warm and pretty. Piet was thrilled to have all his Omas and Oppas in one place bearing gifts, mind you. One gift was a toy that shoots five small discs into the air.  A delightful toy until you spend over an hour on the floor looking for the dern things...Anyways, we had a lovely time and Catrin seemed really happy to have everyone with her.   Later that night I made my way to Oldenburg to meet the girls who were friends with the past au pair, Mallory.  On this night I was introduced to the wonder that is Weihnnachts Markt, or the Christmas Market.  Oh heavens, it's amazing. Lights and trees galore, hot chocolate and spiced wine at every turn, all surrounded by cute trinket stands with ornaments, jewelry, scarves and what not.  It's glorious, the most Christmasy place I've ever been, aside from Rock City : ) It's open every night until Christmas, so next time I'll do my best to take a picture or two, but I doubt my camera can capture the beauty (it's not so good with the night time thing).  After the market we went to our old stand by, the Irish Pub as we waited for my friend's mom to drive us home.  It turned out to be quite crowded for a Wednesday because they were playing trivia.  Although I didn't know that Hulk Hogan's real name is Terry (I chose Terrance, assuming they shortened it, but no, it's Terry), the perfect question was posed to me.  Who were the lead characters in Gone with the Wind?  Are you kidding me?  Did they know I was coming?  So, we got a few right and had a lovely time together.  We also met a few new friends, per usual in the Irish Pub. I like it there.

Thursday, our beloved day of Turkey, was blah and rainy.  Other than searching the internet for the Macy's Day Parade with no luck due to the time difference, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary.  Just Piet time and class.  I called home and got to talk to Mamma and Daddy, which always makes me feel loved.  I was bummed not to be home, but I think I handled it pretty well.  The homesickness hasn't struck too heavily yet.  My life is so comfortable here that it feels normal and I forget just how far I am from home.  Good grief, I'm lucky to say that.

So Friday and Saturday I put my Turkey face on and got serious about some Thanksgiving. (Imagining me with a turkey face is funny...to me).  Friday Elisa and I made it to the grocery store and loaded up.  It was quite tricky to fit all our groceries on bicycles, but we were determined to make a delicious meal.  That night I made the dressing in her kitchen and we had a dandy of a time.  Her host sister is 14 and is cool to hang around, so we had a girls night in the kitchen.  Ah, I did bike home for dinner though and had a delicious meal of smoked eel.  Oh dear, it was amazing...quite possibly the best fish I've had.  Catrin's parents always give it to her on her birthday and after eating it the whole family calls them and says this cute little diddy about how great it tastes.  They're adorable. 

Now we've made it to Saturday, the magic turkey day.  First off, I didn't think this day was going to pan out at all.  I initially wanted to cook for my host family and invite some friends, but after the big lunch on Wednesday and all the other stuff moms have to do this time of year, Catrin rightfully asserted that it would be a huge stresser, and that's not the point of Thanksgiving.  I was bummed at first, but totally understood that it would be bad timing for such an event.  Well, the Lord loves me and made everything better than I could have planned.  During trivia on Wednesday the girls asked if I'd be doing Thanksgiving and I explained why it wouldn't work out.  Low and behold, my friend Liska piped up and revealed that she'd be going out of town and would be happy to offer her apartment in Oldenburg for our dinner.  Because of her kindness Elisa and I were able to spend a relaxed afternoon together and take a short vacation from family life. We cooked and watched "Love Actually" until our friends Daniele from Italy and Dylan from California joined us to feast.  And my oh my, what a feast.  My dressing turned out well and was accompanied by Elisa's gorgeous turkey.  Although her host mom doubted her, she is an amazing cook.  The other American made some stellar mashed pototoes, the Italian brought cheese and wine, and I bought some apple sauce from a jar and corn from a can....such is my way.   We listened to a praise worthy mix of Christmas music and chowed down.  After we were able to move again we headed into town and frequented the Irish Pub once more.  This time we managed to meet a young couple who were just recently engaged.  The girl, whose names translates to "Little Swan" in English, but I can't spell it in German, was quite nice.  Her fiance was quite charming, but pretty quirky. I mention them to tell a fantastic story and explain the title of this blog.  I learned that they were engaged because I noticed she had a pretty pearl ring and I asked about it.  She said it was her grandmother's and then her fiance piped in and told us to ask about the other ring on her finger.  She rolled her eyes and said that he made it for her, but promised that we wouldn't believe how he did it.  Turns out, he's a dentist so he collected the gold fillings he removed from his patient's teeth, melted them down, and made an engagement ring!!!  It's a hard story to swallow, but they sold it convincingly.  She wore a hopeless, "Yep, he actually did this" look on her face while his beemed with pride.  Loved it : )

Sunday I did very little aside from a very long run.  The weather was dry and warm(ish) so I happily ran for over an hour, listening to my ipod and discovering new trails.  I was exceptionally tired the rest of the day, but it was worth it.  Thus far, this week has been routine, but good. The rain has finally subsided but the crisp winter air abounds.  It's nice though, really feels like Christmas is a comin'.  Lights are going up on the houses and I just can't get enough of them.  Piet started his advent calendar activities today so he's super pumped for the holiday.  He opens a bag with a toy in it for the morning, and then gets a little piece of chocolate in the afternoon while his mom reads a special story from his advent calendar book.  He still hasn't finished tweaking his Christmas list because each toy must be well researched before any decisions are made. We listen to German Christmas music everyday; I chime in when "Oh Tenenbaum" comes on, and then we listen to my English favorites together.  It's really lovely to spend Christmas around a kid, everything is magical again.  I'm really excited that the Dotsons will have a darling girl around quite soon to restore energy to the holidays!   The pictures from Thanksgiving at Uncle Lendon's were lovely and I hope everyone had a good time. I'll be thinking of you all as you put up Christmas trees and eat those yummy shortbread cookies with red and green sugar.  Oh Christmas, how wonderful you are.  Send any special German Christmas present requests my way soon!  Love ya!

I'm going to gentle you in a minute!

Last week was chocked full of excitement. Tuesday I cleaned some veggies and then made my way to Oldenburg.  I spent a pretty penny on the train tickets to the airports for my holiday trip, but was super glad to have them in my possession. (That trip is going to be mind-blowingly amazing).  Afterwards I went to class, excited that we'd be spending it in a restaurant.  My excitement was curbed after learning that we were going to have an hour long grammatic lesson beforehand, but it wasn't too bad and the restaurant experience was delightful.  I found the Italian on my right me to be hilarious, the American across from me to be typical, and the Dominican on my left to be pretty immature.  These are individual assessments, not neccessarily a reflection of their respective countries.  We all spoke English, which defeated the point of the outing, but it was quite fun.  It's hard to be motivated to learn German when most everybody I've met speaks English, so I just try to pick up random words here and there and make people laugh as I try to pronounce them. 

Wednesday morning Piet and I discovered a new common bond, silly music.  I made a cd a while back for us, but only Wednesday did he actually listen to it well enough to realize how good my music taste really is. And by that I mean how good Tad's music taste is.  I think Kelsey, Madi, and I have to give him credit for the majority of our favorite tunes.  Anyhow, Piet and I started dancing around the living room and it made for a delightful morning.  The evening was also lovely because it ushered in the arrival of Hannah, the former au pair we had visited in Berlin.  It was a delight to have her in the house.  Both nights she and I stayed up and talked as if we'd known each other for years.  I hope she's somebody I can run into again in the future.  She's planning to go to Africa for two months but then she'll be making her way back to the U.S., so there's a good chance for a rendezvous. 

