Here We Are Again

Hey Guys!

Here's update number one of my summer trip.

After about 30 or so hours, we arrived safely in Stemwede on the 11th. My host family has been absolutely wonderful! We eat our hot meal (lunch) with them everyday, just about, and they are just as hilarious as ever. It's been really great seeing everyone again.

Our first night in the little apartment we had a crazy crow making noises outside the window. Really not too bad until it started flying into the glass door! With full power and with full force it was hitting the glass! I can't even begin to say how startled I was that first morning.

On the cute side of animals, there are tons of kittens here on the farm that love to romp around. I'd say we've got a total of 12 kittens just running around. They are so adorable and they are little snuggle monsters as well.

We've been biking like crazy. We did a 45 minute ride into the city Rahden to meet up with some friends. While waiting for them, we decided to get some Döner, which is very similar to a Gyro. Holy crap was I ready for some. It was perfect and Gus lost his mind too. What no one really tells you though, your butt hurts like crazy after a day of biking!

The weather has been all over. We've had cold and rainy and warm and sunny. Very big difference from the just hot we've had in Georgia so far. It's been nice being able to wear a light hoody, or not, and be comfortable.

Both of us feel like our German abilities are coming back super quickly and we are really getting along good here in the area.

We've planning to go to a couple of cities these next few days. Hopefully I'll get a chance to upload some pictures from the trips. I can't currently get my pictures off of our phones, but we've got some on instagram that you can look at until I can get them here up on the blog. ( tatertravels  and gusisacoolguy ) .

What's crazy is, I don't feel like I've been gone for very long. Gus, my boyfriend and travel companion, says it's because we really are family. That really is a wonderful feeling. I am so lucky to have to many people I love and love me all around the world. Back home I have three wonderful families and here I have another wonderful family and so many amazing friends. I am truly grateful for everyone in my life.

*More stories and pictures to come when I've got some more time!

~Katy

More Details!

Hey Guys!

    Travel Plans to this Point - My boyfriend and I are looking at the budget-flights from D.C. to Amsterdam for this summer. We'd be spending about a week in Amsterdam then going back to my host family in Stemwede for a few weeks. We are still contemplating whether we'd be staying for a total for 3.5 weeks, or the entire summer. There's also a chance that I take a full load of school over then summer then take a normal semester off or take only one class online while I travel for a couple months. Like I said, everything is still up in the air.
     Plus, I really want to save money for traveling around the world as a whole for a year or longer. I have to save for that and possibly an ESL certificate program to allow myself the possibilty to work abroad to help fund my travels. Who knows! The planning period is pretty enjoyable; lots of time for dreaming!

    An Interesting Side Note  - I had a good friend ask me today "Was it hard catching up with your friends once you were back home?" It's a complex answer, but I'd like to try.
I came home and I felt like I was on vacation again. I got to go out to dinners, I saw a couple friends and we got to chatting. It was weird though. They would talk about people I hadn't heard about, parties I never knew happened and how great graduation was. When it was my turn to talk, though, I didn't know where to start. Do I start where I got comfortable? Do I start when I was really uncomfortable? Do I start when I knew Germany was my second home and realized I was living a life I built completely and entirely on my own? It didn't really matter because when a person can't really relate to a topic, they stop listening. It's not personal, it's just the fact that we as human beings want to relate to the topic of conversation. So I ended up feeling like the last year of my life was something everyone could easily brush off, but I couldn't let go.
Because I couldn't let go, I had a lot of trouble agreeing to go out, make new friends and reconnect with old friends. I felt like I was betraying the friends I had made in Germany. I felt like accepting my old life was also throwing away everything I had done abroad.
But there came a day during meditation, I experience one of the core beliefs of Buddhism. Suffering is caused by attachment. Because I was so attached to this year abroad, I couldn't enjoy the life I had right in front of me. Just becuase I enjoy the 'now' doesn't mean the past has no value or is forgotten. The year changed who I am , how I function and how I see the world. Those changes live with me forever and I will continue to have life changing experiences. I have to accept the fact that I cannot hold on to each and every one of them as I wish I could. And I'm getting to the point where I know this, practice this and let me tell you, I am so happy and I am so appreciative for everything I have done and will continue to do.
So all-in-all, it was hard at first, but once I realized that moving forward does not mean forgetting the past. I also realized that I will always be making new friends and THAT doesn't mean forgetting and shutting out the old ones, because at the end of the day, they're always there for you.
I hope this answers the question, but if not, I can try again!

