Welllllll...... this blog turned into something completely different than what I had originally planned, turned into a... I don't know what you would say it... I guess my feelings about the other exchange students and exchange in general. But you can read for yourself and see.
Updating a little bit just so that everyone knows I am alive and well : )
It's crazy to think how long I have been here, and at the same time feels like just yesterday that I stepped off that plane. Tomorrow is already May and that blows my mind. My year has come and gone so fast :/
I have met SO many amazing people from all over the world. Everyone asks if I am happy or sad about going home. And honestly its a little of both. Going home will be a happy moment, I will get to see everyone I have missed this past year. But at the same time I think leaving Germany will be harder, because I may not ever see all of these people again. If I do, it will quite a bit of time, and that is harder to deal with because I will see family and friends everyday back at home.
But it is something that every single exchange student has to deal with. It is a part of the exchange experience, and it is safe to say that no one looks forward to parting ways. On our Eurotour we all had huge disscussions on how close we all came in such a small amount of time. In just a matter of weekends we all considered each other best of friends, and had we been in normal circumstances in the USA, that wouldn't have happened. I guess it is just a common thing that we can all kling together because we are Americans and we are exchange students and that we understand each other better than everyone else does.
Rotary had forwarned us not to be just best friends with the other exchangies, but to make other friends too. I have made other friends, but I somehow don't think they can compare to the friends I have made who are also exchange students. I really see them as life-long friends, and I really do see us meeting up someday...
~Amanda
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
And it has been set in stone
Well, nothing is really set in stone, but I do know that my return flight home probably won't be changed before now and then. So for everyone wanting to know I will land in San Antonio on July 3rd, 2010 at 6:40 p.m. It was hard to set a date because I cannot fathom leaving right now. But, I have college orientation to get to because as much as it hurts to move on this part of my life is coming to a close...
Anyways quick update on my life at the moment. I am packing once again for my last family change. I have a Rotex weekend coming up this weekend where we will be meeting the "newbies" a.k.a the new exchange students from Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and some other countries that have exchanges from January 2010 until January 2011.
EuroTour is coming up and I AM SO EXCITED!!! We depart on our tour March 19th and I have begun the countdown.
I haven't yet blogged on my first skiing experience in Austria yet, but don't worry it is on its way!
Bis dann,
Amanda
Anyways quick update on my life at the moment. I am packing once again for my last family change. I have a Rotex weekend coming up this weekend where we will be meeting the "newbies" a.k.a the new exchange students from Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and some other countries that have exchanges from January 2010 until January 2011.
EuroTour is coming up and I AM SO EXCITED!!! We depart on our tour March 19th and I have begun the countdown.
I haven't yet blogged on my first skiing experience in Austria yet, but don't worry it is on its way!
Bis dann,
Amanda
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Was I supposed to be in Berlin??
Hello everyone!
I may have already stated before about how much I love the trains here in Germany. They are affordable (with a bahn card), practical, and convenient. I often find this to be my means of transportation between various Rotary, Rotex, and leisure functions. You can go everywhere, this idea of mass transportation is something that I would very much appreciate in the USA.
Sooo you all are probably thinking..."Well that is nice, but how is that relevant to me being here in Germany?" The trains here gave me the biggest scare (so far, but I am not anticipating more) of my stay here in this country. It actually happened to me a while back, but when it first happened I really didn't know what to say, and I didn't want to blog about it because of a combination of embarrassment, and that I didn't want my family back at home to read about it and get scared for me. So, let me tell you what happened so then if you are ever here you will know not to make this mistake!!
I was visiting a friend in Hannover. I bought my ticket the same way, stood on the exact platform and everything. My train always goes from Hannover, through Wolfsburg, through Stendal (were I get off), and ends up in Berlin. So I thought it was a little strange when the train didn't go through Wolfsburg, but I just told myself that maybe it was a little different. The ticket guy that came through looked at my ticket and mumbled something, but I honestly didn't pay attention/couldn't understand what he said. He said something along the lines of Stendal..blahblahblah...Berlin. So, imagine my shock when the train went right past my town! I was so anxious, and a little scared. The ticket guy didn't even care that I had the wrong ticket, so in a sense I got a discounted fare to Berlin, but that was the least of my thoughts then. In the back of my mind I knew everything would be just fine, but it's hard to think like that when you are in that situation.
