Send Love... and some Crunchy Peanut Butter

They say that it is normal to experience periodic bouts of homesickness while studying abroad. Lately I have been going through one. Maybe it was the start of classes, the change in my schedule, I'm not sure. But for whatever reason, the homesickness hit me hard Tuesday evening as I was walking down to the university. I haven't been able to shake it yet. It's becoming increasingly frustrating for me, because I feel like I haven't learned very much – and I've been here almost a month now. My understanding of German has grown, but I still have no confidence in being able to communicate in German. And with this homesickness, it just makes me want to go home even more, where I know I can communicate with other people without problems. I want to be somewhere that I can speak English, and not feel guilty about it. I wish that I could figure out how to get over whatever it is that's holding me back. I can't spend four months in a foreign country and not learn the language, especially when that is what I'm going to school for. Maybe I'm worrying when I shouldn't be, because I have a little less than three more months ahead of me still, and I've only started my classes. But this homesickness is accompanied by feeling disheartened as well.

So please, if you will, send me some love. And crunchy peanut butter... I'm almost out.

Alles Liebe,
Amanda

Regensburg und Dachau

Regensburg
Was our trip on Saturday. I went with three other girls: one from my university, one from Ohio, and one from the Czech Republic. It was, to say the least, an adventure. We started out at the Eichstätt Stadt train station at nine in the morning. From there we went to the Eichstätt main train station, where we changed trains to get to Ingolstadt (the same city where I stayed for two days when I first arrived in Germany). In Ingolstadt we had an hour and a half before our train to Regensburg left, so we decided to kill our time by walking to Ingolstadt's Altstadt (literally translated as “old city”). Most cities here in Bavaria, as far as I know, have an Altstadt. Eichstätt is small enough that the Altstadt and the city, for all purposes, are one and the same. And yes, I still need to take some pictures of Eichstätt. Unfortunately, from the main train station in Ingolstadt, to its Altstadt is about a half hour walk. We wandered around for a while, until we came across this church. Went inside, took some pictures, then realized we needed to start walking back to the train station if we were going to make our train on time. Even then, we took a few pictures as a group in front of the church. Because we took so long, we ended up nearly running to get to the train station on time. But we made it.

Little did we know, this was a foreshadowing of the rest of the day. The train ride to Regensburg was uneventful. I believe it was only about an hour or so long. Not bad. We arrived in Regensburg with the intentions of making the 2:00 ferry that would take us to Walhalla, which is a faux Greek building, and whose purpose is like a hall of fame for important Germans. We get to the place where we buy our tickets for the ferry – one way only, because we had decided to take the bus back to Regensburg – and this guy yells out to hurry up, because the ferry was going to leave soon. So we took off running towards our ferry, because it was a good distance aways. I didn't even have time to put away my wallet or anything before we started running, so I was running along with my wallet in my hand, and backpack slightly open, hoping nothing would fall out, and that we would make it to the ferry in time. We made it, and as far as I know, nothing fell out. The 45 minute or so trip out to Walhalla was a little boring, and a bit cold. But it was the worth the wait. The Walhalla is an amazing structure that sticks out of the German countryside. Something like 390 steps to get to the top. We climb up to the top, pay four Euro to get into the inside where all the busts of the famous people are. A little steep, I think, but it was fun, and I got some pictures with Mooey – one of which looks like he's kissing Albert Einstein. We wandered around Walhalla for a while, taking pictures and soaking up the view, then decided to find where the bus stop was. Stopped and asked people for directions about three times, found the bus stop, only to find out we had missed the only bus for the day. At a little bit of a loss for what to do, since we were a bit stranded, we decided to make our way back to the river, and see if we could pick up the ferry back to Regensburg. After walking a while, the ferry finally came into view, and we saw that it was still there. No worries. A few moments later, we heard the motors start up, and we took off running again, to see if we could make the ferry. But the time we made it to the dock, the ferry had taken off.

Oh, shit, right? Almost. One of the people working on the ferry saw us, and then turned the ferry around to pick us up. So we were lucky enough to get back on the ferry, even though we only had paid for a one way ticket (we made up the difference for the round trip ticket). And to make it even better (or worse, I suppose), everyone on the ship just stared at us as the ferry turned around, and one little kid, about five years old yelled out, “You are too late!” As if we didn't already know!