Piet was super excited to see Hannah too, but he had a rough time sorting out his feelings.  You can tell they have a lot of history between them since she was his au pair for a year and a half, but he seemed very aware that she'd be leaving him again after a few days.   He was also pretty sick last week and didn't go to kindergarten so his mood was insanely up and down.  He seems to catch every little bug that goes through his school.  So, we had fun but I think Hannah saw a fussier side of Piet than she'd seen before.  He's beginning to test all authoritative boundaries and I think he's pretty confused about the role of the au pair, and when there's two of us he's all out of sorts.  I'm just trying to be consistent and let him know that even au pair's have rules.  He's been rough with his mom lately too, so I think it's just a phase.  She's handling it well and he's learning what he can and can't do, so he'll be fine.

With Hannah we mostly just hung out around the house, played the infamous cd a thousand times, and made a trip to Oldenburg.  On Friday we had a lot of fun building a gingerbread house that turned out quite lovely.  Piet was super helpful and kept saying "You guys are doing great."  Ah, this reminds me of another cute Piet story.  A while back I taught Piet how to link arms with me and walk me around as if he were a gentleman. We hadn't done it in a while so when he tried it the other day it really surprised me.  Well, after we had linked arms he remembered he wanted to get something so he ran away and yelled, "Hold on Katie, I'm going to gentle you in a minute."  So, that's the new phrase in the house.  Hilarious. We also have a new game of hiding under my bed sheets which have tree branches and flowers and pretend we're climbing a tree with our imaginary friend Dinosoar Minosoar Ginosoar.  It's a large name for an imaginary friend, but we have fun with it. Piet insisted that Hannah join our magic land, which happens to take place in a twin sized bed.  We were both squeezing in, but Piet was delighted, fully enjoying having two au pairs.  Spoiled and adorable...

Hannah left Friday evening and I took the bus to Oldenburg to meet with some friends I had met through the other past au pair.  We had a nice dinner together at one girl's apartment and spent the rest of the evening sharing au pair stories.  After hearing several horror stories, I realized once again how lucky I am to be with this family.  After a while at the apartment we decided to go out, but after about an hour we decided we'd just like to sleep.  I type that a lot in my weekend stories.  Obviously my sleep patterns get in the way of the crazy European night life; I'm okay with that.  I spent the night at my friend's apartment so I wouldn't have to mess with the late night busses all alone, and the next morning she and her boyfriend were kind enough to provide a tasty breakfast for us.  So, this is where my weekend got crazy.  Ready?  They served raw ground pork to be spread on bread rolls. Yes, raw spiced meat called "Mett" that they spread and then cover in chopped fresh onions and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  I agreed to try a little taste, and admittedly, it tasted alright, but I couldn't handle the idea of any more raw meat in my stomach than that.  My friend and her boyfriend ate three slices apiece!  After years of hearing my mom's preaching on the risks of food borne illnesses, I'm confident in saying that this is not a cultural difference I aim to pick up.  No mett for me.

After abstaining from the crazy food, I went home and felt super good so I decided to go for a run.  I think it's at the top of the list of runs I've taken here, mostly because I discovered a gorgeous lake with great running trails beside it.  It's unbelievable to just spend an hour discovering new things on my own, all by foot.  I'm constantly surprised that my body can just go and go here.  I think it has a lot to do with my mind set; I've got time to just leave everything and everybody and keep going, and my legs and heart can easily keep up.  I don't think I've ever trusted my body enough to push it, but I'm learning that it can do much more than I expect it can.  It's cool to learn more about myself everyday I'm here. 

The rest of Saturday I just rented a movie and watched it with my host parents.  Sunday we all went to Oldenburg again and saw workers putting up Christmas decorations.  Nothing was lit or pretty yet because apparently that Sunday was a day the church reserves for respecting the dead.  I'm pretty glad we don't have that holiday at home.  My host family doesn't do anything for it because they don't like having an organized holiday when they're supposed to think about the people they've lost.  I'm with them, I think about the people I've known who have died plenty enough without being reminded to do so.  My host mom does like that it prevents stores from putting up Christmas decorations too early though.  Only after the holiday has passed can the city and decorate, and now it's on!  I'm super excited to go to Oldenburg for class tomorrow to see the lights and Christmas trees.  I'll do my best to take pictures, but lately I haven't been able to upload pictures from my camera onto my blog.  I think my host mom will let me borrow hers though. 

Big week ahead because it's Catrin's birthday and I'm hoping to have a shin dig for Thanksgiving. I keep planning but it doesn't look like many people are going to make it, so I really don't know what will happen.  I'm nervous about my cooking skills, so maybe it's best we don't draw a crowd.  I hope everyone is happy back home. This year I'm  thankful that I have such an unbelievable support system at home that seems even stronger now than before.  It's amazing to hear that so many of you read my silly stories, but it means a great deal to me. Just know that although I write about all the neat and fun things happening over here, during the down time I think of you all and get pretty bummed that I'm missing being with you for the holidays.  It's reaffirming though, it just reminds me how much I love and appreciate all of you.  I'll be thinking of everybody on Thursday especially.  I guess you'll be sitting down to Turkey as I take a seat in my German course....sigh.  I'll do my best to skype home that day and maybe it won't be so harsh.  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, who sees my mom between now and Christmas please give her a super big hug.  I know that she's happy that I'm here, but it's hard on her too. Actually, same goes for my Daddy, he's a softie.  Thanks for all the love and prayers you send my way, it's really unbelievable.  Now, let the holidays begin!

Lonely Enchilada

This week has been nearly post unworthy, but I'll do my best to sift out the cool stuff and elaborate more than necessary. Although last week mostly consisted of routine and cold and rain, it was pleasant in the house, class went well, and I got to see a basketball game in Oldenburg.  A friend of mine invited me to see the Oldenburg Baskets play; terrible team name, don't ya think? Sadly, they lived up to the lameness of their name.  They lost against Madrid, Spain 61 to 104.  Last year they were the European Champions, this year they would have been beaten by Bagley Middle School. I had a lot of fun watching the game, but noted some differences between a game here and one at UGA.  First, the band isn't nearly as big and they don't play an empowering video with sentimental music in the beginning. That's one of my favorite parts, gets me everytime. Also, the cheerleaders aren't so cute and can't dance to save their lives. They don't stand alongside the court during the game so they really can't do too much to rile up the crowd either.  I thought the dance team was decent until they came out in daisy-duke shorts, plaid shirts, cowboy hats and boots only to dance to "Cotten Eyed Joe."  It's interesting how tid bits of the South spread across the world.  Although I didn't know how to feel about this stereotype, the dance was pretty cute and I had fun singing along.  In every country I've been to, I've heard many more American songs than songs original to that country.  The very first song I heard in Argentina was "Achy Breaky Heart" and "American Boy" was a huge hit in Italy. The basketball game was cool but I think I prefer handball over here.  You can tell that the crowd gets more into those games and the Edewecht team seems much better than our laundry Baskets in Oldenburg. 