ALSO: I went to a Hindu temple recently with my boyfriend and his mom for a World Religions course. The BAPS temple in Lilburn is absolutely gorgeous! The people were so nice and helpful. I went right after the Diwali celebrations and the colors were outstanding.

Until next time,
Katy
 

 

I'm Back!

Hey Guys!

    I'm finally at a point where I can keep up with my blog again! 

    The re-entry process has been a really long, difficult, but rewarding one for me. During the first couple of weeks, it was like being on vacation again. I went out to dinner with friends, went to new parks in my home town, and didn't have anything to really worry about. The charm quickly wore off, though. I found myself really out of place. I wasn't included in jokes, I was often left out of plans, and after a while, no one really wanted to hear my stories. The life I made for myself was irrelevant and uninteresting.

    I found myself wanting to be alone to my thoughts, memories of everything that happened, and my plans for how to get back. My re-entry process and reverse culture shock were much worse than I ever could have imagined. I was really depressed. I really didn't want anything to do with my life here.

      Then, something hit me. I have one life to live; everything that happens in this life has influenced me as a person. So, instead of mourning the passing of one chapter, why not celebrate it, appreciate it, see how it has shaped me and start the next? I mean, it is just as important than the last. Enjoy the present, appreciate the past and look forward to the future.

    This inspired me to step out of my comfort zone, do what I've dreamed of, and not worry necessarily worry about what's expected of me. I changed my major to Cultural Anthropology and I got the tattoos I had been dreaming about for years. I'm planning my travels, learning languages and simply being nice, even when it's hard. I've been spending more time focusing on my spirituality; I meditate and I pray. I'm becoming aware of who I am and what I want, and I can say  it's because I enjoyed putting everything on hold,  building a new life form scratch, then losing it and struggling to start over once again.

    Everyone needs time to find themselves, however they want to do it. But I can say, removing yourself from your previous obligations and everyday expectations, you learn so much and it changes you, and it is not easy by any means.

SO with this post, I would like to begin and share my new chapter with you.  I'm in school and my goal is to become ESL certified and travel the world, learn languages, meet people and find myself. I want to live happy and healthy and appreciative for everything this world has to offer. I'm happy now.

Easter, Birthday, Everything Imaginable

        SERVUS!!

    

    So everything I've been up to, right? Of course! Let's begin shall we.

    During the first week of break, I spent a lot of time helping out with the group from Tanzania. We get up in the moring, eat breakfast in the Hayhotel and then pack ourselves in cars to go to the little workshops. At the workshops, we had 16 other kids who came to participate in addition to us volunteers and the group from Tanzania. We had three stations,  Basteln (arts & crafts), Kochen (cooking) and Kultur und Ferienspiele (culture and games). I helped out in the cultur and games group. We looked at pictures from Tanzania and talked about the differences between Germany and Tanzania. I learned a fair amount about the typical day in rural Tanzania. But the best part of the whole experience was getting to drum, sing and dance with them. When they play music and sing, they all light up. They become so happy and they just go crazy! Hey have so much fun and they want all us to participate and have fun with them. Even when you're shy, watching them and participating in their music, you have fun and you open up. It's incredible. Definitely the highlight, if you ask me.