All I can say is thank goodness my train at least stopped in Berlin, or else I would have been in Poland without a passport... My host parents were surprisingly calm about it, I just told them that I would be home a little bit later than planned..haha. There were a ton of trains that I probably could have taken back home, but at that point I was paranoid beyond belief. I decided would rather wait two hours for a train I knew was going through Stendal. Even before I boarded my train I made sure and asked again if this train would go through my town.
My whole blunder was only about 3 hours, but it felt like forever. And I learned that Berlin is now only 45 minutes away with a fast train (ICE, or IC) -noted for future reference-.
So after having time to thoroughly dissect and go over my mishap, and observing the train systems a little more closely, I realized where I went wrong. My train to Stendal had been delayed that day, so when the next train that came through my platform I thought it was mine and that it had not been delayed as long as it had said. And when you are at the train stations they don't always mention the little stops in-between, just major stops like Berlin and whatnot. So when I heard Berlin on the speakers, I really thought it was my train. So now I triple check everything before boarding trains, and my German is much better now, so that helps too.
Note from Amanda: I had written this blog back on January 8th and just saved it. So it was supposed to be out before this... sorry.
<3 Amanda
I may have already stated before about how much I love the trains here in Germany. They are affordable (with a bahn card), practical, and convenient. I often find this to be my means of transportation between various Rotary, Rotex, and leisure functions. You can go everywhere, this idea of mass transportation is something that I would very much appreciate in the USA.
Sooo you all are probably thinking..."Well that is nice, but how is that relevant to me being here in Germany?" The trains here gave me the biggest scare (so far, but I am not anticipating more) of my stay here in this country. It actually happened to me a while back, but when it first happened I really didn't know what to say, and I didn't want to blog about it because of a combination of embarrassment, and that I didn't want my family back at home to read about it and get scared for me. So, let me tell you what happened so then if you are ever here you will know not to make this mistake!!
I was visiting a friend in Hannover. I bought my ticket the same way, stood on the exact platform and everything. My train always goes from Hannover, through Wolfsburg, through Stendal (were I get off), and ends up in Berlin. So I thought it was a little strange when the train didn't go through Wolfsburg, but I just told myself that maybe it was a little different. The ticket guy that came through looked at my ticket and mumbled something, but I honestly didn't pay attention/couldn't understand what he said. He said something along the lines of Stendal..blahblahblah...Berlin. So, imagine my shock when the train went right past my town! I was so anxious, and a little scared. The ticket guy didn't even care that I had the wrong ticket, so in a sense I got a discounted fare to Berlin, but that was the least of my thoughts then. In the back of my mind I knew everything would be just fine, but it's hard to think like that when you are in that situation.
All I can say is thank goodness my train at least stopped in Berlin, or else I would have been in Poland without a passport... My host parents were surprisingly calm about it, I just told them that I would be home a little bit later than planned..haha. There were a ton of trains that I probably could have taken back home, but at that point I was paranoid beyond belief. I decided would rather wait two hours for a train I knew was going through Stendal. Even before I boarded my train I made sure and asked again if this train would go through my town.
My whole blunder was only about 3 hours, but it felt like forever. And I learned that Berlin is now only 45 minutes away with a fast train (ICE, or IC) -noted for future reference-.
So after having time to thoroughly dissect and go over my mishap, and observing the train systems a little more closely, I realized where I went wrong. My train to Stendal had been delayed that day, so when the next train that came through my platform I thought it was mine and that it had not been delayed as long as it had said. And when you are at the train stations they don't always mention the little stops in-between, just major stops like Berlin and whatnot. So when I heard Berlin on the speakers, I really thought it was my train. So now I triple check everything before boarding trains, and my German is much better now, so that helps too.
Note from Amanda: I had written this blog back on January 8th and just saved it. So it was supposed to be out before this... sorry.
<3 Amanda
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Years
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!
2009 has come and gone, and what a roller coaster of a year it has been. Let me put my year into a nutshell for everyone. (I am gonna copy my friend Lisa here and make a list...hehehe, you know they say copying is the most sincerest form of flattery : ])
January: Interviewed to become an exchange student. [I honestly didn't think much of it at the time]
February: Found out I had been accepted, and that I was going to Germany; but still didn't really believe I would do it.
March: I found out which city and district I would be put in. I even started to e-mail my new future host family.
April: Still e-mailed back and forth between my new host family. I got some German books and started to look at the language.