The weekend was not as exciting as weekend in the recent past have been, but it was nice. No plans materialized for Friday night, but I had a nice time talking online to tons of friends.  It's cool how insanely connected the internet keeps all of us.  Saturday morning I went with Piet and Jorn to Jorn's parents house.  We first visited the bigger port city near the house where I saw the North Sea for the first time.  We also saw a big toy store that held Piet's interest far better than the sea.  We walked around for a bit and then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  I love Mexican food, so I was very excited.  After we ordered, I was shocked that I was the only person to actually order Mexican food.  They had all mentioned loving the restaurant, but they ordered pizza, spaghetti, a burger and a big order of fries for Piet.  Silly Germans.  I was happy with my shrimp enchilada, even though it wasn't nearly as good as El Pueblito or Agua Linda....oh the strange places I miss.  So, after the food silliness we went back to Oma and Opa's house.  Piet and his grandma have a nice tradition of bringing all the toys from upstairs to downstairs, and then he goes to town with them.  I didn't know a human could love tractors and trucks to such a large degree; he can play with them for hours.  We like to pretend that I'm the police officer and I'm in dire need of the tractor's help.  Piet daringly drives the tractor to move logs from the road, move rock piles for fence builders, or take sick horses to the animal hospitial.  At home we play a cute game with the remote control tractor in which Piet hides behind a chair and drives the tractor to me.  I talk to the tractor and ask him yes or no questions and then Piet moves his tires one way or the other to answer me.  It's pretty cute.  Piet is trying earnestly to make everything in his life remote controlled.  He even talked in his sleep last night, saying he wanted his favorite stuffed animals to be remote controlled. I think we've got a legitimate addiction on our hands.  He'll be asking us to put his food on a remote controlled tray soon enough.  : )  That was a long tractor tangent, pardon me.  Oma and Opa's house was lovely and in perfect order just like Catrin's parents' home is.  We had the usual and delicious apple and plum cake that Oma always makes and some additional sugar cookies. I tried to just have one of each, but Oma insisted I have at least three cookies.  You really can't say no to Oma, she's too cute and wonderful. As you can imagine, I won't be leaving Germany any thinner than I was when I arrived, despite all the running.  Not long after we returned home and I returned to chat with friends. Perfectly lovely day.

Sunday proved to be a good ending to the weekend.  We had our usual weekend breakfast of croissants and boiled eggs, which I really enjoyed, and after a bit I went for a run.  I didn't expect it to be a great run, but when I think it won't go well at all, it usually ends up being one of the best.  Such was the case Sunday.  I found a new road that passed some nice pastures and neat, thick forrests.  I even saw a wooden barn that looked like a barn from home.  The barns here are cool but they're always made of brick, just like every single other building in this part of Germany.  Apparantely the North Sea blows salty wind this way and it's bad for wood...or something like that, they have a reason.  Anywho, after the run I played with Piet a little and read a good bit.  I didn't think I'd do much that evening either, but I chatted with the fella I had hung out with last week and we decided to see a movie.  First I beat him in a good game of pool, then we saw the tremendously cheesy movie 2012.  All the movies are dubbed in German here, so I had no clue what they were saying, but I doubt the dialogue was anything to write home about (funny expression in this blog).  Dirk and I had a good time making fun of the movie's bad acting and predictable plot.  Oh, and to my delight, I learned that you can chooose what kind of popcorn you'd like in the theater.  We still paid way too much for a gross amount of it, but it tasted like carmel kettle corn rather than butter and salt.  I was trying to look like a lady, otherwise I could have eaten the whole bag.  Best popcorn I've had in a while.  The coke here tastes a little different too, but part of that is simply because it's not watered down with ice.  No ice in drinks ever.  So strange. After the movie we just drove home.  Nice night.

Today has been sloooow.  I didn't mention before that Piet didn't feel great yesterday and today he had a fever.  Catrin was quite sick last week and has still been feeling rough this week.  We figure that Piet just brings home every little virus that passes through the kindergarten.  He never gets very sick, just runs a fever and gets cranky.  He's really good at going from laughing to bawling to laughing in a matter of minutes.  Hopefully he'll feel better soon because his first au pair, Hannah, will be here on Wednesday.  He's been bragging for a week that he'll have two au pairs for a while.  I'm very excited for her to be here, we all need some excitement around here and she's super cool.  I've got several things planned this week that have potential to be fun, but I'll wait and write about them after they've come to fruition.  I'm getting crazy excited for the holidays and beginning to decide what I'll be doing after my time with this sweet family is up.  I'm reminding myself to enjoy being in the moment, but it's my nature to keep moving towards new challenges.  If I'm going to take on the challenge of grad school in the fall, it's going to take planning anyhow.  The tenative plans I've made thus far don't seem like they'll work, but I like the Sound of Music quote, "If God closes a door, he opens a window."  Not sure where I'll be for school, but I'm hoping to discover the best place for me.  Still pursuing random avenues to get more involved around here and meet more people. The past year has taught me that no person has any time to waste,so I'm going to keep trying to live to the fullest while I'm here.  Running, friend making, reading, and helping with Piet is a start, but I have a feeling there's more to come.  Things are good, really good. Keeping my chin up and my eyes and heart open to more opportunities.

The mayor is yelling Scheiße...

Just wrapped up another week here in Deutschland and starting a new one.  Last week was all about routine so there wasn't too much to report.  I think the most exciting part of the week was making a "special room" for Piet in my closet.  The closet is like a big cabinet that sits in my room and I only need half of it for my clothes and things, so I cleared the other side and Piet put pillows and stuffed animals in it.  We also decorated with his scribbly art work and some pumpkin lights they had out for Halloween.  I must say, it's a sweet pad for a four year old.  Plus I find it kind of humorous to stick him in the closet to watch you tube videos of Thomas the Tank Engine when I'm out of playing ideas. Past that we just played a lot inside last week because the weather was and is dreary.  I think it's going to be a long winter here, but hopefully we'll get some snow and it won't be so bad.  Piet's getting really excited for Christmas, and that's getting me excited.  He spends a lot of time tweaking his Christmas list.  He's pumped about Santa, but also a Christmas man that comes on December 6th and brings a small gift.  However, he hasn't quite accepted the 'small' part yet.  The other day I tried to explain who the tooth fairy is and he also had high hopes for her, asking if she'd bring him a remote control car.  I laughed and said she's too small to carry such a big gift, and he was unimpressed.  : )

This weekend I spent a good bit of time with my friend Elisa from class.  On Friday we went out with the friends we had met at the Irish Pub on Halloween.  It was pretty fun, but I was tired and cold pretty early in the night and wanted to get back to my nice warm bed.  We stopped by a restaurant that hosted a Salsa dancing class, but didn't stay long because Elisa could find no one in the room that could hold a candle to her stunning Latin dancing skills.  I obviously brought nothing to the table, so we decided to look for other places.  We found another Latin venue, but it was dull too, so we were happy to come back to Edewecht. 

Saturday she called and invited me to come with her and her host parents to a handball game.  I wasn't at all sure what she was talking about, but I figured it would be a new experience.  Man oh man, handball is an awesome game.  It takes place inside on what looks like a basketball court, and has the pace of basketball, but the ferocity of a good soccer game.  The men that play are huge with giant, muscular legs.  There's a lot of jumping and pushing and quick throwing of a little ball.  The crowd was really into it and the band plays the whole game, so it feels like basketball in that way too.  This game was really really close the whole time, so we were all on the edge of our seats. Elisa's parents pointed out that the mayor of Edewecht was there and it was just about as entertaining to watch her as it was to watch the game.  She was soo into it.  At one point Elisa shook me and said, "Oh my gosh, the mayor is yelling Scheiße" (a common German profanity).  The team ended up tying the game, which was okay since the other team was ranked much better. I got a huge kick out of the whole experience.  Afterwards we went back to Elisa's house and had really nice hot chocolate and sandwiches and watched "Germany's Got Talent."  Based on that episode, I'm really not so sure they have talent, but it was funny all the same.  It was a pleasant and relaxed evening and I was happy to have someone to just hang out with in Edewecht.

