Tomorrow is the Day!

             Hello all! (:

   So tomorrow I am on the train to my host family. Camp has gone by so quickly.. I can hardly believe it! In words that I heard at GHP, "The days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days..". This totally applies to camp here! 

   

    So I don't want to give too much away about the actual camp, but it's been really fun. We talk a lot about adjusting and learning how we react to certain situations. Honestly, it has been really helpful to see where I stand in terms of my reation to awkward or uncomfortable situations.

   About homesickness: I haven't had any yet really since it still feels really American here. I spend all day with mostly Americans, speak mostly English, and have the meetings in English. But I have started to miss people back home. It hasn't been hindering my ability to soak up Germany and my other experiences here.

   My group and I have been walking into town a good bit. I feel like my calves are going to be rock hard by the end of the year! One day, I even walked up and down the mountain twice. Once for class to ask the locals about Gesellschaftspiele (multiplayer games), then later to meet the mayor of Bad Laasphe. That trip was really really cool! They gave a cute little powerpoint about the town and then we all sat and had a coke and talked to him . He is a really really neat guy!

    In my last small group meeting yesterday, we learned how to fold paper boats with our feet! I am so excited! I've made like two since the meeting! I will definitly have to show all my new German friends, since THAT is why German's talk to Americans!

   Also, I would like to apologize now. My SD card for my camera broke so I only have a couple pictures for this post, but I will be buying a new one as soon as I am at my host family. So, more pictures to come!

My First Days in Camp

Hello all!

So let me update all of you with my happenings! 

First I had a great time with my family in D.C.! It was really great to be around together before I left.

Once I got to the program in D.C., I met many of the people I would be spending camp with. Including Hannah, a girl from Florida going to the same Gymnasium as I will be and living only a few minutes away! I think that's actually really exciting to have someone close by just in case one of us is having a bad day. 

We flew from Dullus airport to Frankfurt and got there alright. I didn't sleep on the plane, so by the time it was bedtime here in Germany, I was out like a light bulb. So, believe it or not, jet lag didn't really hit me. I got right in the groove and that was that. 

Camp has been really cool. We stay at a boardning Gymnasium in Bad Laasphe, NRW, which doubles as a castle in the mountains. It's been really cold since we are so high up. But I've loved it. I tested in the highest German class and have been working on a lot of grammar and whatnot, which, to me, is actually a lot of fun! I really think I'll be okay for a while with my family and I will catch up in school a little quicker than I would otherwise. We've been eating a lot of German bread, so I feel really fat sometimes! But we walk down the mountain to "town" which takes about 20 minutes, so I think we burn most of it off. 

When we went into town, we stoped by the local beerfest and left after a couple minutes because there were simply too many people. We went to a Kunstcafe (art cafe) and had some wine and played this table bowling game. Our wastress was the nicest person I've met here so far! She was so nice, joked around with us, and really loved what she was doing. And we only spoke German with her, so my confidence with my German is definitly going up practicing with some natives in person here!

We recently went into Marburg, Hessen and had basically a free day there. My group; Hannah, Morgan, Lilian, and Will, went to visit the Schloss (castle) of the area. It was incredible! The view from the castle onto the city was breathtaking! Just like a bigger version of what we have here in Bad Laasphe. Then we worked our way to the gardens and found a look out balcony to eat lunch on. Then we went into town, got some drinks, visited some shops, and then, I finally had my first döner of this trip! It was just so fantastic, I can't even express it. 

So in conclusion, I love it here so far and yes! Keep up if you can ;P

 Here's me, my mom, and siblings 

Me and my roommate, Hannah, who is going to the same school as me this year! 

 Our awesome room in Bad Laasphe!

 A Dalai Lama picture here in the Schloss!

 Our awesome view!

 The city from the hill on the way down.

 Marburg!

Hannah, me, Morgan, and Lilian at the top of Marburg!

The church in Marburg

 city buildings in Marburg

Here It Comes!

Hello All (:

    I have been in D.C.since the 5th with my awesome family. My family has been nothing but support, so thanks you guys!

    Tomorrow, August 8th, I head towards the hotel to meet everyone in the program and start the journey! It's a mixture of feelings, just like anyone would expect really. I'm beyond excited. Living in Germany really is my dream. I'm worried. Everything in school, especially German, has always come so effortlessly to me. I know I will have to work so much harder than I have before and that I won't naturally be one of the best. I worry about my host family. I have many things I could say about this worry, but they're all irrational and I know that it'll all be for the best. So that all can wait until there is an actual issue (which probably won't even happen).  So everything is going as expected so far!

    My school back down in little ol' Kennesaw, GA started up today. So many of my friends have been posting pictures of our "Senior girls wear black dresses on the first day" tradition. It makes me so happy to see everyone in the spirit! I also got a text from my best friend, Nic, saying that since I'm still on the roster for ten days, the teachers have been calling my name for roll. He said that he and I would have had four classes together this year.. That just is so sad that I am missing that, but I can't say I'd rather be there. You probably know what I mean. 

    And with the Philipp. All is well. I am hoping to swing by Chemnitz during my first school break for a week. It'll be at the end of October and I really hope that I can make the trip! I have quite a few people I want to visit from my last exchange. And after a year and change, it might just be nice to see my boyfriend! ;) 

    So in D.C.so far, my family and I have visited the Air and Space, American Indian, and American History museums. We also stopped by the Washington and Lincoln Monuments plus the Capitol building. Really, this area blows my mind! Everything is so much bigger in real life!!

    So, expect more to come as I get further into the program! I just wanted to give everyone an idea what has been going on. (: More pictures to come later, keep an eye out ;P

~~Katy

 Me and my little brother on the Metro

The metro station.. Makes me remember my time on the German system!

This was such an incredible memorial. Everything in D.C. has just been great..

Not the best picture, I'll have better ones later, but this gives you an idea. I was standing at the Lincoln memorial and the Washington was right behind me (:

As I said, more and better pictures will come soon. No worries! Bis dann!