We decided to stay away from the crowded parts of the ferry, as to avoid any evil glares that would come our way. When the ferry docked, we got off and away as fast as we could. Then we decided we wanted to see the Dom St. Peter. It is quite amazing. Most churches here are unbelievable. I'm not sure there are words to describe them – one must simply experience them. After that, our trip was quiet and uneventful, as we were pretty exhausted by then, and all we did was wind our way back to the Regensburg train station, eat a Dönner (YUM!), and then make our way back to Eichstätt, which involved switching trains three times. But we made it back, all in one piece, a little exhausted, but overall satisfied.

Dachau
Left Mooey behind on this excursion. In comparison to our trip to Regensburg, this was the complete opposite – somber and a little depressing. I'm not even sure there are words to describe the what it was like, and if there are, I don't think I would say them. It's just something that has to be experienced (though I do have plenty of pictures to share). Going to Dachau did, however spark my interest in the Holocaust, and WW2. I would definitely like to learn more. And improve my German enough to read Anne Frank's Diary – the untranslated version, of course.

So my classes begin this week – Tuesday. I'll now have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. It's not a bad schedule, and it definitely gives me a lot of free time. As much as I'd like to travel a lot, this weekend has shown me that a lot of travel by train could get really expensive. I've been told plenty of times that I should just go and travel and spend my money, but I'm torn between that, and being able to buy myself lots of nice things while I'm here in Germany. It's a tough decision, because I don't think I can manage both. As nice as it'd be, I don't want to go broke over here. There will be too much to pay for back home, and I'm not interested in holding down two jobs right after I get back, and through my last semester of college, in order to pay for everything. I'd like some free time to do what I want. But we'll see what the next three months bring me.

Miss you all,
Amanda

PS. For pictures, clink these links:
Regensburg and Dachau
The Mooey Album
Hallo Deutschland!

Morgen Wird Besser Sein

Tomorrow will be better.

At least that's what I keep telling myself. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow has to be better. Monday was frustrating because we didn't know how many classes we were supposed to take. Our advisor here said that most American students take – at the least – five classes. However, our advisor at St. Cloud (who is very hard to get a hold of, and had my mother not called her yesterday, I am not sure we would have gotten such a prompt response from her) has said that we only need to take four. Not so bad. That I can handle. But in choosing classes, I am limited in which classes I can take because I was placed into the lowest group for the intensive language course – a group that I probably should not have been in. So this morning I took another placement test. It was a lot harder than I expected, and I don't feel like I did very well on it. Another frustration. The advisor here for American students said that we should try taking some “Vorlesung” classes, which are basic lecture classes. The advantage to this type of class is that you don't need to take it for credit – you can just sit in and listen. But since these are for the typical German student, it is difficult for us international students to understand, especially when we don't have the vocabulary (or perhaps it's just me who doesn't have the vocabulary – I don't know), as I found out this afternoon. I actually got up and left the lecture when there was a break in the class because I don't think it makes sense to sit through a class that I can barely understand, and I certainly don't see how this is supposed to improve my German. I could just as well study on my own and work on translations, and make flash cards and drill everything into my brain instead of sitting through these lecture classes that I'd end up daydreaming through anyway, because I understand so little. Another let down point.

So tomorrow should be better, right? By tomorrow I'll have figured out what I got on my test, and I'll have signed up for classes, and I'll work on studying German. Whether it be working on flash cards or buying a magazine or book, and attempt to work on my comprehension. I'll find myself a quiet spot in the university somewhere, and study until my head hurts. What more can I do?

On another, more upbeat note, my weekend was pretty good. On Friday afternoon, my tutor invited Matt and I to a grilling party with her and her friends. This, I have to admit, was very uncomfortable for me, and I didn't enjoy it at all. I'm not good in big groups of people, they tend to make me edgy and anxious – I usually sit back and listen and not want to participate in conversations, and this holds for when I am back at home, too. To add to that, there were at least three conversations going on at once, plus the radio going, and it was so much German at once that I actually started getting a headache. But after the grilling party, there was a bar hopping thing with the international students. This was more my kind of thing. I am definitely more at ease with the international students, and I speak more, and better, German when I'm with them. I only wish that we didn't on top of this cursed mountain, and were closer to everyone else. During the bar hopping, we got to experience a Jägermeister party. With a deer mascot, and a “hunter” and plenty of women with skimpy clothes and orange wigs, they have us play games, and have you take pictures with the deer, and, perhaps best of all, get free Jägermeister shots. It was quite fun. I hope I get to experience another one.