Yesterday was also cool.  I went for a really nice run and then Elisa joined me and my host family to Catrin's dance show.  It was in a gymansium like the one where we watched the handball match and it was a pretty silly experience.  We learned that Germans don't put much passion or energy into their dancing, aside from my host mom.  She was honestly the best dancer at the event.  They also do really strange performances.  We saw several where everyone was on unicyles.  Some people could even jump rope while on their unicyle.  We saw old ladies on little excerise steps, waving flags in the air and a few little kids who did simple gymanstics.  I wasn't too impressed with the event until the last performance, when they brought out the trampolines. Germans may not have rythm, but man can they flip in sync.  They'd go crazy high and make ten perfect flips in the air.  After that, I was very glad we had spent our Sunday afternoon there.  Piet loved the whole thing and did his own dance to each of the songs.  Any time they'd play a song in English, he'd scream, "Katie, it's English!"  So cute.  

Last night I wrapped up the evening in Oldenburg, drinking a funky malt and honey drink with a fellow I've met from Edewecht.  We had nice conversation, I helped his English and he futily attempted to help my German. He guaranteed that I'd be fluent by the time I leave.  I have my doubts, but his confidence was encouraging.

This week I plan to run more than last week, but other than that it should be a normal week.  No big plans for the coming weekend, but perhaps something nice will pop up.  I'm getting very excited about my Christmas travels and the upcoming markets and decorations that are soon to come.  I think the next couple months will go quickly because so much will be going on. Still happy to be here, still trying to find my people and ways to be productive, but it's all coming along.  Hope all is well back home, drop me a line anytime you wish! Tschüss!

All for me!!

It's been another lovely weekend here in Germany Land.  Let's see, Thursday was a good and busy day playing with Piet and going to German class.  I still enjoy myself a lot in there, and finally feel like I know what's going on.  I also enjoy hanging out with my friends before class.  It's cool to have a biweekly ritual with a group of people I like.  Friday was a bit of a bummer because the little cold I've had finally caught up with me and made me tired. Because of this, I called the past au pair Mallory and told her I didn't think I should go to Hamburg.  I was content with staying in that night, but the later it got the better I felt and my friend Rieke asked me to go out with her to Tange because they were having a big special Halloween Party.  It took a lot of waffling, but I finally decided to go as long as they agreed we wouldn't stay out too late.  The party was pretty cool; there was a little haunted house we walked through to get in and there were great decorations everywhere. I liked most of the music I heard which included a mash up of the song "Teenage Dirtbag," a favorite when I was in middle school. Because it was such a big night there the place was packed, which started to get annoying as the night went on. I finally got a tired of being pushed around by the crowd so I took a seat and did some really interesting people watching.  I don't think Tange attracts the most beautiful people, but definitely the most interesting.  Still, this got old pretty fast and I was ready to go home.  I think I've had my fill of that place, it's just not my scene.  It also cost a lot to get a taxi home, which was a bummer.

Saturday was a lot better than Friday. I spent the majority of the day resting and reading and as soon is it turned dark we suited Piet up as a dragon and took him trick or treating.  Here they ring the door bell and say "Süßes oder Saures" which means "Sweets or Sours."  Apparently Halloween has just recently caught on in Germany, but lots of kids were running about the neighborhood in costumes last night; Piet banked on candy after just one loop around the block.  He had a really good time and was a lot of fun to watch.  That's the first time I've been trick or treating as the "grown up" and while it's not the same on the other side, it's still enjoyable.  It definitely brought back tons of memories of going when we were little with my cousin Ashley.  We'd always come back to her house, dump out the candy, and argue about who had the biggest and best pile.  Trading was out of the question and boxes of "Nerds" might as well have been hundred dollar bills.  I do remember the year I got greedy and tried to pass Ashley on a bridge so I'd get to the next house first.  My leg fell through a missing plank and I spilled most of my candy.  We had to use the cotton on her poodle skirt to clean the blood from my knee.  Still have the scar and the lesson today.  Piet came home and also dumped his treasured candy yelling "All for me!"  He's been pretty rotten lately, but somehow it makes him cuter.  Perhaps he too will fall through a bridge and learn where greed gets you....just kidding.

After trick or treating I met my friend Elisa and took the bus into Oldenburg.  We first went to a restaurant called Patio and had some tasty treats of our own.  It's a Latin American restaurant so we had chips and guacamole and delicious dates wrapped in bacon. Man oh man were they good.  Elisa and I had a great time chatting with each other as the fellas who worked there.  She started most of her conversations with, "In my country..." and would end it with some anecdote about her huge family who drinks ungodly amounts of alcohol during holidays and celebrations and, from what I gathered, day to day life.  It was pretty fun.  After that we walked further into Oldenburg and found a Halloween party at an Irish pub where all the workers had great costumes.  There was a solo guitarist playing fun English songs, even played "Mrs. Robinson" which really excited Piet when I told him today.   It was definitely my kind of place, energetic but cozy enough that you can actually talk to your friends and meet new people.  We got to know the chef there and even met a Scottish man who plays in a big Scottish band.  He was wearing a kilt and had a bag made of a real muskrat who still had beady little eyes.  He said that he would be playing in some really cool festival nearby in May, so I think I have that to look forward to.  So, I met some really cool people and listened to music that I like a lot.  Made it home by the bus, safe and sound, and slept really well in my comfy bed.

Today was a super relaxed Sunday.  We had a tasty lunch, the same beef roll ups that Catrin's mom made the first time I visited her.  Afterwards we went to a mall in Oldenburg to look around and watch Piet go into fits of excitement over legos.  He loves to look at the pictures of the lego sets and try to understand how the toy works.  We spent a good 15 minutes in the floor trying to figure out the ins and outs of a huge lego train station.  I think we could just buy him posters of toys and he'd have just about as much fun.  He's so funny.  Right now he's singing/screaming to the rock band "Toto" with his dad.  He's had tons of energy lately so I think it will be really good for him to get back to kindergarten tomorrow and use some of it.  Hopefully everyone will be well tomorrow and we'll finally have a sickness free week.  I plan to clean the house really well tomorrow in hopes of killing as many lingering germs as possible. It should be a pretty normal week with school and Piet and vegetable cleaning.  No big plans for the weekend, but I think Elisa and I will be making our way back to Oldenburg.  We'll see what comes up.  Hope everyone at home had a ghoulish Halloween and is enjoying autumn.  The leaves here are out of control, they're so beautiful. No mountains to drive through like home, but pretty all the same.  Take a mountain drive and eat a fried apple pie for me!!  Later!

