Huntermanstraße

         This weekend Brad Prough brought me up to Cedar Ridge (think Grand Junction) to see his parents before I go. I feel like this is another family I've been adopted into (followed by the Bednarz family and the Axinns).
        I'm sitting up here listening to Kathi Prough talk to herself...or the computer.... I'm not quite sure... and Anthony Prough is showing off all the cool things about his shop. The snow is falling in big fluffy flakes as it has been doing most of the day. I'm exhausted from skiing all day on slopes I'm not sure I was really ready for.
        This is a nice vacation from the stress of packing, seeing people, and getting things done around the house before I go. They are telling me so much about Germany and I just learn so much listening to them talk to each other. Anthony is talking to me in German, and Kathi is telling me how to make different foods that she had. If I'm lucky I'll see these guys in Germany before I go, but if not, I'm starting to realize just how much I'll have to come back to.
        I don't only have my  own lovely family to come back to, but I have tons of friends who love me almost as most as my family. I have my (yes, MY!) Rocky Mountains that I will miss as well as puppies, ferret, and even my own bed. With only about 4 days left in the states I just want to send a heart felt kiss to everyone here and everything I'll miss.

        On that note I want to show you all my new flat that I'll be in while I'm in Germany! I just sent the money across the pond to secure the dorm, I have money in a traveler's account, and I have a chunk of money in Euros. All I really need to do now is pack clothes, otherwise I'm all set up to go. I'm even on a daily regimen of Airbourne (thank you Ma-ma).

I'll be back home tomorrow to have a drinks with Ben, a friend of mine who is going into the Navy then I'll take the next three days to clean and pack. That's all.

I keep thinking it's finally hit me, but I don't think it's ACTUALLY going to hit me until I land in Dublin. If you hear of a crazy, American girl who had a heart attack in the Dublin airport.....it's probably me. I've said good bye to most people face-to-face at this point, so I'll see you all in five and a half months! :)

The Race is ON!

Anne, Blake, and I

Just in case traveling half way around the world for the first time isn't exciting enough, it's now a race.

That's right. Now on top of figuring out train systems and airports, I have to do it as quickly as I can.

You see, it all started when I was texting Blake, the big bloke to the right there. We were chatting about airports and times and tickets. I will be leaving DIA at about 12:30 on the 28th. He'll be leaving at approx 2:30 or so on the 28th as well. He will fly straight to Frankfurt and I have two lay overs before I get to Hamburg. He'll have to figure out the trains with Anne where as I'll have a guide waiting for me (my lovely Alex Garrett). Plus, I fly in much closer to Oldenburg than Blake and Anne do.

SO THE RACE IS ON!

Loser buys the first round of drinks for the four of us (Alex, Anne, Blake and I) on St. Patrick's day.

WISH ME LUCK!

PINK!

Dad decided that I needed some hard shell suitcases for my travels. Not only can you pack more in these, but your stuff won't be as squished and damaged upon arrival.
                                              GREAT IDEA! EH?

Seriously, who would have thought I would like these....?

He asked me if I wanted red, silver, or dark blue. Since we're going for something that was going to be VERY visible to me, I thought silver or red would be a good color. Dad puts in the order and a few weeks later a few very PINK suitcases come in the mail.

I have been starring at these every time I go in and out of my room (because they're parked right in the hallway outside my door). We opened them up today (to use to pack a weekends worth of clothes for the convention) and the insides are covered in pink with white polka dots. UGH!

In my parents defense, they looked FAR redder online.
But still.....
....though....
I think they are kinda growing on me.

At least I didn't LOOK like her in the dream....

In another aspect of my pre-flight life, I keep having stress dreams about Germany. Not all my dreams revolve around the travels I guess, but a lot of them involve me getting lost in an airport. Most of them include the feeling of being helplessly overburdened with luggage.

          One that has been reoccurring is all about me being in a maze of an airport, all the signs are in gibberish, I'm only about two feet tall and I have PILES of stuff on my back. I feel vaguely like the Junk Lady from Jim Henson's Labyrinth (the cool one with David Bowie).
I need to move to get to my next flight, but I can't move without knocking something over and I have no idea where to move to!
There have been several times where I had to SHAKE myself awake, get a drink of water, then try to get back to sleep.
       Other dreams I get, I'm missing people and hating Germany (GOD FORBID). So let's hope that they'll go away once I'm packed and secure in where I'm going and how I'm going to get there.

Also, I have a questions for people who have flown long distances before. I've flown max a 4-6 hour flight or so, but never more than that. Do you have trouble sleeping on those flights? I just think it'd be really uncomfortable sitting up like that. Let me know what you do to sleep better or relieve boredom if you can't fall asleep. Oddly enough, that's what I'm most worried about!

Hurdle 4: Landkarte

Hurdle 4:

Landkarte (Map)

Huzzah! 

     I've been accepted to Oldenberg!
Oh wait....we already knew this.
                                                 Today I got the official packet from them with all the information I need in it. Guess what, it's exactly €204.04 in activities fees and you have to bring EXACT CHANGE!

So what happens when I forget 4 cents....? Do I get kicked out of Germany? Let's hope not! :D 

When I pulled out the packet filled with German instruction on how to get a residancy permit, class ticket (so I can sign up for classes), how to get to and from the airport, and how to get a student ID, my parents just clapped me on the back and said, "Good luck with figuring that out." Because, naturally, it's all in German. Then I unfold the map that they sent along with the rest of the packet and this was the face I made upon seeing nothing that I understood.

 Bro-ski and I took about 5 minutes looking over the map and trying to find the school, until we gave up and found out later that the school wasn't even on the map. Wow.
But we found a beer garden and an awesome river! 

                                    So let's hope I don't get lost in Germany. 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Who am I kidding? It's me. I get lost back home.