Party's over!

Well, I am on the ferry, pulling away from Friedrichshafen, Germany. I thought this day would never come. I have been so excited the past week, thinking about nothing but going home. Even all of the goodbyes were relatively easy. It hadn’t hit me I guess. Not until right now. As soon as I sat down and ordered my last cappuccino in Germany, it finally happened. I realized I will probably never see this place again. Or these people. It is so weird to spend so much time in a place and with people, only to say goodbye forever. I can’t believe it’s real. On one hand, I can’t wait to be home. I have missed everyone and everything so much. On the other, I have made a home here. It was unintentional, but I think I’ll leave of part of myself in Friedrichshafen. With the goats, with this lake, in my crummy one room apartment. I will really miss this boring little town.

Seven days, eight hours, 46 minutes....

I had to go to school today to return my student card and get my deposit for it back. It was such a beautiful day, I didn't take gloves or a hat. I just put on my wool coat and my suede books, and set off on my little journey. It was such a nice walk. I stopped and talked to my friends, the goats, and then made a short cut through the forrest. About five minutes from the campus, it started to rain. It wasn't raining hard, but it was super cold rain. By the time I got to the school, somehow I had brain freeze. It was ridiculous.
So, I got some lunch, and had a cappuccino, then returned my card. I had planned to go and sit by the lake when it was nice out, but now it was really yucky and I just wanted to get back home. I set out for my walk back, and as soon as I stepped outside, it started raining again. This time, I put my scarf over my head for the walk back. In my mind, I looked like Grace Kelly, but really I probably looked like this someone from Fiddler on the Roof.
Anyway, I made it back, and the goats didn't laugh at me.
Apparently we should be expecting the German version of a tropical storm this evening. I think it's just a cold and windy rain storm. Really unpleasant.
On a happier note, my next door neighbor just gave me all her food, because she is leaving tomorrow. She has been a great neighbor. It's beginning to set in that my time her is coming to an end. People are leaving, and I'll be next. I am definitely going to miss the friends I have made.

Thanksgiving in Deutschland

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I had a great one. Nothing can compare to being home with your family on Thanksgiving, but since that wasn't an option, I think I had the best one possible. I have a friend here who is from California, and we planned a Thanksgiving dinner, and invited some of the other friends we have made here. We wanted to keep it small, but it turned into about 15 people, probably more.
We did our shopping on Wednesday night, realizing that would be absolutely insane and probably impossible in the US. Our trip was relaxed, and there were no fights over the last turkey or sack of potatoes.
We planned to meet around noon on Thursday, to get the turkeys in the oven, and set up the living room for so many people. At about 11:30, Jake rang by bell, and informed me he was locked out of his house, and his roommates weren't coming home until four. So, after finding out how mafia-ish the locksmiths are here, we decided to wait it out. We sat around for four hours, then he headed home. I left a little after, and thank goodness, he was putting the turkey in when I got there. Dinner was supposed to be at 6:30, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. But the way things worked out, more people were showing up while we were cooking, so we had lots of help, and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Dinner turned out fantastic, and we couldn't have asked for better company. Everyone was so excited to have their first Thanksgiving. Most of the girls brought desserts, so there was an abundance. We had three Americans total, and I think we all enjoyed it completely. I know for sure the other internationals did.

I really missed my family yesterday, and I missed some of my traditions that weren't possible. Sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, pecan pie, pumpkin pie... and eating outside, but I am so thankful for the chance to celebrate the way I did. I'll definitely never forget this thanksgiving!

The End is Near!

Well, today was my last day of class at Zeppelin University. I can't believe the semester is actually over! I can't say it flew by, thats for sure. I still have four term papers to write, but I have a month before I actually head home, so I don't think it will be a problem. It's been quite an experience.
Thanksgiving is in two days, and I had pictured a big feast with the other Americans that are here, and maybe some of the other international students. But as two of the four Americans backed out, and no one else has an oven, it's just going to be me and one other American guy having some mashed potatoes and hopefully some form of turkey. It's going to be weird, but I'll just have to make sure we have a big Christmas dinner when I come home :)
I am flying to London on December 3rd, until the 9th. After that, I am going to Nuremberg for the Christmas Market, and then I'll be home just in time for Christmas. I am so looking forward to being home with my family and friends, but I'll really miss Friedrichshafen and the awesome friends I have made here.

I'm going to make some hot cocoa now, and thaw myself from being outside too long. :)

Just a regular Friday...

I convinced myself to go into town today for some errands. It's cold, and the busses are slow, but I put on my cuddl duds and got myself out there. One thing after another went exactly how it should have. It was wonderful. The first store I went to had all the stuff I wanted from them, and it was way cheaper than I expected. I stopped at a bakery and they had sugary pretzels, so I got one and it was delicious. The grocery store had everything I wanted, and more, and my total was less than 20 euros (19.75 :p ). When I walked out of the grocery store, the bus was just pulling in. Everything worked out perfect. And it was still a little light out when I got home. And I didn't get cold!
I think one of the things I will miss the most about Germany is the grocery shopping. The prices, and if you go to the right place, the laid back atmosphere.
Oh, and I forgot, when I got home, I checked my mail just on the off chance I might have some junk mail or something, and I ended up with two cards from home that I wasn't expecting. My card wall is filling up! I'm going to go put my groceries away now, and maybe make the pumpkin soup I bought.