Saturday was our last day of class. Most people had gone on the bar hop and didn't want to be there. I wasn't so tired, but we had taken our final test the day before, and we were just trying to cover the rest of our book, and I was very bored. And a bit disappointed because on Friday I had received another thing in my mail box that said I had a package to pick up at the post office the next day (Saturday) and that they were open from 9 to 12. I had class from 9 to 12:15, so I had to wait until Monday to pick it up. But thankfully, class finally ended. We went out to a restaurant to celebrate that night, and just hung out, trying to speak some more German.

Sunday was quiet. Perhaps the first day that there was not anything going on. It was nice, even though none of the stores were open. I walked around town with Casey, the other girl from St. Cloud State, and we had some pizza, walked through the museum in the church (which was amazing; I added some pictures to my album on Facebook), went to gather some information at the city hall, and was amazed at the inside (got some pictures of that too), then went back up and hung out and studied German a bit. Monday morning we got some grocery shopping done (have I ever mentioned that I love food? because I do), and also bought some much needed flash cards. Then began our international student meeting and the beginning of most of our frustrations.

I have managed to make it through all three dozen cookies my mom sent me. It took me a week or so. I've noticed lately that I've been eating a lot. Part of it is from climbing up to my apartment about twice every day, but a lot of it is an emotional thing. I know that today especially I was eating a lot because I was frustrated and upset with the way things are going with classes. At least now I know how many I am supposed to take, but that's just one little thing. It's really difficult to resist the urge to eat when that's one of the few things that makes me feel less frustrated.

But I can only hope that tomorrow will be better.

Tschüss,
Amanda

PS. I have added my address on here so that everyone knows where to send me mail. I like getting mail.

PPS. GOOD NEWS. Got to look at the score for my placement test this morning - I got into a high enough German class (and probably the one best suited for me!) that I can take the classes that I want to. And I'm all signed up for those classes. Talk about a relief! =)

Es Geht

It goes.

And so it does. There have been a lot of things on my mind lately, and with good reason. Being placed in the lowest German class for our intensive language course hasn't seemed to help me at all with my German. At least I don't think so. Most of the grammar we're learning in the class, I have already learned - often times in more than one of my German classes back home. My speaking skills are lagging behind my grammar ones, but perhaps with more of a grammar (and vocabulary) challenge they would catch up. I don't know. There are too many Americans, or people willing to speak English, here than is good for all of us English speakers. Between that, and confusion about which and how many classes to take, I have been a little frustrated and worried. Perhaps I'm simply worrying too much, as I have three months ahead of me, as well as the entire semester to get better at speaking. I also bought myself two German music CDs, both of which I picked up at the Post Office today, and I will practice my translating skills by attempting to translate the lyrics. In buying these CDs, I thought it may also help to get me thinking in German, since I haven't quite made it to that point yet. All of the music I have on my computer to listen to is, naturally, in English, and this not very helpful with my German skills.

I did finally get my first care package today, and I must say, it was well worth the wait. It was so awesome to get stuff from back home. I only wish it wasn't so expensive for people to send me things. And the Easter cookies, however late they were, tasted amazing, and I managed to eat six of them right away. Opening up the box today was like Christmas, even though I knew already what was in the box, and it definitely made me forget my worries. And my walls are more entertaining now, than the stark white they were. Posters and pictures make everything better. =)

We have our final test for our language course tomorrow, and then one more class on Saturday (which I don't understand why, but that's perhaps another story). After that, we're finished, and except for a couple more events next week, we're free for a while. I'm not sure what I want to do with my free time. Travel a bit, hopefully, but also trying to settle in and get used to speaking in German. As well as trying to get my brain turned over into thinking in German as well. It's a hard push to make on my brain, especially when it's easier to get my point across in English, and when I'm trying to deal with being on my own, being homesick, and missing everyone. Trust me when I say that it's hard to wake up in the middle of the night, expecting to be in your own bed at home, only to find you're halfway across the world and alone, at that.

All I can say is: thank goodness I've got Mooey. He may not solve my problems, but he sure does make me feel better.

And so it's time for me to get off my butt and do some more hill-climbing now.

Bis später,
Amanda

Oh, Kartoffelsalat!

Oh, potato salad!

And peanut cookies! And Snicker bars! And all Schokolade (chocolate)! And these waffer things with hazelnut creme! And Apfelschorle! But not Obstwasser. That definitely does not taste very good.

