Sunday, October 9, 2011
We've hooked one!!
Moments ago Stefanie came into my room and said the girl she has been talking with wants to come on Monday the 17th. One less week of frustration!
Childcare is for suckers
Well I guess it is time to make my future plans "official" by posting them on the blog. I apologize that I didn't get on here sooner and update all of my diligent followers (Mom, Bret, Randy, and Grandma) with my situation. Although it crossed my mind many times, it was hard to put into words what was happening. For all of those who haven't been contacted by my ecstatic mother, I'll give you the short version. I'm not fit to watch children for an extended period of time. Sure, babysitting is nice and fun, but living with one? I didn't exactly bite off more than I could chew, but I took a huge bite of something I had never had before and it didn't go over so well. I'm not happy doing a job like this and as much as it kills me to give up and come home, I'm doing it. I considered sticking it out and staying for a few months or trying to finish the year, but the more I considered this option the more that I realized that this position doesn't benefit my career in any way. There is no motivation for me to grin and bear it so why should I? I had the talk with my host mom and explained the situation. She was understanding and we agreed to work together to find a replacement for my move out date in 2 weeks. This seems impossible but we've actually been in contact with 2 different girls who are seriously considering it. Crazy, crazy women.
So within the month I will be landing in Chicago being greeted by the ugliness of the beginning of the long winter. As much as I would like this to be true, moving home isn't going to be an instant fix all. I can already see my growing frustration with the job search, my surroundings, and my lack of Marcel. I think the last being the most depressing and draining. We've done the whole long distance thing through our entire relationship, but now we are stepping up to the big leagues with different time zones and an ocean of separation. I've accepted that it's going to be hard, really hard. I'm hoping that my realistic outlook will prepare me for the heartache to come. Feel free to donate to the "Fly a Marcel Foundation".
Once home my plan is to get a job serving at a fine establishment, such as Bobs, and save some money so that I can pay off some old debts and have an opportunity to relocate with more career options. I keep telling myself I will only be home for a couple months, but to be honest, it's probably going to be 6 months to a year. Luckily, I still have my Hyatt connection and I plan on using that diligently during my job search. It's funny because during my last weeks at Edelweiss I thought I was so excited for a break from the hospitality field, but I'm eager to get back into it. I know it and I know how to handle the situations that come along with it. It's much easier to calm down a furious old man than an irrational child. Even though most people turn into the latter when their towels aren't replaced in a timely fashion.
My last weeks in Freiburg will be bittersweet. I'm more than excited to be done with this job, but leaving my boyfriend is another story. To say our farewell, as well as to celebrate my birthday, we are taking a trip to Hamburg. It's not all pleasure though. Marcel has another conference there he wants to attend, so we will piggyback some fun time on the back of that. It will be refreshing to take a solo trip with him and get in some good memories before we part ways for an undetermined amount of time. As much as I want to use one, I'm going to avoid all cliches and just go with what I'm really feeling......I hope everything works out.
So within the month I will be landing in Chicago being greeted by the ugliness of the beginning of the long winter. As much as I would like this to be true, moving home isn't going to be an instant fix all. I can already see my growing frustration with the job search, my surroundings, and my lack of Marcel. I think the last being the most depressing and draining. We've done the whole long distance thing through our entire relationship, but now we are stepping up to the big leagues with different time zones and an ocean of separation. I've accepted that it's going to be hard, really hard. I'm hoping that my realistic outlook will prepare me for the heartache to come. Feel free to donate to the "Fly a Marcel Foundation".
Once home my plan is to get a job serving at a fine establishment, such as Bobs, and save some money so that I can pay off some old debts and have an opportunity to relocate with more career options. I keep telling myself I will only be home for a couple months, but to be honest, it's probably going to be 6 months to a year. Luckily, I still have my Hyatt connection and I plan on using that diligently during my job search. It's funny because during my last weeks at Edelweiss I thought I was so excited for a break from the hospitality field, but I'm eager to get back into it. I know it and I know how to handle the situations that come along with it. It's much easier to calm down a furious old man than an irrational child. Even though most people turn into the latter when their towels aren't replaced in a timely fashion.
My last weeks in Freiburg will be bittersweet. I'm more than excited to be done with this job, but leaving my boyfriend is another story. To say our farewell, as well as to celebrate my birthday, we are taking a trip to Hamburg. It's not all pleasure though. Marcel has another conference there he wants to attend, so we will piggyback some fun time on the back of that. It will be refreshing to take a solo trip with him and get in some good memories before we part ways for an undetermined amount of time. As much as I want to use one, I'm going to avoid all cliches and just go with what I'm really feeling......I hope everything works out.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
So...we have an American....
So here we are. I have been in Freiburg for 5 days and I won't lie, it has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me. It was easy to romanticize the move, but actually living it is little more difficult. When I was coming here for the weekend to visit I had no cares. I didn't mind that no one could understand me and the issue of having friends here was nonexistent because my little wedge of America was always on the horizon. Although I feel really dumb saying that, it is true, Garmisch and the Abrams were a slice of comfort. I'm not exactly sure when my attitude shifted from the thought that this was another holiday to this is my life now. Marcel says it was about 10 minutes outside of Freiburg, I think it was when he was talking to the girl who had rented his flat while he was doing his internship. As the conversation carried on my thoughts were something along the lines of "Wow, I don't understand any of this. I don't know German. I don't know any German. What the f*ck am I doing here?".