Horses Never Share

Good news: I officially have friends in Germany!  This weekend had a funny way of proving this fact.  I went out with the people I'd met at the Oktoberfest again on Friday night and had a fine time.  We went to a disco not far away which was surprisingly pleasant.  It's a big place but has lots of little rooms so you can listen to different kinds of music and dance if you like, but also sit and chat if you so fancy.  We danced a bit and luckily went home at a reasonable hour.  This was due to the fact that my friend Reike and her boyfriend were having trouble in paradise and wanted to leave early.  I was pleased with this decision because I tire early these days.  So we rode home and her boyfriend talked politics at me, which was pretty annoying. Oh, and I was clever enough to put my money and house key in my boot rather than carry a purse that could be lost or stolen, but I wasn't smart enough to remember to grab my phone after I put it down to get the key out of my boot.  So, it was left in my friend's car.  I moped around the rest of the weekend, sure I'd never see the phone or my friends again, but quite luckily they found it and brought it to me on Sunday.  After that we had coffee in a nearby town and watched a soccer match.  It's really awesome to finally have a group of people here that will let me tag along.  Unfortunately the language barrier keeps me from knowing what's going on most of the time, but I get to see cool places with them.  So let's see, this weekend I also met most of Catrin's extended family at a reunion.  It was pretty cool, ate tasty cake at a family member's house and then had a huge dinner at a hotel restaurant.  I think several people spoke a little English, but no one felt comfortable enough to use it, so I spent most of the event just watching people laugh and tell stories.  Those are the times that feel lonely.  I miss being able to talk to just anybody about anything.  But hey, at least the food was tasty.  Piet loved it because he's a glutton for attention.  I've taught him "This little light of mine" and he was pleased to perform it for a room of 50 or more relatives.  He also made public announcements about the talking birds in the lobby of the hotel.  These birds repeated only German and did so in raspy, creepy voices.  I wasn't a fan, but Piet was entranced by them so we spent most of the reunion in the lobby.  There was also a machine that cleaned shoes, and after Piet discoverd this machine my shoes were incredibly clean.  It was cool to see him have so much fun.  It was also cute to watch him interact with his older boy cousins.  He'd just stare and copy whatever they did to try to fit in, until his 4 year old mind wandered and he was begging me to ride the elegator (elevator in piet language) up and down.  I have a lot of silly fun with him, I must say.  Nice weekend.

This week has been a little weird because everyone is still sick.  Jorn still says he feels woozy and exhausted all the time so he hasn't gone back to school.  Yesterday he and I dropped Piet off at kindergarten, went to the grocery store, and then went right back to the kindergarten after they called and said Piet looked like he had pink eye.  I had noticed it that morning and asked Jorn about it, but he said they'd put drops in it and he'd be alright.  Wrong.  So the next trip was to the doctor.  When we got home Piet still seemed in high spirits so we played a lot.  Later I left to help clean the veggies.  It was another pleasant day there, just organizing food and listening to German, trying to understand a little.  Being there and around my German friends as well as class is beginning to help.  Not leaps and bounds, but small steps at a time.  Class yesterday was another pleasant experience.  I rode the bus with my friend Elisa and we again met Marcos and hung out before class.  Hanging out with them and having a new, nice teacher has helped me to actually like the German class, which I guess helps me want to learn.  yay!  Last night I wrapped up the night by watching Shawshank Redemption with my host parents.  It was a little late to watch such a long movie, but it was good.

Today has been a lot less eventful for me.  Piet got an ear ache last night so he had to go to the doctor again this morning and get drops. This family just can't get well.  So Piet and I had a lot of time today to play. We went on a walk and took some pictures of the neighborhood since it was sunny and gorgeous.  When we got home he asked to listen to my ipod.  He's still obsessed with Simon and Garfunkle and has decided that the verse "Voices never share" in the song "Sound of Silence" is actually "Horses never share" which makes us all laugh every time.  He's super cute and I have a genuinly good time hanging out with him.  That's convenient considering it's my job : )  So, things are going smoothly.  I'm pretty homesick for Athens since Halloween is such an awesome time there and this year people seem to really be going all out for it.  I also miss my friends from Athens and my buddies from camp.  I'm very lucky to have met exceptional people in the past year, but it's hard to be away from them. I also miss my family tons and tons.  Traveling always makes me love home more.  Lately I've just wanted to be able to curl up on the super comfy couch in my parent's big living room and watch t.v. with Kelsey.  Piet is a good hugger though so he always cheers me up when I'm down.  The next days should be super.  Tomorrow I'll stay busy because Jorn's parents are visiting and then I'll go to class.  Friday I think I'll go to Hamburg and meet the past au pair Mallory and her friends and Saturday I think I'm going with Reike to the disco again.  So lots to do and see, and best of all, I'll be busy.  You'll hear about it soon!

Routine...

Not too much to post this week.  Catrin and Piet are back to school so the house has operated on the usual routine.  Jorn has had a bad cold though so he's been here all week.  I got a tiny version of the cold, but I'm doing fine.  Just decided not to run this week, which is not so bad seeing how it is freezing and windy.  We've had a couple of pretty days, but it's been mostly dreary.  Tuesday was pretty which made our little trip to Emden (I think I spelled it wrong before) very nice.  We went to a shmancy restaurant to celebrate the birthday of Catrin's mom.  She's a really cool lady.  She's petite and absolutely gorgeous; you would never think she's Catrin's mom if they stood beside each other, you'd assume sisters.  She carries herself with poise and is to me, the definition of a lady. Sadly, her husband didn't age as beautifully.  He's nice though.  So, lots of tasty food at the restaurant...baked chicken with basil over noodles in tomato sauce...mmmm, followed by dessert at their house.  Dessert started with a pear cake covered in some kind of egg liquor.  The pear part was good but I'm not a big fan of liquor in desserts.  Next came a chocolate cake with berries inside and cream on top.  Last was a light and extremely fluffy cheesecake.  Yes, three cakes.  I thought I was going to bust by the end.  Needless to say I didn't need to eat the rest of the day.  But one difference between most of their desserts and ours is that ours are much much sweeter. On the bus yesterday I sat beside a girl named Elisa from the Dominican Republic who complained of the same thing.  We both miss the dense, rich, near diabetic coma experience you have with a good dessert at home.  Here, you're just full from the quantity.  Elisa said she made a carrot cake for her host family and they could hardly eat it.  I told her I'd happily help her eat the next one : )  Back to Tuesday (food easily distracts me)....we spent most of the evening at Oma and Opa's house.  Piet and I had a good day of playing together.  We're having a lot of fun these days.  After playing we made it home.  It was an incredibly enjoyable day.

Wednesday was pretty normal.  I heard a big scary noise outside my window and realized that a big truck was dumping firewood in the driveway.  I went out to see what was going on a little later and realized that Catrin was moving all the wood to the back herself.  Crazy lady.  Of course I helped her and made sure she knew she could ask me to do this kind of stuff.  So we worked together and even so it took a while and a good bit of work to load it into the back room.  But now we're able to have a fire going in the furnace in the living room every night.  It makes everything feel cozy, I really like it.  Wednesday I also went back to the veggie cleaning place and again had a great time helping out and watching everybody tell jokes and stories.  It will be so nice to know what they're saying one of these days.   After that I came home and chilled with Piet for a while.  Since we've been having so much fun lately it is only natural that he also try to test the boundaries with me.  He played a game in which he would kick or hit me and then I'd send him out of my room.  I told him that he could come back in and try to behave at any point, but instead he sat outside my room and cried that I'd kicked him out.  He finally got bored of this act and the rest of the night was fine.  Kids. 