Yesterday at the grocery store, I decided that I was going to need something besides the usual sandwich. So I picked up potato salad. It has probably been the best thing I've done all week (so far), minus talking to Kyle and the parental units. For serious. Potato salad rocks. As does so much of the food here.

Found out that most classes don't start until the week of the 23^rd. I probably also won't know what classes that I'm going to take until the 16^th. Basically, this means that this week I finish up my intensive language course – Gott sei Dank (thank goodness) – Monday I can figure out what classes to take, the rest of the week I have frei (free) and then we start the real classes on the 23^rd. It should be an interesting semester, to say the least. Most classes only meet once a week, and if I can swing it right, I should only have classes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This would leave a very long weekend for traveling. Or translating German texts. Or reading. Or simply hanging out and speaking German with... Germans. What a concept that is.

My German buddy has invited Matt and I to a party of sorts (where much grilling will commence) on Freitag (Friday). Since Matt has a crush on my German buddy, he, perhaps, jumped at this chance more so than I, however, it would be good for me to get out with real Germans, not the American students, and so I jumped as well. I would also like to get to know my tutor better, as she seems very nice, and the only time I really got to talk to her was the day I arrived, not feeling well, and all around not very sociable.

Another thing of importance: on Tuesday nights, CSI: Miami, House, and Monk are on the TV. Which I, of course, have to see. But why watch American shows in Germany? Because they're not in English! And they're also very comical, to say the least. First, in watching the mouths, as the lips do not match the words, and second to listen to the German voice-overs of characters I'm familiar with. And also: the company. There is always an interesting person to meet here in Eichstaett.

Now if only I could get my butt in gear and speak flawless German.

Or something.

Ciao for now,
And missing you all,
Amanda

Ich mache Fotos gern

I like to take pictures.

To find two albums of pictures I've taken so far, just click these links! It's easy AND fun.

Hallo Deutschland!
München

Reflektieren

To Reflect

Die Universität und der Sprachkurs (the University and the language course):

Gorgeous university. And it's been around for a very long time. One of these days, I'll get around to taking pictures of it. There is even a garden, right outside the main administration building that I end up walking through everyday. I can't wait until later, when the flowers are in bloom.

Der Sprachkurs – the intensive language course – is much like hell week in sports try-outs. Except we've got 54 hours in a classroom. Our class begins at 9:00 in the morning, breaks for lunch at 12:15, and then meets again at 1:30 until 3:00. It has been a total overload of information. Often times, it's simply a relief to be able to speak English afterward, because there is so much frustration in not being able to communicate a point. The other night, I went to bed with my ears ringing, and there have been a few times where I've actually had to turn off my music while doing homework because it's too much and becomes a distraction and unnecessary noise. But under normal circumstances I work better with music than without.

For having three years of German in St. Cloud (as well as three years at Anoka High School), it seems that I have very little knowledge of German. Enough to get by, of course, but conversation is limited, and, at times, rather awkward. Obviously it's most frustrating right now, because we have just begun our quest. As time goes on, speaking will get easier. Having basic knowledge of the language is great, but actually being able to speak, and put all your grammar and pronunciation knowledge to use, especially when you get put on the spot, for me, is incredibly difficult. Especially when you have to get used to, and comfortable with, hearing yourself talk in a foreign language. On top of all this, speaking has always been my weak point, not just in German, but in English too.

But I'll get better. And being here and listening and talking and learning has taught me that there's a lot left to learn if I want to go into translating. So, after getting to listen to some music in our class, I decided to buy a couple German music CDs, in order to listen to and translate lyrics in my spare time. I will also probably pick up some newspapers or magazines and translate them as well. Not only would it be good for what I want to end up doing, it would keep me busy.

Die Leute (the people):

I'm not sure that I've actually met so many like-minded people that I feel as if I can actually get along with. By nature, I am not a people person, and much prefer either the company of a chosen few, or myself. But this has been a learning experience in realizing that maybe I'm a bit too cynical about people. Thursday after class, I spent much of the evening with two students from Tennessee. We went grocery shopping for chili ingredients, because for our Easter brunch we were required to bring food that was unique to our country. Not so easy for America, since we're just a melting pot of other cultures, but we figured chili and corn bread was a good choice. After grocery shopping, we wandered around the town for a while before deciding to eat some pizza. We happened to meet up with one of the German tutors (every international student gets their own), who invited us up to his rooftop to eat our pizza. So we went, and got to experience a sunset in Eichstätt from a rooftop. Went to a bar after that, didn't enjoy it much, but then, I usually don't, went to bed. The next day a student from Wyoming, and one from Sweden hiked up to the castle (Willibaldsburg) here in Eichstätt. Because it was a Catholic holiday, the castle itself wasn't open, but we wandered around the place, and then went back down to the town and hung out and had ice cream and real Bavarian food, and talked. There is so much that you learn about other people once you make the effort to get to know them, and so many people aren't who they seem to be on first impression.

