Greetings from Germany

It is hard to believe it has already been 2 days since my plane arrived in Frankfurt, Germany.

As a final goodbye to my friends, my family threw a lovely "going away/Thanksgiving in August" party this past Tuesday. It was amazing to have so many good friends in once place. We had a big turkey, cheesy potatoes, sweet potato casserole, Honeybaked ham, green beans, and many other American-y dishes. I have many photos but alas they are on my mom's camera and will be posted later. I really kept myself together until some kind words from one of my best friends set off the water works. Many many mixed emotions about leaving.

The next morning my family + best friend Kate loaded up the van and shipped out to Cleveland. It was great to meet up with my mom's brother's family in Akron for a little comida Mexicana.

The Orr Family

On Thursday 8.18.11 I flew from Cleveland's Hopkins airport, leaving behind a teary family + a sister that kept saying "make us proud"--hopefully I will, Michelle. ;)

*Lesson of the Day*

Just because it fits in your suitcase doesn't mean you have to take it.

I've learned this one the hard way. Initially I wanted to write a posting about how to properly pack 2 suitcases for a year's worth of use..however after having one bag be 21 pounds over weight + the other 14 pounds over weight...clearly I'm not qualified to write such a recommendation. So instead I'll tell you what not to pack...

1) A hammock. (However my mom pulled that out of my bag before I left...I'm still devastated)

2) A wooden carving of a rhinoceros' head. I don't want a boring dorm room after all.

3) Five bottles of perfume..and one that leaks...

4) Your entire jewelry collection, including the hand painted wooden box you keep it in. 

5) Every item in your closet. Naturally every type of shoe imaginable. 

Perhaps had I left these in Westerville we wouldn't have paid $150 dollars in fees...$150 less to spend in the Parisian boutiques. :(

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES.

Damn you rhino head..

After an excruciatingly boring layover in JFK airport, we boarded the Singapore Airline's 747...only to sit on the runway for almost three hours. Rather than departing at 9:00pm, we took off at nearly midnight.

Slick runway and a lightening laden sky all cause for a delay.

I sincerely enjoy flying with Singapore Airlines as their service is top notch.

Aaaand they serve free cocktails. :D

Reasonably good airline food, and do note the bright pink Singapore Sling cocktail!

 Frankfurt is the midway stop between JFK and Singapore, so lucky me that this is my second time riding with them. (The first was last summer when I went to Stutensee, Germany for a short term exchange through the Rotary) And even luckier me that I get to return to the haus of my former host family---The Langs.

My host sister Salome and friend Sarah picked me up from the airport and we had lunch in Frankfurt--which I learned is the location of the German equivalent of Wall Street. It's apparent from the business people + skyscrapers that this is surely a professional city.

Everyone always complains about the terrible jet lag when traveling internationally...however I believe I have uncovered the fountain of wonder..the secret to not falling under the spell of jet lag.......

PARTYING.

Maybe it's the loud music, happy hour cocktails, attractive men, or good company...or perhaps a combination of all of these that help to immerse yourself into the German timezone (and lifestyle for that matter). 

And I have big news.

I'm in love. 

With the German language.

I know what you're thinking.."But isn't that a little rushed? Leah, you hardly know what you're talking about! It's so harsh and ugly."

Nope. I love it and it loves me. I said probably my most difficult sentence to date today.

Mein kleiner bruder ist nichts so klein.

My little brother is not so little.

Not bad for an American that's never taken a formal German class.

It's going to be difficult starting French when I know my true love is just across the boarder and a short train ride away.

Greetings from Germany! Friedbert (with Lola the dog), me, Salome, Silas, and Martina

Tomorrow I take the Deutsche Bahn to visit an old friend in Pisek, Czech Republic. I'm really looking forward to seeing a new country and capital city--Prague.

Tschüß!

Leah

A fleeting thought--

Blogging is...strange, to say the least.

In this moment it feels like those times when you're surrounded by company, engaging in some form of conversation + you're on the edge of your seat waiting to share your thoughts. You start to speak up--only to be talked over by a friend's words. Looking around the room you hope to lock eyes; you hope to see the light of recognition that someone must be listening. But apparently not.

I am not sure if anyone will read my day-to-day musings. 

  

+ I suppose that's alright with me. At the very least I can use this at a diary or journal of my year spent abroad.

I chose to wallpaper the background with a flock of birds in flight. More recently I have cultivated an interest in the conceptual meaning of birds. What they symbolize + the kind of hope they bring. Perhaps birds will become a thread throughout these postings--weaving these fragments into a greater cloth. 

So I leave you with one of my favorite bird related quotes from a great movie. I challenge you to name which film before taking a peek.

"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are just too bright...and when they fly away, the part of you that knows its was a sin to lock them up does rejoice, but still the place you live is that much more drab and empty that they're gone."

Sixteen days until departure.

Tchao for now.

-Leah