Long ago it must be, I have a photograph

Long ago it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you...


                                   -Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends


I have gone through and added the link to the Facebook photo albums for everywhere I have been so far to the end of each blog. Here is a list as well, just in case you want to see more than I post on here, and you're not on Facebook to look at them. :) Obviously, I am in my nine hour class, and after hour two, I struggle to listen to anything the professor says. So, everything on here should be up to day now.

Friedrichshafen, Part one

Friedrichshafen, Part two

Munich

Paris

Vienna

Prague

Dresden

Dresden, meine liebe!

Dresden is so far my favorite city, besides Friedrichshafen, of course! :p

I arrived about four in the afternoon, tired and just wanting to get settled in at the hostel, and then maybe go out for some supper. The walk to the hostel was torture. I felt like I would never get there, and of course, I got lost. I finally got there, ready to tell that guy at the front desk not to tell people online that the hostel is easily walkable from the train station, but he was so nice and it was so cozy inside, that I immediately forgot about the horrible walk in the cold with my heavy backpack.

Of course, there was no elevator, and I was on the top floor, as usual. I got to my room to find another girl already in there making her bed. At hostels, you will either meet the kind of people who will say hello, ask where you're from and how long you're staying, and then you won't talk to them ever again, or you will meet the people who will ask those questions, and then want to hang out and explore with you, or have deep conversations in the common area. This girl wanted to explore. She pretty much insisted I make my bed, and then leave with her. She was Brazilian, a nanny in Berlin, and really nice. So, I pretty much just put my stuff down, made my bed, and we left. It was actually really nice to have a little exploration partner for a bit. I say that I love traveling alone, and I do, but it is nice to have someone to take pictures of you, and share the beautiful buildings with. We talked about tons of things, from culture, to nannying, to coming to Germany not knowing German. She was really cool. We were out and about until after the sun went down and the temperature dropped to really super cold. We started walking back, stopped at a supermarket, and then went to the hostel to cook our frozen pizzas.

At the hostel, we met more cool people. The hostel was really cozy and warm, and there was really great music playing. There were little nooks all over the place to sit. It was wonderful. So, a group of us, a Brazilian, a Chinese guy, an Australian, a too old to be in a hostel Spanish guy, an Austrian, and me, the American, sat in the kitchen for hours talking about all kinds of things. It was really fun. Soon enough, everyone had either left for the bars, or gone to bed, so I was alone in a little nook with Skype. It was really nice.
The next day, I set out to see all the things I had looked at yesterday in the dark. It was Sunday, so I wasn't able to get into most of the churches, which was disappointing, but I took lots of pictures of the outsides. I started with Martin Luther church, because it was the closest, and moved on to the old town, which was where the opera house and the Frauenkirche were. Everything was so beautiful in Dresden. Everywhere I go, everything is beautiful, but something about Dresden really made me fall in love.
I was able to go inside the Frauenkirche, and around the opera house. I am pretty sure I saw everything there was to see in Dresden, except the zoo. That just means I have to go back one day. :)
The third day, I walked back to Martin Luther church in the morning, hoping to get in, but it was too early. I walked on to another church, and then through some woods. The ride back to Friedrichshafen was supposed to be about eight hours, so I didn't want to hang out too long. Anyway, it ended up being about 12 hours, so I got home really very late, and skipped class the next day.

I'm not sure where I will go next, but it will have to work pretty hard to beat Dresden.

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Pictures from Dresden:

Dresden Pictures

Czech out Prague!

So I got a crazy idea to visit Dresden this weekend, but I didn't want to spend tons of time there, and I knew I had five days, so I should find somewhere close by, and spend a couple of days there. So after a lot of thought, I picked Prague. I had no idea what to expect by Czech Republic, but I wanted to know what it was about. So last Tuesday, I booked a hostel in Prague, and a hostel in Dresden. I did my laundry, and then packed my new backpack! Wednesday morning, I went to class, then ran back to my flat, grabbed my backpack, and caught the next bus to the train station.