The big event yesterday was my German class.  As I mentioned before, I rode the bus with Elisa who lives really close to me and is also in class with me.  She's here as an exchange student and is a lot of fun.  Before class she and I met up with the boy from Mexico and chilled out in a pub.  It was a nice way to start the evening.  In class we had the really nice teacher again who takes time to talk to each of us and writes every word we don't know on the board so we can look it up.  She also makes us play games that force us to talk to each other.  It's intimidating, but it's the most I've spoken in German so far.  Class goes by pretty fast because people make lots of jokes.  Turns out I'm actually having fun in there and I've got a new friend.  Yay!
The learning bit is still coming slowly, but I know quite a few words and phrases now, which is progress.
Today looks pretty slow but tomorrow should be interesting because we're going to Catrin's family reunion.  So far I've had great weekends, so hopefully this will be another.  Hope all is well back home.  Feel free to send me emails or post comments on here, I love to hear from you guys!  Bis Spater!!  (See you later)

Big Weekend

The weekend passed as overall successful, with a few hiccups along the way.  Friday I cleaned the house really well which made me feel good.  My host parents said I could clean for a little extra money if I'd like, but if I didn't want to they'd hire someone else.  Given the fact that I have hours and hours with nothing to do, I took them up on it.  It makes me feel like I contribute, so I don't mind. When Piet got home from kindergarten (he's feeling better) we made chocolate chip cookies that turned out really tasty.  I was proud, given my limited kitchen skills. Friday evening was pretty quiet around the house so I offered to ride my bike into town and get a movie.  Riding my bike makes me nervous because it's a tad too big for me and it worries me to be near cars.  I prefer riding in mountains, although it's equally as dangerous.  So I made it to the movie store, grabbed Batman Begins, and began the ride home.  I was doing fine until the path split and I was in the bike lane very near the cars, instead of on the sidewalk.  That would have been fine during the day, but at night it freaked me out because it's hard to see bikes in the dark.  Knowing that no one would be on the sidewalk, I attempted to gracefully transition on to it.  Failure.  The sidewalk was an inch higher than the bike lane and my tire hit it at an angle, resulting in a crash.  On a positive note, a nice man smoking a pipe stopped to see if I was okay.  I checked myself and other than rattled nerves and a scrape on my foot I was okay.  The bicycle was fine with one sad exception, the light that my host parents had just gotten fixed for me was broken and pitifully blinking its last blinks on the ground.  Bummer.  So I made it home, cleaned my wounds, and watched Batman save Gotham City. 

Saturday morning started better than Friday had ended.  Jorn's parents came for a visit and proved to be totally lovely people.  They came bearing gifts, even for me.  They gave me a cute little plant and a bag with a candle and rose shaped candle holder, surrounded by chocolate covered toffees.  So grandmotherly : ) We spent the afternoon playing with Piet and eating a big meal of turkey and vegetables, making it feel like an early Thanksgiving.  After a walk we sat down again to apple cake and plum cake, both of which were delicious. Oma and Opa stayed for a little longer to play with Piet, then hit the road.  The rest of the evening was devoted to digestion and relaxation.

That night I attempted my first solo outing in Edewecht.  A local Oktoberfest party had been advertised all over town, and though I didn't know what to expect, I figured it'd be a good way to meet people.  I got there at 10, thinking it was already around my bedtime, but the place was not crowded.  Apparently I looked like a lost puppy dog because a nice man who worked there camp up to me and asked if I knew anyone there.  I said no so he took pity on me and chatted for a while before the crowds came in.  After he went back to work I got courageous and went up to a table of young people and asked if they spoke English.  Most of them spoke a little, so I stayed with them the rest of the night.  It was pretty fun, but as the night went on the fact that they were all still teenagers became apparent.  Everybody was talking about everybody and the boys were ready to rumble with any other boy who looked the wrong way at their girl.  A quote from Sam the Snowman, "Ah, Youth..."  Playing with teenagers wasn't my goal for the night, I wanted to make like minded friends, so after a little dancing I was ready to go home.  This desire, however, became a huge ordeal.  The party was about a 20 minute walk from my house, and my over protective host parents said it'd be safe and no big deal, but when I mentioned it to the crowd they seemed appalled that I'd walk alone in Germany, and said they'd be going soon and we'd all take a taxi together.  Of course, their soon was very different than my soon.  At about 4 in the morning, I finally got a ride home in a taxi.  If I had known that I didn't have to call a taxi because there were plenty outside of the party I would have marched outside and gotten one myself, appeasing everyone, but I didn't.  The night really frustrated me because everyone acted like I couldn't take care of myself.  The most frustrating part of being here is that it is hard to get around without speaking the language or really knowing the best way to get places, but no one trusts me to try it out.  Situations like this make me really miss my ability to drive my own car and the luxury of knowing where everything is all the time.  I'm remembering that it's just been a month and I'll get more independent as time goes by and I figure things out, but man do I feel handicapped at times.

So the biggest downside of getting caught in that pointless fiasco is that I had to run the 5k Sunday morning with only 4 hours of sleep.  However, the race went really well and is actually one of the coolest things I've done so far.  My host dad dropped me off in Oldenburg and I signed in and got the number 1230 to put on my shirt.  I found two really nice women who were also running and stuck with them to find the starting line.  There was a super cool energy in the air. The weather was pretty chilly but sunny and absolutely gorgeous.  The leaves are changing here and it's breath taking.  Everyone seemed in good spirits.  I thought it was cool that so many families were running together.  The fact that so many people were running at all was cool to me.  I think there were 2,000 people who ran the race.  I don't know how I placed among the 2,000, but probably somewhere in the middle.  I started the race feeling good, but running a lot faster than I usually do around town.  A little more than half way through the race I started feeling pretty tired and had to slow down a bit.  There was a man wearing a red balloon who was meant to be the 30 minute pace setter.  I knew I wanted to do better than 30 minutes, so I tried to stay in front of him, but at some point I decided it best just to stay beside him.  He noticed me and started talking to me.  Luckily he spoke a little English and asked what time I wanted to make.  I said 28 minutes would be good.  He said I shouldn't have started so fast, and I agreed.  He told me to stay with him, which really helped.  I was doing well but then I hit a wall and had to slow down.  He went ahead of me for a while and then with just a couple minutes to go he looked back and yelled "c'mon."  I sped up and got beside him again, about to die.  At the last 30 seconds he tapped me and said, "now go!"  and I used my last bit of energy to sprint to the end.  Piet and Catrin were at the finish line cheering. I crossed the line at 29.12 seconds, right in the middle of my goal and the dreaded 30 minutes.  I was actually really proud.  I received a medal with a castle on it and then was inhaled by a huge crowd.  Luckily I found Piet and Catrin easily and we started for the car.  On the way I saw the balloon man and said thanks for the encouragement.  He said I did well, which made me happy.  After we got back home and got settled we ordered Greek food which consisted of tons of meat and rice.  The lack of sleep, fast running, and heavy food resulted in one long, fabulous nap for me.  I got up for dinner then retreated to my room to end the day by watching "Cool Hand Luke."  I can't explain how much more I love that movie each time I see it.  The quote "What we've got here is a failure to communicate" has always been a favorite of my Daddy, and obviously runs through my mind here a lot.  But, the communication between me and my host parents is getting better and better.  It's still hard to learn all the little weird things they do around the house that I'd never think of, but when they drive me to a race, cheer me on at the finish, and have a sweater and water ready for me in the car, I know I'm loved and being taken care of.  It's amazing to have the opportunity to try new things like an Oktoberfest and a race in a foreign country, all the while having a safe base to come home to.  I continue to be in awe of how lucky I am.

Burrito!!