May: GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!! State mandated education is finally finished for me, all other education is up to me.
June: Started taking some crash German courses with Mrs. Laumer. Spent lots of time with my family. Saved money through working.
July: Still working and saving money for Germany. Spent the last month with my family doing all sorts of crazy things.
August: Made the biggest move of my life to Germany. And... once again started school...
September: Still getting the hang of German lifestyle, still couldn't really understand what was being said to me.
October: Learning more and more, finally used to school again. I could understand a lot of what was going on around me.
November: Switched host families for the first time. And it is the first time I have ever been in weather so cold.
December: I now understand almost everything!! I am working on my grammar and ability to speak back to people.
^ Me in the snow right after the new year came^
^Some of my friends getting ready for the fireworks^
^Poliana and I, we are still getting used to the weather...^
I had a great time with all of my friends here. I look forward to the New Year!!
I wish everyone a Happy New Years. I have a Skiing trip to Austria coming up in about two weeks, so I really look forward to that. Then I get to celebrate my birthday here!
~Amanda
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Dezember
So December has come and gone; and so alas I must move on...
Well I am not a very poetic person, so you will have to excuse my attempt at eloquent writing.
So December brought cold but very beautiful weather. I was able to have my first white Christmas, and experience real snow! Christmas here was charming and quaint, with tons of German tradition. Starting off the month most people receive "Advents Calenders." You can get some in the US, but there isn't as much variety as there is here. For those who do not know what an Advents Calender is, it is a calender numbered 1-24. And each day in December you open a new little slot or door and receive a gift of some kind. Some calenders are only chocolate, while some had little glass Angels or Haribo Gummy Bears. I saw some that had a different kind of perfume for every day, and for little boys there where Lego calenders. The calender my host family gave to me was an upstanding pole-looking thing with several small hooks. On each hook there was a little packet with different numbers. Each packet was different and the gifts I received each day were different as well. It was a cute tradition, and fun for me to experience.
The next most significant thing about Christmas in Germany was Nikolaustag (I hope I spelled that correctly). On the 6th of December the children put a pair of their shoes outside their doors before they go to sleep. Nikolaus comes at night and puts gifts (candies and such) into their shoes. If the children were bad that year, then they receive sticks and rocks. In my gift I got ski gloves and some chocolate Santas.
Christmas trees don't go up so early here as they do in the United States. I know that my family normally puts up the tree at the beginning of December, well most of the time. Here in Germany it is normal to not put the tree up until the day before Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Eve itself. And gifts that you give and receive do not go under the tree until about an hour or two before you are supposed to open them.
I saw some Christmas lights around the town, but I didn't really see many decorated houses. We in the U.S. put up those aggravating colorful lights, that are so pretty once the hassle of putting them up is finished. It was something that I would have liked to see here, but it is okay, because there were other things that made up for it. Like the Weihnachtsmarkt for example:
Some towns have it longer than others, some have it more grand, but all in all this is something that I wish the U.S. had. It is a little market set up in the middle of the town. And you can buy sweets, and specialty items. It is always adorable, and so much fun to just go through to look at everything.
Christmas Eve is when everyone opens their presents together, and Christmas Day is spent with family. On Christmas day they have a huge dinner together normally consisting of duck as the main dish, and of course some kind of potatoes. We went to church on Christmas Eve and sat through a short sermon. It was sooo cool because this was a really, really old church. (Wooden pews, stone walls, no heaters :/)
The year 2009 is winding down, and I thought I had better post this before it was too late.
~Amanda
P.S. It is Clay's birthday today (December 31st)
Well I am not a very poetic person, so you will have to excuse my attempt at eloquent writing.
So December brought cold but very beautiful weather. I was able to have my first white Christmas, and experience real snow! Christmas here was charming and quaint, with tons of German tradition. Starting off the month most people receive "Advents Calenders." You can get some in the US, but there isn't as much variety as there is here. For those who do not know what an Advents Calender is, it is a calender numbered 1-24. And each day in December you open a new little slot or door and receive a gift of some kind. Some calenders are only chocolate, while some had little glass Angels or Haribo Gummy Bears. I saw some that had a different kind of perfume for every day, and for little boys there where Lego calenders. The calender my host family gave to me was an upstanding pole-looking thing with several small hooks. On each hook there was a little packet with different numbers. Each packet was different and the gifts I received each day were different as well. It was a cute tradition, and fun for me to experience.