    That Friday, my boyfriend and I got together to go to the Blues Brother's night at a local movie theater. Basically, everyone dresses up as the Blue's Brothers and goes to a viewing. And before the actually movie, they play "Der Hahn ist tot" (The rooster's dead). Yes, Kell High School German, that's where that song you learn in German 1 is from! So everyone in the audience sings along and laughs. Man it's a great time! Plus! The movie theater is was in is going to be in a documentary about the three most interesting movie theaters in the world. One in Czech Republic, one in Palistine and this movie theater right around the corner from me! I let you know when that comes out! 

    Easter was definitely an experience. Back home, in Kennesaw, we simply do an Easter egg hunt, eat lots of food and hang out with the family. Here in Stemewede, Germany, we had a whole ordeal. We got up in the morning, looked for eggs (outside!) and then came inside for a really nice breakfast. Brötchen, lots of toppings (including smoked salmon! Like still raw, mmmmmm) all sorts of drinks imaginable, and lots of eggs. Then I went to church to play with the Posaunenchor. The church service was pretty normal in comparison to how different the Easter services back home were. I'm not really religious. But I enjoy church services just because I find the whole idea of religion interesting. So I can say I had a good time. I came home to get ready to go to my Grandmother's house around the corner. We all got together for cake, coffee and an egg feast. But before we were allowed to devour the eggs, we had to go outside and find them! So we managed to find all but one; that ALWAYS happens! And on top of that, there were chocolate rabbits and other chocolates and gummis hidden that we had to find. My favorite moment was when we hadn't found the one chocolate bunny left and my host Uncle started a timer to find it. In the last 30 seconds I found it! It was hidden between a car tire and the car body. Who would think to put a chocolate bunny there, right? But I found it! And the whole time my uncle was saying if we don't find it, it's his! So when I found it, he was like, booooo I wanted the chocolate! But I agreed to give him some because I don't need that much chocolate. So it was a fair trade. Then after that we just kind of sat around. But since it got a little boring, my host sister and I began to read some. I have a book that I'm reading completely in German (Die Elfen) that my boyfriend recommended to me. It's really really awesome and I can actually understand more than I thought I would be able to since it's fantasy. So we read a couple hours then moved to the TV room to watch a new episode of Tatort (yes, really German, I know). Then we got home and all just crashed since it was so late and we were tired.

    The day after Easter is also a holiday here. And the biggest tradition here where I live is the Osterfeuer (Easter Fire). This is where all the outdoor trimmings and old Christmas trees are piled up on the crop acres and burned. These are huuuuuuge piles and they are simply burned. It's so awesome, it goes up in flames in a matter of seconds and burns a couple hours and it's gone! Before hand we all had a lovely grill out and ate ourselves full. We had Wurst, potato salads, all sorts of yumm! But my all time favorite part was getting to lay in the hammock with my boyfriend, looking at the stars with the fire burni in the background. The weather was nice, the sky was clear and we just just simply relax. It was overall such a good day.

    Sooo, I've also had a birthday lately. I turned 18! With my host sister, who was born on the same day, in the same month, in the same year! We are basically long-lost twins! But since she had a long school day, I just went to my boyfriend's house after school. He had a lovely day planned out for me. First, he gave me one of my Favorite movies, Pans Labyrinth collectors edition (YEEEES!) and a Ray Charles CD because it represents him and it's something I can always have around me and something I can listen to and have him in mind. How perfect, right? It doesn't get much better than that! And that evening, he had plans to eat Greek with me! So, I can easily say, I had the best birthday ever! We even got time to Skype with my Mom and Dad back home. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I like these relaxed, not-so-stressful days. 

     Besides that, the only other thing that I've really done since then is that I took out my dreads. I wasn't happy with how I did the tops so I think I'm going to redo them. So, I had to take them out before they sit really really tight. So now I have normal hair again and after a month of being  in dreads, my hair isn't that broken. But, I think when I do them again, they'll dread a little easier. The journey to dreads is so crazy..

Catch Up!

        Schönen guten Tag!

    It's been a while. It's crazy how busy life gets!Everything really does start to pick up at the end of the year. So I feel like it's time for an update!