It was about eight hours to Prague. Five hours on trains, and then somehow I ended up on a three hour bus ride from Nuremberg to Prague. That was weird and unexpected... I got into Prague around seven, which was the same time I had told the hostel to expect me. But, I had planned on eating on the last leg of the train ride, and when that turned out to be a bus ride, and I was asked to store my backpack under the bus, I found I had no food and arrived starved out of my mind. I changed my money at the train station, which I know is dumb, but I was hungry and decided I didn't care so much about getting ripped off. I went to Burger King, and ordered the biggest thing on the menu. I really struggled with the language barrier, but I figured at a train station Burger King, how bad can it be? It was bad. I really don't believe that no one at that Burger King spoke English. They were either really dumb, or trying to rip me off. I stood in line forever, and then finally got to order. After I ordered, I stood there for a really long time while new customers came and went with food, and I got nothing. At this point, I am so hungry I'm shaking, and on the verge of tears. The guy who took my order asks (I think) if he can take my order, and I just about flipped. I tried to tell him I had already ordered, and what I had ordered, and he just thought I was ordering. He asked for money, and I was like "look guy, I already ordered and gave you money!" I looked for a receipt, and realized I was not given one. I was most unhappy. They got a couple other people trying to understand me, and a while later they just gave me a burger, fries, and a drink. I had food, but I was so angry. I was too hungry though. I went and found a seat, and my food was soon gone.

I left the station and headed for my hostel. I managed to navigate the public transportation just fine, and got to the hostel, got checked in, and went to the room to put my things away. I got settled in, and headed downstairs to use the wifi, then took a shower and went to bed. The hostel was great!

So my first full day in Prague, I set out toward the Prague Castle. Of course, I got lost. I got off the tram too early, and ended up at a park. I started up the path at the park, and it seemed to go up and up and up. I followed it anyway. This was when I first noticed the crazy hills in Prague. Everything seems to be at the top of a ridiculous hill. You get some really good views of the city, but your calves will not thank you for it. I walked around the park for a bit, then went and got back on the tram.
I got off at the right stop this time, and walked around for a bit unable to find the silly castle. I stopped at a little cafe for a crepe and cappuccino, and used their wifi to find it. Wandered around the wrong way for a bit, then found some crazy stairs. This must be it. I walked up and up and up some stairs until I arrived at the castle. It was huge. I spent the entire day at the castle and did not see everything.
I just walked around for a bit taking pictures at first. I found some stairs, and as usual, I decided to see what was at the top of them. Two hundred eighty something steps later, I was at the top of some tower. The view was great, and it was definitely worth it, but those stairs were deadly. Next, I decided to go inside the castle and have a look around. I bought a ticket for every part of the castle, and was determined to get my money out of it.
I went to almost every part, but got kicked out of the royal gardens at 6pm. I started to head back to the hostel, and stopped for supper at some resaurant. The food was great, but the service wasn't so good and I way over tipped, because I couldn't translate the currency in my head with the waitress standing there staring at me. Oh well. It was cold and dark, and I was tired, so I went back to the hostel. It was free crepe night. I had three.

Day two, I went into the old town. I visited St. Wenceslas Square, got lost, got some Starbucks, lost my free map, paid way too much for another one, then headed for some old churches. I went into St. Nicholas church, which was absolutely beautiful, and another church that I couldn't find the name of. I walked over Charles Bridge, and around the Old Town Square. There was also a little market that sold a lot of touristy stuff, but also some really cool stuff, and flowers and veggies. I really enjoyed this part of town the most. All of the buildings and bridges were so beautiful.
After I had seen everything, I headed back to the castle and saw everything I had missed the day before.

The next day, i went back into town for a quick walk around, and then I headed to the train station.

Next stop, Dresden!

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All of the pictures from Prague:

Praha!

Wien!

Oy I guess it's been a while. Oops :)

After Oktoberfest, we headed to Vienna. It was a long train ride, but we finally got there in the late afternoon. We got to our hostel, which was ok. We still had a lot of daylight left, so we settled in and then went out to look around. Turns out Vienna is really touristy. A lot of people dressed like Mozart, trying to sell tickets to some show. We got through that, and just kind of wandered around. We found an old church or something, but there was no sign, and no way in. It was pretty weird. We kept wandering, and stumbled on a circus! We were really interested in going to the circus, but it turned out to cost like 24 euros, which is really expensive. There was a little street fair outside of the circus, so we had dinner there. It got dark, and we headed back to the hostel to get some sleep.
The next morning, we headed back into town to look at touristy things :)
We started with St. Stephan's Church, which was beautiful, and then we headed to the Imperial Apartments. On the way, we stopped at a smaller church, where we went to a little flea market, and were invited back to tour the organ that evening.
We learned some history about the Habsburg empire, and then moved on to the Leopold Museum. The Leopold museum was a large private collection of some very weird art. It was quite a day.
We had dinner at a little cafe outside the museum, and then headed back to the church with the organ tour. They played some music on the organ for about 30 minutes, and then we were taken up into it for a demonstration, and to learn how organs work. It was a really cool demonstration!

After that, we wandered around a bit more, and then headed back to the hostel. We caught an early train the next morning, because Kristen had to catch the train as soon as we got back for Zurich, as her plane was leaving the next morning at 7am, yikes. Vienna was my favorite, so far. Despite all the tourists, it was really the most beautiful, that is, until I went to Dresden later. :)

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Pictures from Vienna:

Wien pictures