The next most significant thing about Christmas in Germany was Nikolaustag (I hope I spelled that correctly). On the 6th of December the children put a pair of their shoes outside their doors before they go to sleep. Nikolaus comes at night and puts gifts (candies and such) into their shoes. If the children were bad that year, then they receive sticks and rocks. In my gift I got ski gloves and some chocolate Santas.
Christmas trees don't go up so early here as they do in the United States. I know that my family normally puts up the tree at the beginning of December, well most of the time. Here in Germany it is normal to not put the tree up until the day before Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Eve itself. And gifts that you give and receive do not go under the tree until about an hour or two before you are supposed to open them.
I saw some Christmas lights around the town, but I didn't really see many decorated houses. We in the U.S. put up those aggravating colorful lights, that are so pretty once the hassle of putting them up is finished. It was something that I would have liked to see here, but it is okay, because there were other things that made up for it. Like the Weihnachtsmarkt for example:
Some towns have it longer than others, some have it more grand, but all in all this is something that I wish the U.S. had. It is a little market set up in the middle of the town. And you can buy sweets, and specialty items. It is always adorable, and so much fun to just go through to look at everything.Christmas Eve is when everyone opens their presents together, and Christmas Day is spent with family. On Christmas day they have a huge dinner together normally consisting of duck as the main dish, and of course some kind of potatoes. We went to church on Christmas Eve and sat through a short sermon. It was sooo cool because this was a really, really old church. (Wooden pews, stone walls, no heaters :/)
The year 2009 is winding down, and I thought I had better post this before it was too late.
~Amanda
P.S. It is Clay's birthday today (December 31st)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAY!!
Monday, December 14, 2009
In November
With November came rainy days and colder weather.
During the month of November I switched host families for the first time. The family I am with now also has a son on an exchange at the moment. He is learning English in the great ol' U.S of A, and currently loving it. After being on an exchange I have come to realize that it doesn't matter where you are sent, because you are going to have fun anywhere! Germany was my first choice, but now after meeting all of the other exchange students from the various foreign countries, it makes me think that if by some chance I didn't get my first choice I would have been alright with that.
Unfortunately not everyone gets their first or second choice. But with an organization like Rotary, you will always have the support you need to make sure your exchange goes without a hitch. The program is world wide, and exchange destinations vary depending on your sending club and where you live and what-not. For example my friend said her Rotary only exchanges with Germany, Finland, and France. That these choices where her only choices for Europe. Some Rotaries ask you to pick three countries in order of interest to you, while others ask you to list all of the countries that they exchange with in order of interest to you. One guy I know said that his Rotary didn't even give him choices, that they just placed him based on his interview and personality. Each club/district is different, and the application process varies also. Some clubs only send one person at a time, while others send everyone who applies.
And that is all for now on the technical side of an exchange....let me go back to before I got side-tracked.
I switched host families in the middle of November and so far have been loving it. The family I have now reminds me so much of my family at home. The day after my switch my host mom's niece was having a wedding. I got to tag along and go down to Munich for the wedding. It was awesome, Munich, and Bavaria in general has its own culture. While it is still Germany it has its own dialects and lifestyle. The people where very friendly and welcoming and extremely patriotic. I had a blast in the short amount of time that I was there, but that just gives me more of an incentive to visit again.
The last weekend in November we had a Rotary weekend. We were in the Harz mountains. We got to have a tour of the castle and went downtown in Wernigerode to visit the Weihnachtsmarkt. <--- Almost every town has this market, of little booths, set up for Christmas. They sell all kinds of goods, and it is tradition to have one, or rather it is German culture.
Overall things are still going great, I expect to put up some pictures and more posts soon. Topics may include: German culture during Christmas, what it is really like to learn a language through immersion, and my own very scary, very interesting learning experience.
~Amanda
During the month of November I switched host families for the first time. The family I am with now also has a son on an exchange at the moment. He is learning English in the great ol' U.S of A, and currently loving it. After being on an exchange I have come to realize that it doesn't matter where you are sent, because you are going to have fun anywhere! Germany was my first choice, but now after meeting all of the other exchange students from the various foreign countries, it makes me think that if by some chance I didn't get my first choice I would have been alright with that.