     I have basically been up to everything possible. I go to school during the week, do my homework afterwards and then hang out on the weekends. Somehow that manages to fill up my days. Plus, in 'winter' (since this winter had really been a typical Georgia winter) we don't go outside much, there isn't that much work that needs to be done so we all end up staying inside, doing homework or simply watching movies or TV shows. To be honest, it's kind of nice. I get the feeling of what it's like to live here and actually have 'normal' days. So even when nothing really spectacular happens, I enjoy it.

     In the past weeks, the biggest things that have happend were my trip to Berlin, dreading my hair, going to Essen with my host sister and spending a whole bunch of time in the new spring weather.
    My trip to Berlin is probably the longest story, so I'd like to describe it in pictures. But first, why was I there? My Bundestag representative invited me to go up to Berlin to see what the Hauptstadt from Deutschland ist like. So, we were a group of about 50 people invited to go and tour Berlin. We had a pretty full schedule and we hit all the main politically important things. Since I'm really interested in history, this was just the perfect trip to get the behind the scenes to one history-rich country.

 Day 1, Reichstag 

 Berlin 2014 vs.....Berlin 2012. Time flies and things change. Aber ich freue mich, wieder da zu sein!

 The president of South Korea was there for a visit!

 And the next day, An official from China, hence the chinese flags all around.

 Even with foggy weather, the view from the TV Tower is awesome!

 Inside an old Stasi prison. Very eerie..

 Welcome to the Wall.

 Preserved inside of the Wall

 

    

    The next story, which is kind of odd and doesn't have too much to do with my daily life as an exchange student, is definitely not something anyone was expecting, honestly. I go around to thinking, "Man dreadlocks are cool. I could totally be rocking dreadlocks. I mean, I'm young, I have time and simply, why not." So, I asked a good friend of mine to come over one Sunday so that we could do it together. We spent 11 hours on it with a 2 hour lunch break. Talk about so much work! And yes, I did have sore muscles the next day! But I wasn't even done at that point. Over the next two weeks I worked on making some smaller, tighter or simply neater. And every since then, there's always more work to do. So yes, it's a change, but I'm enjoying every minute of it! Even though it takes so long for them to look remotely normal.

  For example! Yes, they´re still frizzy, but they are really     settling so quickly

    So next on the list is my trip to Essen. My oldest host sister and I took a day trip to the 'Ruhrgebiet' to go to a presentaion of a scent project that some students at a local University did and to have a tour of an old industry area and learn about how it all worked. 

 

 Tunnel up!

 Well, good thing I don't have a fear of heights!

 'Cleanliness + Order = Safety'

 The nature always wins!

 The wind was something crazy!

 I FOUND LUSH!

     So now to spring time! Spring time here is something so beautiful, I can hardly describe it. The air is light, the breeze is perfectly cooling and the sun is just the right temperature. The flowers and trees are all coming back, the green of the leaves against the blue sky (the bet color combo in the world!) and just everything. I could spend all of my time outside and be perfectly happy! So my host sister and I spent a good two hours outside just walking around and taking pictures. So, now some pictures from my lovely outdoor excursion:

 sadly my foot didn't fit all the way on the stump, but hey, everything else did!

Besides all this, break is finally here! And in the break, some people from our partner county in Tansania are coming to visit and get to know Stemwede. So, I'll be sure to explain all the cool things we did with our brothers and sisters from Africa! So yes, stay tunes, more to come in the next week or so!

(PS. Dear Family, my boyfriend told me to give you all a public shout-out. He sends his greetings!)

Plans, Food, Emotions. Alles Möglich

 Guten Tag!

        So let me catch you up on all my crazy adventures here on the farm!

