Tag 1: Jena, Here We Come!!

The great adventure began at about 2 PM with a teary goodbye to Katie and the girls while my girls, mom and I drove down to the airport!  After a...trying...time getting to Terminal 2 with mom's first time driving to the airport, we arrived.  We all hung out in the terminal (my family and Braden's) and eventually April and her family joined us as well.  Mom was the first to leave with the girls to drive up to MELROSE for Travis' football game.

(There are Italians behind me speaking very loudly)

Well, we ate at the airport and went on up to the gate.  I was struggling like there was no tomorrow at security and managed to DOWN my Mountain Dew...except the little bit that I spilled all over my bags.  Maria showed up and soon after that it was time to board. The plane took off and our adventure really began!

We flew about 6 hours until we arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland at 6AM their time.  The airport was mostly uneventful except that I had purchased 2 Mountain Dews so I could savor the last few I had for months and it turned out we needed to go through security again and they were thrown out.  Someone had the same backpack as me :/.  I wanted to buy a postcard, so I took time and picked out a nice one only to discover they do not take Euro...S.O.L.  We ended up just waiting it out and getting on the plane to Frankfurt.

We got to Frankfurt around 12:50 PM German time and were immediately hungry.  We had not gotten food on either flight, only water, so it was time for some chow.  So, we did what any self-respecting American would do when arriving in a foreign country, we exchanged currency and booked it to the nearest McDonald's. :)  It was delicious.  After hanging out in the airport for a while and getting our bearings (and calling home quick) we got on the tram with ALL OF OUR LUGGAGE and made our way to the train.  One would think that wouldn't be too far of a walk, but they would be very wrong.  I had two rollerboard bags, a backpack and another bag (all of which were very heavy) and I had to go up flight upon flights of stairs and down them in order to get to the train station.  When we finally arrived we were dripping in sweat, but the train got there, after a nice Turkish man took a picture of us, and off we were to Jena!

I slept.

When we got to Erfurt, we had to say goodbye to Braden and leave him all on his lonesome, thankfully, his tutor was there to meet him.

After that, Maria, April and myself continued on to Weimar where we changed trains for the fifteen minute trek to Jena.  While standing at the station waiting for the train to arrive we had a lovely conversation about the woes of Germans thinking we were from southern states.  We decided to ensure this did not happen.  The train pulled up and we were instantly dismayed...the steps were SO STEEP!  Getting our luggage up to the train was quite the ordeal, not one that I really ever want to do again though I know I will.

Today is the Day!

Everyone keeps asking me: Are you excited or nervous?  I keep having to respond...NERVOUS!!  There are so many things that have to happen before I can be excited about this trip...but, I was sent a schedule from my tutor last night and that really helped me to get a little bit of a look at what is in store for me in the next month, and for that I am SO GRATEFUL!!

I will really miss everyone.

I leave in just a few hours and right now Mom, Morgan, Katie and the girls are on their way to my dad's house to wish me off.  Mom and Morgan will be driving me to the airport so they can finally meet Rhonda and Jeff and see me off.  I am listening to Telephone the Glee version....and it makes me so happy.  SO. FREAKIN. HAPPY.

I'm sitting here in my room with Buster (the dog) on my feet.  I'm always so good about keeping him up, but now I'm leaving and there is something about him in the room with me that is comforting.  I love dogs.

I watched hours of Dexter last night, thanks Deanna for getting me hooked....I really like Lt. Maria, she is my favorite.  I'm drinking one of my last Mountain Dews.  Braden says I have to put in here that I do not blame him or think that he made me go on this trip and I am going of my own free will.  Last night's goodbye to Lauren was really hard; I am going to really miss those girls.  I never actually use semicolons, but I think I needed one there....feel free to correct me. :)

I'm all packed up except my laptop which is providing the soundtrack to my madness right now, so that will be the last thing in the bag.  I'm certain my bags are overweight, but I am bringing with me an empty backpack so I can stuff some things in there at the last minute once the bags are actually weighed.

Talking to Maria, April, and Braden has been helpful...we're all so....crazy.  HAHA.  I LOVED talking to Kels and Meg last night, what a pleasant surprise, hope they are well.

Finally: GOOD LUCK COBBER SPEECHIES (Andrew, Steph, and Jen) at the first MAFL!!!

My next post will be from Europe.

TTFN America

Days Until Departure: 4

I am sitting in The Maize for the last time in 2010.  This makes me sad.

This weekend was the best last weekend I could have had, Milaca kicked some Foley ass.  Drinking with the girls on Saturday.  Party with the family on Sunday.  Perfect.

I don't want to go.  I am going to miss everyone so much.  BUT I'M SO EXCITED TO GO!!!!!

Pictures of the weekend are on Facebook.