There hasn't been too much to report in the past few days. Piet had a fever all week so he stayed home instead of going to kindergarten.  The fever was a little over 100 F, but he bounced around like he felt fine asking, "What do we now?" every five minutes.  We made a fort, played grocery store, looked up computer games, and read books.  We also created the cutest game ever called "Burrito."  First, I move my computer chair to my bed and after I sit down he stands on my legs.  I hold his hands and then start bouncing him till he falls onto my bed.  At that point, I wrap him up in my comforter so that he looks like a burrito.  After a moment I open the burrito and Piet asks "In what land are we now?"  Then I precede to make up some silly story about the two of us having adventures in places like Egypt, Antarctica, and India. We also come upon magical creatures or even magical shoes that allow us to jump the tallest buildings in the biggest cities.  It's convenient that his parents don't allow him to watch television or movies; I can recite the classics and he thinks I'm making them up.  Aladdin was a big hit.  He also didn't know anything about the pyramids or pharaohs and didn't now that people can charm snakes or that snakes shed their skin.  I know he's four, but man!  However, he does know a lot about tractors and trains.  I'll catch him up on the rest.  On this note, he's got a limited number of English books but he loves to hear stories.  So, if anyone has extra kids books lying about, we'd love to have them here.  I plan to see what I can find in the local book stores soon.  It's nice to just have that kind of down time with him, especially since the t.v. is never on.  I'm not so sure how I feel about that policy, but I don't make the rules so I just have to get imaginative with the alternatives, which was probably his parents' intentions anyways.  So, Piet and I are learning to have a great time together.  He told me at dinner tonight that he likes me and that he's my friend.  It was cute.

Away from Piet I went on a couple of long runs and saw more of Edewecht.  Exploring whilst running makes the time pass faster.  I'm feeling pretty good about the race on Sunday.  I think I run about 8 kilometers when I go normally, so 5 should be nothing.  Apparently tons and tons of people will be racing, so it should be a cool atmosphere.  Piet and Catrin will be there to root Jorn and me on.  I'm pretty pumped.
Oh, and I also started something new this week.  I told my host parents that I want to get connected to the community here and that I'd love to volunteer somewhere. They looked around and got me plugged in to an organization that collects leftover food from the local supermarkets and distributes it to needy families for super cheap.  Yesterday I went to their main facility and helped them sort the food and clean the vegetables.  It was a pretty neat experience, one in which I thought "I'm weird for being here."  Everyone there was over 50 and seemed like someone you'd find in Chatsworth: sweet and full of character, but with a definite country bumpkin vibe.  I don't think they'd guess that I'm happily rooted in the same kind of people, but they were warm and welcoming anyway.  When I got there we all first sat around a little table and had coffee and cookies while they smoked cigarrettes and apparently argued the actual weight of the world's largest dog.  They inspire me to want to understand German, I can only imagine what the rest of their small talk consists of.  After the break we worked on the food.  A nice lady who spoke zero English taught me how to do everything through gestures.  It was pretty fun and the confusion made us laugh a lot.  I had a nice time and I plan to return once a week.

It's been a slow week but it looks like it will be a pleasant weekend.  Jorn's parents are coming to visit on Saturday and of course we'll have the race on Sunday.  Catrin and Jorn just visited me in my room with champagne to toast to their 10th anniversary.  My reaction was, "What?  Why are you here?  Go enjoy yourselves!"  But they said they prefer to stay home so we all watched a Harry Potter movie together.  Goofballs.  Perhaps I can convince them to at least go together to the village that's ten minutes away tomorrow night for some drinks or something.   They should take advantage of my being here more often, I would.  But it keeps things easy for me; I'm going to be ruined when I return to the real world and people actually ask me to work.  Oh well, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts : )

The best laid plans....

A few months ago, my host family emailed me and asked if I'd like to join them in Berlin to visit their first au pair Hannah. Obviously, I said yes and got pretty excited. This weekend was the big weekend, and while it was overall enjoyable, it didn't pan out quite as we planned. The trip started off rough with several traffic jams on the ever exciting autobahn. My host dad was so frustrated he was twitching when we finally made it through an hour of waiting in traffic. The usual 4 to 5 hour trip last between 6 and 7, so when we arrived in Berlin everyone was pretty drained. Hannah met us at our apartment and helped us settle in. Apparently it's common in Germany for landlords to rent their apartments as we would rent a hotel, for just a few nights. They can charge more but it also gives families a nice place to stay and cook while they're vacationing. This is particularly good since I've realized Germans don't love to eat out, at least my family doesn't. The first night we splurged and we got pizza from a restaurant. However, we brought it back to the apartment to eat. The pizza was tasty though and chilling in a quiet place gave me an opportunity to get to know Hannah. She's lived all over the U.S. but spent the most time growing up in Texas. Like me, she finished school and wanted an adventure. Unlike me (because my mom would kill me), she has stayed an extra 2 years working in English camps and teaching elementary school outside Berlin. I think she'll be heading back to America soon, but only after she enjoys a two month tour of Africa. Crazy travelers. Anyway, we had a nice time with Jorn and Catrin and then she invited me to go out with three of the women with whom she works. First we went to a restaurant where a group of old eighties rockers were playing classic American music. It was cool, but super loud. Next, we followed one of the girls who apparently has money into this shmancy club where everybody wore their fashionable clothes and fashionable frowns. I was not impressed by their apathetic coolness, nor was I intimidated. I put a smile on my face and tried to get the girls to just enjoy themselves and dance, after all, we paid 10 euro, but they weren't comfortable so after just a few minutes we left. The next stop was at an even more awkward venue where the clientele were in their mid forties but all looked like they'd paid good money to look twenty something. However, these people weren't as worried about maintaining their composure and were dancing and having a lot of fun. One strange element was that some of them were wearing Dirndle and Lederhosen, traditional German clothing as pictured above. I've never seen anyone actually wear these outfits, especially not out on the town, but cudos to their fun spirits; it helped create a cool atmosphere and made the girls I was with chill out and have fun. The night was a little strange, but overall a success.

The next morning we got up early and went to the Berlin Zoo. Piet had been before but last time lost interest in the animals when he realized he'd have to walk around to see them. This time he was a trooper and we saw the majority of the zoo. It was cool, but some of the cages, especially the one for the lions, were super tiny. One lioness looked at me with the most pitiful gaze I've ever seen on an animal. Though, the polar bears had a big cage and they seemed to be content.

After the zoo we went back to the apartment, had some coffee and a shower, and then I made a fatal flaw. I agreed to a car tour knowing that I had an irritable McDonalds McGrittle in my stomach. It was Hannah's idea for McDonalds; we reasoned that American food plus the zoo equaled a perfect morning, which was basically true, but did not equal a perfect afternoon. We saw downtown Berlin and some pretty statues, but at some point I had to close my eyes from car sickness. Meanwhile, Piet was in the back seat repeating "I feel not so good." So we gave up on the tour and returned to the apartment where I took a two hour nap. When I woke up, I learned that Piet actually had a fever and was in the bed. So Jorn and Catrin stayed in with Piet, but Hannah was still around and asked if I'd like to have dinner with her and her friends. We ventured to her neighborhood and enjoyed a casual dinner with an Italian, an Australian, and an additional American. The food was great and the conversation was delightful. I called it a relatively early night and because my host parents were convinced I'd be murdered if I went alone, Hannah escorted me back to the apartment. She was incredibly kind and hospitable and I’m looking forward to seeing her again soon. I'm hoping to take a train to Berlin in early November during the twentieth anniversary of the wall coming down. Looks like the train tickets are pretty high that weekend, but hopefully it will work out. I think she might also visit Edewecht one last time before she goes to Africa. So, another cool person to add to the list of folks I've met here.

Today we woke up pretty early and made the trip home. This time traffic wasn't so bad, but we had to take Piet to the doctor on the way home which took a while. Luckily they said he just had a little bug and just needed rest, fluids, and ibuprofen. By the time we were home he perked up and seemed better all evening. After he went to bed Catrin, Jorn, and I watched Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. His character says things that only an old grumpy war vet played by the one and only Clint Eastwood can get away with, but luckily our curse words and slurs don't mean much to people who've never learned that they were bad. They liked it and it was good to end the crazy weekend all together just watching a movie.

