Ice hockey

Today was a pretty relaxing day. We got up and turned in our homework and grab some breakfast. Then we went out and hung out at the Christmas market pretty much all day until about 2:30. Then we went back to the hotel to meet up with a group for our class to go to the hockey game. We went and saw a game of the Czech hockey teams of Slovakia vs Sparta. It was a fun time. I loved the atmosphere. It wasn't anything close to the atmosphere to a soccer game, but was pretty close. I've decided that all teams, no matter the sport, have the same melodies. Every time one if the teams started a chant the German national soccer songs all popped into my head. I loved experiencing something of culture   rather than just tourist things. Right now we are at an Indian restaurant, and I can't wait to eat I'm starving!

After we were done eating we went back to the hotel to do our homework planned out the next day and we all fell asleep fairly early.

Prague

Today has been a wonderful day! It started with getting up and having breakfast then heading to the first meeting of the day. We talked about rules and a few things about the current economies of Czech Republic, Germany, and the US. 

Then we headed to the Prague Castle. We had a really big group that ended up getting separated. We had 6 people in our group and it worked out great! We chose to walk there which was great because we got to see everything all over the city. We have a lot of  pictures! 

Walking around the castle it was great! We ate in the restaurant there called the Lovkowicz Palace Cafe. 

Afterwards we went down a different way but it was more scenic. We then wandered our way to the Lennon wall. The graffiti was cool! We then walked around the Charles Bridge and made wishes. 

We then walked back to the hotel and took a small nap and then planned out the rest of our nights. We ate dinner at a place called noodles. It is an International noodle place a lot like  noodles and co but better! The prices were also very fair! Tonight we are going out to some bars that are right around here. We did so much and covered a lot as well it was great! 

Quatrefoil Love! :)

a view from prague castle!

Lenon wall

Frankfurt

Seeing Marta and Jan is like there hasn't even any time that they've been away. Just maybe a week or so. I keep forgetting were actually in Germany.  When I arrived jan and his mom picked me up from the main train station in Frankfurt. We then drove to the airport to pick up Marta. Jan and I got Marta from inside. She didn't see us at first and it was great! It's so surreal seeing her and actually being able to hug her. It's just so weird... I don't often see the AFSers after they go back home, so I'm really happy to see these guys again. Jan has some friends over since everything was closed and we had a small party t his house. We skpyed with my mom and it was a lot of fun!

The next day we went to the city and met up with Carolin. It was so much fun!!! We mainly just walked around but it was great! I couldn't really believe that we were all together. Afterwards we went home and had Racklet again for dinner. I love it! 

Then we started to get ready to go out. When we got to the club the line was HUGE and it started to rain. I also realized I had forgotten my ID at the house. That was not a good thing. So we left a lot of Jans friends to stand in line and then we went back to go get my ID. Instead of going back to wait in line we went to another friend's house to wait there and not having to be outside. we got a call from the friends saying they were closer in line. We left and soon as we got there we went to the side of the line and cut it. We got in super fast and it was great! We stayed up the whole night until i had to get on my train at 8 am. 

 I Love you graffiti!

 People wait in line for 2 hours + to buy over priced Holister.

 At the lover's lovers bridge. in Frankfurt with everyone!

I've missed those guys a lot! I wish we all could of been together for longer. I cant wait until another time that we can all meet up :)

26.12.12

Right now I'm at the Hamburg hauptbahnhof waiting for my train. I got up early and actually heard my alarm this time. I couldn't really believe it since it hasn't worked so far me getting up before noon. I got up got ready and finished packing everything so I could go to eat breakfast and not have to worry about anything. At 12:05 we were out the door and on our way to Reinfeld's train station. I'm on my way now to Frankfurt to visit and Jan. he was an AFS exchange student in Missouri last year. I'm really excited because Marta who is like a sister to me will be there as well :). Unfortunately I won't be there for super long because then early on the 28th I have to leave to head towards Prague to meet up with my class. In so excited to see Jan and Marta! I can't wait! Ill be skyline with my mom there for sure! So she can see Marta and what not. It'll e a great time :)

Christmas Day

Christmas Day is not a huge thing in Germany.  Everything is mostly closed, but it's still a pretty normal day. When we all woke up around 1 pm we had Breakfast. Then Christin's friend, Eli, came over and we went to go see schools Ahernburg. It's a really small castle close to Reinfeld. The castl may be small but it's def very pretty. We went I side and had to put the over shoes on. They are too big for normal feet, but they done want scuff marks all over the castle so that's why they have you wear the shoes. It was really interesting the whole thing to see. I ended up getting y shoes super must afterwards though when we tried to get a picture in front of the castle. After the castle we went home ate a bit, skyped with my mom, and then watch a movie. It was a traditional German Christmas movie. Meaning all the movies that are always on Christmas Day. It was call sissy the princess. It was super sweet. After the movie Eli went home and I began to pack everything up. I have no clue why but I just could not sleep. I maybe got about 4 hours of sleep or so. The bed was super comfortable so I really don't know why i couldn't sleep. But everything was ready to go for the next day so when I did get up I wouldn't forget anything. 