    These past couple of days I have been doing a lot of planning. My mom wants to come and visit at the end of August and do some traveling. So, I have been assigned to a lot of the planning. I never knew how much planning a vacation needs. I send musch respect to everyone who plans out entire vacations! But, it's all coming together and I'm really looking forward to it! On top of that, my oldest host sister adn I are making alot of plans together. For example, in August, we want to go to three weekend festivals together. Open Flair, about 5 days long, Stemweder Open Air Festival, a Friday and Saturday, and Wonderland, another weekend festival. So, August is going to be my festival month with lots going on! Plus, we were also talking about going to the Ruhrgebiet during the Easter break. So basically to Essen, Dortmund, Bottrup and all the cities in that area. So, my little country life is getting more and more plans everyday!

    Besides that, we have been doing a lot of wood cutting and bush trimming since we are only allowed to to that until the beginning of March. Why? There's apperently a law say this because birds start to make nests and lay eggs around the beginning of March and we have to save all the baby birds from losing their homes in the trees and bushes. Interesting, I had never actaully thought about that. My host dad explained this after pushing my host siblings to get outside and do some work.

    I have also been working on ideas for my ambassador project. Through this program I have to do a type of project for my community to connect our cultures and give back. SO, since I was really involved with band back home, I am thinking about getting my friends and my Posaunenchor together to play some marching band pep tunes! I could talk a bit about how football is a big thing and the band is always there to support the football team and show off the music and the a little bit of my conducting stuff. I think that would basically combine everything I really send time on. So I'm pretty excited about that,

    Back home, my family and I cook a good bit. Usually not really typical foods either. For example, Kale Chips. You take kale leaves with a little bit of oil and salt and bake them and they become thin, crunchy chips! One day I came home and saw a whole bunch of kale and I asked if my family new kale chips. They didn't believe that you could make chips out of kale. So, I made a couple trays of kale chips! They were really surprised and really excited! I may not cook much here, but what I do make, they really really enjoy! (Remember my christmas cookies?) My roomate from camp, Hannah, and I met up and tried to make funnel cake too. My host brother came with me because he was curious what two american girls were going to cook. We didn't have a funnel, or a deep fryer. But somehow we managed. And everyone LOVED them. We downed probably 10 all together (Hannah, my host brother, Hannah's two host brothers, my host mom and I). That was such a great time. We are just the goofiest bunch of all.

        Now kind of a state of mind update:
    When you live abroad, life gets normal. You come in thinking every day is going to be exotic and action-packed, but that isn't the case. You get a routine, you have friends, you siblings get on your nerves, you don't want to get up for school; the list goes on and on. But that's the point, I think. You get to know what it's like to LIVE somewhere else, live that lifestyle and that routine. When you realize that you feel all these 'normal' things, you realize that life is still life, even though you're far away from what you know. Germany and America have their differences, of course, but they are still so similar. I don't feel like I'm just the exchange kid anymore. I feel like I am a part of everything that goes on here and I feel like I've really gotten to know what it's like to live in rural Stemwede. It feels normal; it feels like a home. And sometimes, you forget somethings about where you came from and don't even notice it until it comes up. For example, it came up yesterday that I completely forgot what the doorknobs in my house back home look like because I got so used to the ones here. At first, I came in and thought, 'AWESOME! Old style keys to lock every door!' but now, I don't remember anything different. I looked up picture online of doorknobs and now everything else looks so bizarre and uncomfortable. You see? You adjust and you become a part of the area. It become normal; it becomes your life, just like home was your life. Point of the story is, life is life. We have a lot more in common than you think!

 Simple vaccum. Proven with stabilo pens, thank                                            you host brother.

 First full cake, too thick.

 Mini test cake, how cute!

 Looking a little better

 Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!

Photo Update

Moin!

    My host family and I took a walk around the Dümmer See on Sunday. It's 19 Kilometers and about 4 hours all the way around. But it was worth it. It is absolutely gorgeous and it remind me about one of my favorite places back home, Hubbard Lake, MI. So I thought I'd share this lovely place with you all!

 Yep, I carried my host brother a little bit!

  Herrlich, absolut perfekt!