Days Until Departure: 11

Today I am sitting at one of the places I have spent more than enough time at in my life: the Milaca Dairy Queen.  I am here with Lauren and Morgan and having a lovely time trying to download Dexter from iTunes to watch that later tonight, but of course the internet is not as fast as I would prefer...of course...

NEW FLAVOR AT DQ:
Golden Oreo
Analysis: I thought that I would really like it because I like Golden Oreos, but I was wrong.  It is not good in ice cream.  Drat.

The Xbox and I fought today over whether or not it wanted to play Final Fantasy XIII with me.  It won.  I am still mad.


I spoke German for like two hours today with Judith Boldt.  This resulted in me being very tired and my head hurting for a long time, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed it and needed the practice.  I appreciate that a lot.  


This weekend was so much fun.  I went up to Duluth to visit Deanna and Megan and was able to watch "The Bounty Hunter" with them.  It was good, but for sure a renter.  I also was hooked on Dexter, which was a dumb thing for me to do as I am leaving so soon...ah well, what's done is done.  After saying goodbye to the girls, Braden and I went up to Enger Tower and took a few lovely pictures of the Duluth skyline.  A beautiful sight.  We also at lunch at a cute little place called Va Bene, it was so fun and interesting there, it is also one of Braden's favorite restaurants in the world.  The drive back was good, we were able to talk about the future a lot and figure some stuff out.  We are both very excited to leave, but also nervous and worried about random things.


Making cookies with the girls (Lauren, Morgan, Colette, Jenna, Katie, GSP, and Mom) was so much fun and so was watching the game, though the Saints are "thugs" as Grandma says.  I think I agree.


I have to go to Best Buy tomorrow to pick up my new camera, that will be fun.  I will also buy Glee Season 1!  I'm pretty excited about it.


Also, congrats to Lady Gaga for sweeping the VMAs last night.

Days Until Departure: 15

What could be better than Christmas in September?  Today was a day filled with spritz cookies, almond extract, and (of course) Beach Boys Christmas music! I'm currently sitting on the couch watching the Vikings game (so far it is pretty painful).  It's great to watch the game with the family, it's one of the only ones that I have left before I go.  I also watched a preview for gLee and am SO EXCITED!!!!

I was given this website a while ago by Sam Cousin, but I just looked at it again and it made me so happy.

www.zooborns.com

Go to it and love your life a little bit more.

I watched Project Runway today and was very sad because Peach was voted off, I don't know who watches that show, but I really liked her.

I loved spending time with the family today, it really is a good thing for me to do because I know that I am really going to miss them when I leave.  YUM these cookies are so great.  Morgan is reading Eragon, I read that book but never finished Eldest...I always meant to, but did not.

I bought "A Clockwork Angel" yesterday.  Impulse buy.  It's from an author I liked with the same premise of the series that I liked, so you would think that I would like it, right?  I hope so.

I feel like this is getting boring.  HAHA....so......I'll end with my favorite photos from GAGA!!!!!!!!!

Days Until Departure: 17

I probably won't do one of these everyday, but up in Moorhead I have a lot of time to do stuff while other people are working on homework or speech.  So, I am writing another one.  Today was marked by a terrible loss for me and the people with whom I shared my summer.  Sumar, the lovable 12-year-old killer whale died today.  His death was such a terrible blow for me and all of the other wonderful people I met this summer.  Attached are some photos that I took over the summer and a link to the story from SeaWorld itself.  This is such a sad year for SeaWorld.  My thoughts go out to the trainers, keepers, and really everyone whose life Sumar touched.

http://www.seaworldparksblog.com/explore/blog/seaworld-san-diego-mourns-loss-killer-whale

On a lighter note: the speech interest meeting was tonight and seeing all the great interested freshmen was so wonderful.  I am really going to miss this activity, but expect that people will keep me informed on the goings on (you know who you are).

Also, while siting in The Maize today with Naomi Nix for a while I was introduced to this HILARIOUS video by Steven Edwards.....so FREAKIN funny.  Watch these in order:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0ywbtMZRFo&p=3BA0D40624A72115&playnext=1&index=40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKsVSBhSwJg

Days Until Departure: 18

I'm spending one of my last days in the US in lovely Fargo, North Dakota with the lovely and talented Steph Villella.  We're just sitting here like two peas in a pod on her NEW queen size bed on our computers doing our own thing.  This is how I want to remember my last few days, filled with fun and memorable experiences of course, but also just the normal stuff, too.  I'm very nervous to get started with this adventure, and this is just the first baby step.  Soon, I will leave Fargo/Moorhead and return back to the depths of Princeton (which also means a return to the wonderful Final Fantasy XIII).  Until then, however, I have a few pit stops planned: Braden's, Katie's, a football game, and Duluth to see Deanna and Megan.

I can't wait!!