Hence, the trip didn't allow for a huge amount of site seeing or really experiencing what Berliner life is all about, but I got to know Hannah and I got to have one crazy night and one very relaxed night in a cool place with good company. It was a bummer that Piet didn't feel better and Catrin and Jorn didn't get to venture out with him as they planned. However, I view the trip as an introduction and I hope to see more of the city during another visit. Perhaps I'll make a friend around here who'd like to join me there or other German cities. This week I plan to look more for a theater or volunteer work to get plugged in to Edewecht or Oldenburg. I'd like someone close by to spend time with, but I really can't complain at this point. The last two weekends I've met cool, like minded Americans who could relate to my experience here and were very kind to me. At least I know that Germany has a good record of attracting my kind of people. I'm sure I'll run into many as time goes by. Still missing the good ones I've left at home, but it's amazing that so many keep in touch. Thus far I don't feel at all alone or isolated, so I'm doing fine to be so far away.

Food Glorious Food

It's been a very pleasant week so far.  It's fall break for the schools so I didn't have to go to my German class which meant more time to play with Piet.  His English has totally come out of the woodwork and we're able to chat and understand each other easily.  Yesterday we made a band called The Riff Raff and the Crazy Pirates.  He sang into his maracca and I played the bowl drums.  We sang his new favorite song, "Mrs. Robinson."  It makes me laugh to think that one day he'll grow up and see The Graduate and realize what that song is actually about.  Ha. 

Today was pretty rainy, but we spent most of it at Catrin's parents home which is about 50 minutes away in a town called Emmen.  Her mom fed us really well, like a good grandma always does.  We had a very traditional dish for lunch that consisted of thin slices of roast beef filled with vegetables and rolled up, served in a tasty gravy.  We also had potatoes and red cabbage, which were delicious.  For dessert we had vanilla ice cream with plums that had been soaked in red wine.  It was pretty unusual, but I liked it.  After we had completely stuffed ourselves, we rolled into the car and looked around the town.  Most towns look similar with brick roads and brick buildings and lots of Eis (ice cream) shops.  Emmen is a port town so we walked on some restored boats, one of which Catrin and Jorn got married upon.   It was nice.  When we got back home, Catrin's mom, we call her Oma, showed me how the people in that area have tea throughout the day.  They take cute and tiny tea cups and place in them a piece of sugar that looks like rock candy. Then they pour black tea over the sugar and then use a miniature dipper to pour cream in.  Then you take time to see how awesome it looks when the cream rises to the top. I liked that that was an actual step in the process.  Small spoons are given but you're not supposed to stir the tea, you're just meant to put it in your cup to signify to the server that you don't want anymore tea.  Oma said we could stir ours though so we could taste the sugar better.  Tea was served with shortbread cookies and chocolates.  It was simply delightful.

By the way, as I was typing the previous paragraph, Catrin came in a offered me a small glass of grappa, a strong alcoholic drink that's meant to be good for digestion.  I took a swig and forgot how strong that stuff is.  Blaaa.  I forgot to mention that we also had a tasty dinner which consisted of super fresh fish, prociutto, and bread.  I think the fish was bought at the store, but usually they eat fish that Opa (grandpa) catches in Norway every summer.  He loves to fish.  Their house is located beside a little water way where he can fish everyday.  Their back yard was perfectly manicured, like all German yards, and had a huge tree that had an owl living in it.  You could see his digested mice below his favorite branch. EEW. They also had an "American Oak" which I think was a white oak.  Daddy's quized me enough times that I should remember, but I still get my oak trees confused.

In short, today was a simple but lovely day and I got to learn a lot more about old German eating traditions.  Oh, I also ate fresh cherry tomatoes, or tommy-toes, as we always called them, straight from Oma's garden.  They were as sweet as candy...much better than this last swig of grappa that I need to finish before I go sit and watch t.v. with Catrin and Jorn.  It's so nice to be a part of a family and their daily traditions.  Definitely makes me miss my own from time to time.

Friends!

As predicted, good things have been happening here in Germanland.  Friday was super fun from start to finish.  I picked Piet up from school and we came home and made tasty sugar cookies.  He was a great helper and it was nice for just the two of us to do our first big project.  I'm thinking tomorrow will be fort extravaganza day using chairs and blankets.  We'll see how that project compares to the first.  After that we played for a while then went swimming at the local public pool.  It's got one outdoor pool and two which are indoors and are surprisingly fancy. There's a huge slide and a nice hot tub. In the smaller indoor pool Piet and his mom take a little class together where Piet learns how to swim and dive.  I went to the bigger pool and tried to swim laps, but it was family swim time so most of my exercise came from dodging the little boys who eagerly jumped over me.  I enjoyed the swim, none the less.  Afterward, I came home, got ready and hopped on the bus to Oldenburg.  There, I met the family's past au pair, Mallory, who was kind enough to introduce me to her friends and let me tag along for the night.  She's been working at a hotel in Greece for a while and was just stopping by Germany to see her friends.  I think she's heading to England now but she'll be back before she goes back to the U.S. and we've planned to meet up again.  She was super cool, as were her friends.  One of them lives in Oldenburg and offered to hang out any time I'm in the city, which is at least two times a week for class. So Yay! I finally have a friend in Oldenburg!  Anyways, Oldenburg at night was cool, but apparently most people were at a big festival in another part of the city that we meant to end up at, but didn't make it to.  I think the distance plus the cold weather made the flashy lights of the Ferris wheel lose their appeal.  So we walked back to one of the girl's apartments and the next morning my host family picked me up and we drove about 2 hours to a city called Hannover.  They have friends there who have an au pair from California and they all wanted us to meet.  I'm glad they created this opportunity for us because the au pair, Julie, is awesome and we got along great.  She's only been here two months, so we had fun relating our experiences and commenting on the strange aspects of our jobs to which we are still adjusting.  We watched the cheesy movie "Sweet Home Alabama" which I secretly adore and had a good time playing with the kids.  Their family has three kids and she swims on a water polo team, so she's super busy.  The kids were really cool though.  They remind me of country kids, tough but super bright and good at entertaining themselves.  I'm still working on toughening up my only-child Piet, but we'll get there.  It's too bad they live 2 hours away and Piet can't be around the other kids more and I can't hang out with Julie more easily.  We are hoping to do something together for Thanksgiving, like make a huge dinner for both the families and then force them to watch "It's a Wonderful Life."  Should be fabulous.

So, we got home late and I went straight to bed.  I haven't had that much activity since I got here and it wore me out.  I felt great today though and was able to run for over 5 miles.  It feels so amazing to have the time to do that again.  College ruined me, but I'm getting it back here and I've signed up to run a 5k with my host dad in Oldenburg on the 18th.  It's going to be flat, since everything here is flat, and cool so I should have no problem since I'm used to running in the Georgia humidity and up and down hills.  Too cold might be bad though, so I'm hoping for a pretty day.  I plan to run a lot between now and then, so expect to read about it.  And if you're not reading about it, get on to me, because that means I'm being a sissy and not doing it : )

After the run we went to Oldenburg where I bought some boots and walked around.  The rest of the day I played with Piet and listened to This American Life stories, my favorite radio show that's available on the internet.  It should be a nice week since we're visiting Piet's grandparents on Wednesday and going to Berlin for the weekend.  I love the small random trips that pop up so often. I'm enjoying myself a lot here and feel more comfortable every day.  My room is a tad bit messy which is kinda nice, it looks like I'm actually at home here, which I am.  Jorn and Catrin are quirky, but they're incredibly inviting and have done a lot to make their home my home.  I am unbelievably lucky to have this opportunity and I'm loving it.