Christmas Eve :)

Christmas Eve is when the Germans celebrate Christmas.  So on the 24th for some reason I slept in really late until about 12:30 or so. The jet lag is still hitting me. Then we had breakfast at about 1. Then I worked on some more English and took another nap lol. I have no clue why, but I've been super tired since I've been here. I can't really figure out why though. 

Christin, Thomas and I went to church at 4 o'clock. It was again a nativity play. This one was a traditional one though which was a nice change. They modernized it a bit which was really cool. After church we went back to the house and waited for the Oma to come. When she arrived we had tea, hot chocolate, and lots of Christmas baked goods including the Oreo balls that Christin made. After that we opens presents. I was shocked that I got so much. I definitely didn't expect it. I had gifts for them but I don't it just didn't really cross my mind that I'd be getting gifts back. From Oma I got a really cool picture that is made out of stones and creates a full scene. It's a traditional thing from her home land. She is originally from the part of Germany that is now Russia. The Oma cracked me up. She was a traditional old person. Always saying how back in my day we did this and this, or can you speak louder? When you talk so quiet and with your accent I can't understand you. Ahaha okay ill scream so you can hear me. I gave Ann christin her gifts and she liked the license plate. She now has 3. One from Texas, Missouri, and New York. Texas from when she was an exchange student, Missouri from me, of course, and New York from her current boyfriend who is from there. I gave the family an ornament that has the family name and all the different names on it of everyone in the family. (Even though Lysann is in Wyoming this yet on her exchange I still put her name in there. ) they loved it! I'm glad my mom is really good at thinking of presents. My favorite gift I received was a cookbook. It was really funny because just the day before I was thinking how I want to buy a cookbook to take home and trying to think of the places I could go to get one. Now I don't have to :). After presents we had dinner. It was really good we have some meat potatoes rotkohl (something I'm not too fond of) and then teremisu   (I'm not sure how to write it, but its the Italian desert that is really good and has coffee on the bottom in the cookies) 

After that we Skyped with lysann. Her host dog was having babies. The dog had had 8 babies. That's a lot if puppies. After all that was done we cleaned up, Grandma went home and everyone went to bed. Since I had slept all day I really wasn't able to sleep...oops. I like Christmas in Germany. It's nice, but I do have to say I can't wait for next year and to be home for Christmas. 

I hate snow...sorry but i do

The day I was supposed to set up with Jenny in Hamburg...

So weather is dumb and I believe that winter is the worst time if the year. When I'm older and have a choice if where I want to live I want to live so where there really is no winter. It can get colder but staying away from any place that can get a lot of snow is the goal. Snow ruins everything. 

Yesterday when the trained didn't go we were close enough that we could drive, but today I wanted to meet up with Jenny in Hamburg and the train didn't go either. This time we are too far away to just drive. Der Zug nach Hambrg fällt aus... such a terrible saying to hear. 

I was woken up to the call of  breakfast at about 11:30... My alarm never went off... Great. So we had to miss the train we were going to take to get to Hamburg. We finished breakfast then I got ready and we checked to make sure the train was running. It was. So we headed over to the train station and of course the train wasn't going. Right now it's above freezing and it's raining. So I'm not sure why it's not going. We came back to the house and just chilled all day. i really wanted to see jenny since she has been in Spain all semester, but yea i had no choice. I decided to work on my english assignments for my online class that I'm still working on. I actually got another assignment done which is really great! Then I came upstairs and saw that the Christmas tree was standing and was all decorated. Christmas trees are really interesting in Germany. There are actually real candles that get lit on them and all the ornaments match in some way. Most of the ornaments are just the plain round ones. But its still really pretty. I then read for the rest of the time to give my brain some time to relax before I start my next english assignment. 

I figured out my plan on how and when i'm getting to Frankfurt to meet up with Marta and Jan, and even have a placed saved for me on the train to Frankfurt to make sure I don't have to stand for 3.5 hours. 