Unfortunately not everyone gets their first or second choice. But with an organization like Rotary, you will always have the support you need to make sure your exchange goes without a hitch. The program is world wide, and exchange destinations vary depending on your sending club and where you live and what-not. For example my friend said her Rotary only exchanges with Germany, Finland, and France. That these choices where her only choices for Europe. Some Rotaries ask you to pick three countries in order of interest to you, while others ask you to list all of the countries that they exchange with in order of interest to you. One guy I know said that his Rotary didn't even give him choices, that they just placed him based on his interview and personality. Each club/district is different, and the application process varies also. Some clubs only send one person at a time, while others send everyone who applies.
And that is all for now on the technical side of an exchange....let me go back to before I got side-tracked.
I switched host families in the middle of November and so far have been loving it. The family I have now reminds me so much of my family at home. The day after my switch my host mom's niece was having a wedding. I got to tag along and go down to Munich for the wedding. It was awesome, Munich, and Bavaria in general has its own culture. While it is still Germany it has its own dialects and lifestyle. The people where very friendly and welcoming and extremely patriotic. I had a blast in the short amount of time that I was there, but that just gives me more of an incentive to visit again.
The last weekend in November we had a Rotary weekend. We were in the Harz mountains. We got to have a tour of the castle and went downtown in Wernigerode to visit the Weihnachtsmarkt. <--- Almost every town has this market, of little booths, set up for Christmas. They sell all kinds of goods, and it is tradition to have one, or rather it is German culture.
Overall things are still going great, I expect to put up some pictures and more posts soon. Topics may include: German culture during Christmas, what it is really like to learn a language through immersion, and my own very scary, very interesting learning experience.
~Amanda
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The rest of October
Okay so many people probably think I have disappeared off the face of the Earth, and for a while I just might have, but I am back now and ready to fill you all in on my life in Germany.
So, I left off somewhere around mid-October. Not much had really happened in that month, we didn't have any Rotary events nor did we exchangies have any exciting Rotex weekends. Just simple everyday routine of school, and friends, and eating amazing pastries and German Chocolates. <3
I finished up with my German courses at the school and they have improved my German immensely. It is now up to me to learn the rest, and it looks better everyday.
So around mid to late October I decided I wanted something to change about me. Seeing as how I am not one for tattoos or peircings I opted for something a little less permanent. So, yup, I dyed my HAIR!! Dark Brown, and I really like the results. It was a big change for me, but at the same time it was something I knew I could handle.
I went from this ^
To this ^
And then there was Halloween....
They do celebrate Halloween here in Germany, but not to the extent as we do in the USA. I looked around my town and there weren't really any costumes to be bought. The kids go trick-or-treating, but not all dressed up. They might paint their faces or put on a witches hat, but that is about it. My two younger host brothers only went trick-or-treating for about an hour, and then it was over.
As for me, I was invited to a party. It was another one of those combined parties. Three people where celebrating birthdays and Halloween all in one night. It was kind of dress up, but not really. People just wore scary makeup and miss-matched random pieces of clothes. It was totally fun, and you didn't have to feel like you needed to dress up to really celebrate Halloween.
...to be continued
So, I left off somewhere around mid-October. Not much had really happened in that month, we didn't have any Rotary events nor did we exchangies have any exciting Rotex weekends. Just simple everyday routine of school, and friends, and eating amazing pastries and German Chocolates. <3
I finished up with my German courses at the school and they have improved my German immensely. It is now up to me to learn the rest, and it looks better everyday.
So around mid to late October I decided I wanted something to change about me. Seeing as how I am not one for tattoos or peircings I opted for something a little less permanent. So, yup, I dyed my HAIR!! Dark Brown, and I really like the results. It was a big change for me, but at the same time it was something I knew I could handle.
I went from this ^
To this ^
And then there was Halloween....
They do celebrate Halloween here in Germany, but not to the extent as we do in the USA. I looked around my town and there weren't really any costumes to be bought. The kids go trick-or-treating, but not all dressed up. They might paint their faces or put on a witches hat, but that is about it. My two younger host brothers only went trick-or-treating for about an hour, and then it was over.
As for me, I was invited to a party. It was another one of those combined parties. Three people where celebrating birthdays and Halloween all in one night. It was kind of dress up, but not really. People just wore scary makeup and miss-matched random pieces of clothes. It was totally fun, and you didn't have to feel like you needed to dress up to really celebrate Halloween.
...to be continued
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