Das Essen und die Getränke (the food and the drinks):

Naturally, beer is everywhere. I've found lately that the smell and taste of beer turns my stomach, so after my beer and lemonade mixture, I haven't had anything else. I did have a Smirnoff at the bar, and a shot of Jägermeister in the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, but that has been my alcohol consumption so far. However, alcohol is much more accessible over here, as well as it's much more a way of life for the Germans. The university is Catholic, and yet I've heard they serve beer in the cafeteria. I haven't seen this yet, but I'd believe it. Alcohol, not just beer, is also sold at the grocery store. I caught myself wandering down the aisles there, thinking of Kyle, and wanting to buy some alcohol. Which I may just do. As an alternative to Tylenol PM, of course, since I haven't found any. As for alcohol free drinks, my favorite I've come across so far is Apfelschorle. It is a mixture of apple juice and sparkling water. Perhaps better than it sounds. There is also different kinds, not just apple juice, and not just juice – wine also. Coca-cola tastes different here too. Though I've heard that the Coca-Cola company tailors their recipe to the place they sell, so this makes sense. It also makes me want to try McDonald. Which there is one here in Eichstätt, even though we're very small.

As for the food, I can't say that I've found anything I don't like yet. When on my own, I tend to eat sandwiches because they're quick, easy, good and cheap. The university gives out a lunch card, which you can put money on in order to buy food, which I've actually done. Not for the cafeteria food, of course, but for the sandwiches (American candy bars!) in the cafe below the cafeteria. But I've had Dönners and pizza and ice cream and little Nuremberg sausages with sauerkraut, and it's all been delicious. In fact, the other day, after hiking around the castle, I ate the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had.

München (Munich):

Awesome city. Only an hour and a half away by train. Obviously there is way more there to see than a person can see in one day, so I definitely want to go back. Even though we spent an entire day there, it seems as if I hardly saw anything. I'm looking forward to going back there when my Mutti (mother) comes to visit. We must go shopping!

Ostern (Easter):

The past few days have been absolutely beautiful outside, and Easter was no exception. The university has a special “Welcome Team” that plans activities and excursions for us international students – for Easter, we were invited to make something from our home countries, and bring it for what turned out to be a pot luck picnic. We climbed up yet another hill (this one is called Frauenberg) and had our food with a wonderful view of Eichstätt and surrounding towns. Although everything is closed down for Easter, it really doesn't seem like it's a holiday, especially since I'm not with my family. Somehow celebrating holidays with family make them seem more like a holiday, at least with me.

Mein Leben (my life) in Eichstätt:

My life? It goes. Keeps moving forward. Life is all about putting one foot in front of the other, even when you're walking uphill. Which I'm doing a lot of here, both literally and figuratively. It is so different here, and I have to get accustomed to it without having my usual comforts. Sometimes I don't think that I'll make it through four months – that it's just too long for me to be away from home. Other times I'm out and about and doing things and keeping busy, and not even thinking about going home. This has certainly been a lesson in learning to live in the moment, and enjoy what I can. But I haven't finished learning it yet. There's still a part of me that just wants these four months to go by as quickly as possible. I still miss Kyle like mad, as well as my family, but it gets easier with time, as I get used to not having them around. It's not something I want to do, get used to them not being around, but then, it's merely learning how to survive. There are a couple other girls who have boyfriends back home, and knowing that they're going through the same thing, and understand, helps too. I'm hoping to finally get my computer connected to the university's wireless soon, so that staying in touch will be a bit easier. When I'm connected to the people back home, and I can send and receive emails from them, life doesn't seem so hard to deal with. It still sucks, but it's better than going without the internet completely. And I definitely am looking forward to seeing everyone that plans on visiting me. It will be sooooo good to see my loved ones again.