Although today was a pretty uneventful day I'd call it a pretty productive day :) 

First day :)

It started to snow on the morning of the 22nd. It was really pretty but barely high enough to cover the grass. I slept in and then had breakfast. Thomas and I went to Lübeck to the Christmas market. I really love those! There is a place there that is dedicated for children. it's called something like fairy tale forrest. It was really cool because you could go around and see all the different fairy tales panorama type things. Many of them I had never even heard of. We went inside the Marien church there and I met Thomas' pastor from when he was a kid. He was there with an old printing press and was printing the Christmas story I'm German. The one that talks about Julius Caesar's decree and how Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem etc. When Thomas and him were talking he printed one for me without any cost. It's a really cool souvenir. After going through the Christmas market we headed home. I was super tired just from the jet lag and not being able to sleep so well the night before, so I took a 20 minute nap and then Christin and I went to her friends house where her table group from school celebrated Christmas together by eating and talking. I zoned out a few times because they were talking about all the people in their class and it's a lot to translate when I'm not thinking in German yet. I hope i start thinking in German soon. It'd make things easier. I'd talk a lot fast for sure and be more awake.  But until then I listen a lot. I understand it all I just don't say a ton because by the think of something to say they've already gone onto something different. Of course getting to her friends house was a challenge since it has snowed the train didn't go so she ha to call a friend to come pick us up. Then on the way home we missed the train because it started to rain and ten there was ice all over the car that we had to get scrapped off, but we were able to get home because Christin has a great friend who drove us home even though we live in a different direction from him. 

 Fairy tale forrest and an example of a panorama 

 christmas market street

 the devil outside of the Marien church 

eating at Ann Christin's friend's house... its like miniature omelets sort of idk how to explain it really but you make the meat on the top grill and then what ever you want you put in the little pans and then back in the middle of the shelves. We had lots of vegetables and fruits and meats and eggs and cheese!

Endlich heir!

I arrive in hamburg in one piece after a 3 hour layover in London. And with amazing luck my suitcase was there! :) the lady at the gate was seriously the best! If I could I'd give her a big hug or at least say thank you so much for relieving quiet a bit of stress. 

I got in late so I missed my original planned train but luckily I have an amazing memory from 3 years ago and remembered what train I needed to get on to get to Reinfeld. Buying train tickets at the automat in Germany is always confusing for me. I just go with my guy and hope it's the right one. It's always good when I can just by a day or weekly pass. I'm much happier then that's simple. It's when you have to count zones and figure that all out that I'm become a bit confused.  
I'm sitting on the train right now waiting for it to depart. It is now 19:02 and will leave at 19:05. My hope is that it's true to German time at leaves exactly on time...which it usually does. 

Three minutes later...
Of course the train left on time :)

PS: My ticket was never checked...so who knows if i had the right or not...

Should I go it stay?

Well I've been sent in a whirl wind the last couple if hours. For the first time I had my flights not be right and I had to do something to fix it. Naturally I went to the counter and the guy there well lets just say he was not a nice guy! He wouldn't help saying that's what the computer said and that's what I have planned... I rejected boarding passes from stl to Toronto then to Frankfurt and my flights stopped there. I was super confused and I had no clue what was going on. The only advice the guy offered was to call the airline and have them fix it. Well at this time I had about an hour or less until my flight... So I had the decision to make go or stay. I decided to go because at this point it must be easier to go to Toronto and to get out if there than it is to get to Germany from stl. Lambert may be an international airport but there are no actual international flights that leave from there or If so there are very few.  I decided that since in old enough to be a legal adult I should just go to Toronto and figure everything there. Mom called the airline because my phone would of died and was out in their waiting/call back list so invade I had to take f she could try to talk to them a get it all straightened out while I was flying. While going through security I was still pretty tensed not knowing what was going to happen. I got through and everything was fine besides that stl's security is the slowest thing on this planet lol. I gathered all my stuff and headed towards the gate. Of course heading towards my gate I was super focused and I heard a hi Jess... The only people that call me Jess are my family and anyone I met pre mizzou. I turn and there was Jay I didn't know what to do so I continued to my gate after saying a super quick hi. I continued to my gate. I hadn't heard back from the airline so I went to my next best option... I went to the lady at the check in counter at the gate. Going to talk to that lady was the most calm I had been in the last hour or so. She actually gave me some answers turns out when the airline rescheduled my flights to give me more time to make each connection they never unbooked my first flight through Frankfurt. I was so happy to have some answers and te lady was able to track down my suitcase and get it retagged.  So if all goes as planned my luggage will be waiting for me in hamburg.  I have never been so happy to own pink luggage. When the lady was asking what color y suitcase was she was very happy that it was pink because that would make it easier for them to find to Retag. 
I called my mom and told her that everything should be fixed and she let me know that she had just heard back from the airlines and that if anything goes wrong they'll get it fixed. 
Arriving in Toronto we are stuck on the runway for a good 30-50 minutes... I lost count not having my phone on. Leaving myself and about 19 other people on my flight about 15 min to get to the London gate as well as go through customs... Yep I've got another stamp in my passport for Canada. But I still find it weird I had to fill a form out even though I was in Canada for less than 2 hours. I made it on time and I realized that my backpack under fast paced walking unzips luckily only one thing fell out and I fast walked all the way to the gate holding my backpack together. I made no worries... We left about 30 mins late and there is currently a ton of turbulence. But this flight has amazing movies and a plug in!! Yes! I was never more excited to see a an outlet. I will have a charged iPhone by the end if the plane ride :) 

Packing

Leaving in 19 hours from the time I wrote this... So of course as usual I waited until the last minute to pack. Why would you ask? For several reasons firstly I worked 30 hours in the 5 days I was home (including having Sunday off) then I wanted to see a few friends and I saw my dad twice. After working and socializing I really didn't have any energy to start packing... Plus I had to clean all my laundry from school(yay having allergies to dryer sheets which makes it impossible to do laundry up in Columbia). 

So here I am about midnight on the night before I'm leaving to fly almost done packing, but by really... Packing for the winter time is awful! The clothes are super heavy and plus being gone for a full month means lots of clothes and not knowing if ill be able to do any laundry. After packing y suitcase and unpacking and repacking about 3 times I've finally given up. I will be getting up in the morning before my mom leaves to go to work so she can help me... I got everything to fit sure but I'm wayy over weight for what I'd like to be at going over for a trip. All I can do now is wait and hope my mom can help me see that I really don't need everything I'm packing. 

Never never land

6 days until I leave!

I can't believe it's getting so close! I have a jammed packed week and I have no clue when I'm actually going to have time for pack. As I was getting ready to go to work all I could think about is how when I'm in Germany I never feel like it's really real. I feel like I'm going to be forever young and never grow up.... I really understand Peter Pan now. I can see exactly why he never wanted to grow up. Who does? When I was a child I never understood why he didn't want to grow up because as a little kid you really dot understand much, but I get it now. After having my worst semester in life (when it came to grades) I'm not exactly sure I want to grow up either. Sure, I know that everyone does and you can't choose to grow older, but sometimes I wish I could pause life for a bit and live/love my 20s. I think that's why I love going to Germany so much.  Not only to see my friends and family that i dearly miss but because I feel like I'm really living. It's nice to feel like yea I'm 20 I'm going to live like it so I have stories to pass on to my kids (if kids are in my future). 

I was talking with some friends a couple days ago and we were talking about the days of high school. One friend never wants to go back because what is done is done for her and she loves the present then another wants to go back and fix the things she messed up, and me all I want to do is live my exchange year again. Not a do over... No just again. The innocence being broken down, the experiencing everything new, going to high school in a different language besides English and a few teachers not letting you do any work because they didn't want to spend their time grading it, deciding one day to blend in and be a 'citizen of that country' and then the next day be a complete tourist and going to see some huge castle or church. Although a year long exchange is not an easy task I would do it again in a heart beat. 

So after all my random thoughts of never never land ill end with this: 

I once heard a saying "your life starts once you step out of your comfort zone. " sometimes I feel like one is only living their life when out of their comfort zone. 

Leaving in 9 days!

Leaving in 9 days! WOW! Who would of thigh this semester would of gone by so fast. I feel like it was just yesterday I was packing and getting ready for recruitment. None the less I'm SUPER excited to be leaving! I have my full plan of where I'm going and when. I've also decided I'm going to blog while I'm there. This blog started when I really started to travel, so I might as well continue it. I feel like it'll help me out a lot like my blog from before. 

All I have left standing between me and seeing people I miss dearly is two more finals, a couple days of work, and a day back in high school to answer questions from some soon to be college students. I'm looking forward to getting past finals. I can't wait to be home for a couple of days and then go to my other homes! 

A quick catch up on the last semester (Fall 2012):

-Recruitment went great we have an amazing new pledge class!

-I now have a little, and I have continued my phamily lineage.

-I was on the new member committee and got to know 5 amazing new members really well!

-SEC football is a brand new thing. The games were more fun when we won, but hard to take when we lost. Next year will be fun to see.

-Homecoming was great being paired with Delt Sig and Beta Sig. Our Fling (skit) kicked butt!

-I was assistant membership director, and I played a huge part in finding 9 new lovely ladies for our chapter. 

-During elections for my sorority, I was elected new member educator and now I'm on the executive board of my sorority. 

-I love my pledge family!!

heres some pictures!

Georgia game! Alex came to visit!

My new member group!

Big little reveal :)

Arizona game!

Awkward phamily picture

recruitment!

The magic tree is the coolest!