Bis später,

Amanda

PS. Keep sending me letters and packages! (and no, I haven't yet received the ones I've been told are coming) And keep sending me emails too! I may not always have time to respond, but I love reading them. =)

Am Anfang

At the beginning.

Saturday morning Matt and I set off to Ingolstadt Nordbahnhof, the closest train station to the villa we stayed in. One large bag, a carry on and a backpack seems like it would travel lightly, but when you have to lug those onto and then off the train by yourself, it becomes more heavy than light. But I managed. We arrived at the Eichstätt Bahnhof safe and sound. However, the was a misunderstanding about which Bahnhof Matt and I were supposed to be picked up at. There is the Eichstätt Bahnhof, and there is also the Eichstätt Stadt Bahnhof. We waited at the train station for almost 45 minutes before deciding to buy a ticket for the Eichstätt Stadt Bahnhof, as this train ran every hour. The train arrived, we got on, and a few minutes before we were set to go, my German tutor (who is more like a “buddy” than tutor), Anabel, came on the train, and ushered us to her friend's car for the ride into the city. One thing to note about the cars and roads here in Germany is that everything is much smaller. Anabel and I sat in the back seat, holding the large suitcases in our laps, and there was barely room enough to fit everything. But we managed. And it was quite an adventure. For the first time, we really got to converse with other German students. It's quite thrilling to talk to native-German speakers, because it really tests your knowledge of the language. However, a lot of people here speak English as well, and so it's helpful right away in case we don't know a word auf Deutsch.

Sunday was hell. I didn't sleep well. I wasn't feeling well. I just wanted to go home. Sunday night around eight we met up with other international students at a restaurant and talked with them for a while. I went, but I wasn't much for talking. At that point, I still wanted to go home. I did get to talk to my parents, which was probably the only highlight of my day – at 11:30 PM. But after talking with them, I felt ready enough to face the four months that I have to be here. Also decided that I need to get myself a phone card.

Monday was the beginning of class. My sleeping schedule is still not quite on par with the time zone over here, so even after being dead tired, I still managed to wake up in the middle of the night for a while. So when my “alarm” went off (I still don't have an alarm clock, so I have to have someone buzz my doorbell to wake me up) I wasn't ready to get up. Went down to the city early. And by going down to the city, I mean that we hike down the mountain. Because we live on a mountain that is a 15 minute hike from town, and the university. It's quite a trek, and I will definitely be in shape by the end of my four months here. I also won't have to worry about how much food I eat – I'll burn it all off, just walking to class and back. Withdrew needed money, since all I had had since Saturday was one Euro. The beginning of our school day started off with a test in order to place us according to level. Even though at St. Cloud, I'm one of the better German students, here there are many people who have studied German for a long time, and so I got placed in the lowest out of three groups. I've chosen to go with it, and not get upset about it. There's a lot that I still don't know in German, and by skipping ahead the semester that I did, I probably lost some grammar and vocabulary that other people here have. Lunch was an adventure. Matt, I, and two other students from the US went to eat Dönners. For those of you that enjoy gyros, it is Turkish version of a gyros. And very good. I would go back there in a heartbeat. We finally got our user name and password so that we're able to log on the internet. I still have to bring my computer in to get it set up on the wireless system, but right now I'm just happy having internet access again, even though the German keyboards are different, and a bit frustrating when certain letters have been switched around on you. The most annoying is having the “y” and the “z” switched around. As English speakers, we use the letter “y” a lot more than Germans do, and trying to type emails auf Englisch can be difficult when many of the words contain the letter “y.”

Tuesday (today) was the first full day of our classes. Three hours of grammar is not fun! Though much of it is familiar, so it's not that bad. Bought an alarm clock during lunch, so now I don't have to have Matt wake me up in the mornings. Which is good, because today I almost hit my head on my nightstand trying to get out of bed right away. We also got homework today (blah), which I haven't yet done, since I decided that writing my emails and staying in touch with everyone was a better use of my time, because it would keep me a little happier. Tonight there is a movie night, but I am not yet sure that I am going to go. If other people go, then I will, but I certainly don't want to have to climb the mountain all by myself when it's dark outside!

I still haven't taken any pictures here yet, but I intend to. We don't have school on Friday, so I will get out then, and get picture adventuring.

There's still a lot of stuff ahead of us (as well as way too much to pay for), but I'm actually looking forward to getting settled into the semester and do a little traveling. Two of the planned excursions this semester that I would like to go on are to Salzburg, and to Dresden.

Bis später,
Amanda