I would gauge my emotions this week on the same level as a hormone ridden pregnant woman, minus the whole pregnancy bit. I'm crying one minute, laughing the next, and it's all out of my control. Don't misinterpret any of this though. I'm so happy to be here, it just took me getting here to actually realize what a hard move it was going to be. I'm not letting myself form any opinions for a couple weeks. It's too soon to decide how I really feel and to be fair, nothing bad has happened. I'm just overwhelmed at the thought of everything that is now on my plate. I start the job tomorrow morning and move into the flat in the afternoon. Opinion forming will begin approximately at 8:30am.
Now on to the 5 days of holiday. Despite the previous paragraphs, I have been having a good time. The first night Marcel could sense the oncoming depression and decided to take me to a special dinner at a little place called Kullman's Diner. It is Germany's take on "American" food. The menu featured burgers, wings, caesar salad, curly fries, milk shakes, Snapple, and many other dishes you could find at any bar or diner. Not that I needed a burger and fries to feel at home, but it was a great change from the norm. Don't you worry, we did order German beer. The evening ended with both of us sinking into well deserved food comas. The following night Marcel's roommates returned home from holidays and several of his friends came over to celebrate everyone being together again. Honestly, I was dreading the evening in with the Germans. I was worried that speaking English wouldn't be their top priority and I would be the awkward girl sitting in the corner laughing just because everyone else was. Again, this was never something that bothered me before, but this is my life now, so I have a different outlook, I suppose. Although I was nervous, the night was a lot of fun and I had some great conversations with his friends. It was one of those times where you envision the worst scenario and then the exact opposite occurs. Tonight we are meeting the same friends to play a game they ordered online called The War on Terror. They said they were excited for me to explain some of the cards, should be an interesting evening in the war zone.
I'm now a member of the Freiburg English Club. I attended my first meeting last night at a cozy little Italian restaurant about a 30 minute walk from Marcel's flat. I was nervous, so I made sure to arrive about 15 minutes early to drink a beer and get settled in. Of course I had nothing to be nervous about. I met with the group on the alternative week, they usually meet every other week on Tuesday, so it was a smaller group, but conversation was plenty. I was the only American in attendance followed by a New Zealander, four Australians, one UK, two Germans, and the lone South American man who arrived minutes before we were leaving the restaurant. The old man from New Zealand introduced himself to me and I followed with the usual pleasantries. He seemed more than excited when he exclaimed "So, we have an American!! I can tell that much!". Maybe it was my midwestern accent? It was refreshing to speak English freely without wondering if I was being understood properly. They may not be the usual group of people I would pick to spend time with, but I think I will make it a priority to attend the dinners.
I will end this post with some wise words that Mom relayed to me minutes ago...
"Starting a new job is never fun. I always figure if I have found the bathroom it was a good day."
Tomorrow should be a breeze.
I would gauge my emotions this week on the same level as a hormone ridden pregnant woman, minus the whole pregnancy bit. I'm crying one minute, laughing the next, and it's all out of my control. Don't misinterpret any of this though. I'm so happy to be here, it just took me getting here to actually realize what a hard move it was going to be. I'm not letting myself form any opinions for a couple weeks. It's too soon to decide how I really feel and to be fair, nothing bad has happened. I'm just overwhelmed at the thought of everything that is now on my plate. I start the job tomorrow morning and move into the flat in the afternoon. Opinion forming will begin approximately at 8:30am.
Now on to the 5 days of holiday. Despite the previous paragraphs, I have been having a good time. The first night Marcel could sense the oncoming depression and decided to take me to a special dinner at a little place called Kullman's Diner. It is Germany's take on "American" food. The menu featured burgers, wings, caesar salad, curly fries, milk shakes, Snapple, and many other dishes you could find at any bar or diner. Not that I needed a burger and fries to feel at home, but it was a great change from the norm. Don't you worry, we did order German beer. The evening ended with both of us sinking into well deserved food comas. The following night Marcel's roommates returned home from holidays and several of his friends came over to celebrate everyone being together again. Honestly, I was dreading the evening in with the Germans. I was worried that speaking English wouldn't be their top priority and I would be the awkward girl sitting in the corner laughing just because everyone else was. Again, this was never something that bothered me before, but this is my life now, so I have a different outlook, I suppose. Although I was nervous, the night was a lot of fun and I had some great conversations with his friends. It was one of those times where you envision the worst scenario and then the exact opposite occurs. Tonight we are meeting the same friends to play a game they ordered online called The War on Terror. They said they were excited for me to explain some of the cards, should be an interesting evening in the war zone.
I'm now a member of the Freiburg English Club. I attended my first meeting last night at a cozy little Italian restaurant about a 30 minute walk from Marcel's flat. I was nervous, so I made sure to arrive about 15 minutes early to drink a beer and get settled in. Of course I had nothing to be nervous about. I met with the group on the alternative week, they usually meet every other week on Tuesday, so it was a smaller group, but conversation was plenty. I was the only American in attendance followed by a New Zealander, four Australians, one UK, two Germans, and the lone South American man who arrived minutes before we were leaving the restaurant. The old man from New Zealand introduced himself to me and I followed with the usual pleasantries. He seemed more than excited when he exclaimed "So, we have an American!! I can tell that much!". Maybe it was my midwestern accent? It was refreshing to speak English freely without wondering if I was being understood properly. They may not be the usual group of people I would pick to spend time with, but I think I will make it a priority to attend the dinners.
I will end this post with some wise words that Mom relayed to me minutes ago...
"Starting a new job is never fun. I always figure if I have found the bathroom it was a good day."
Tomorrow should be a breeze.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Good Luck from Brussels
Lake Garda was a fabulous time. Although Marcel, Marcel, and I really only had one full day on the beach, we made the best of our short vaca in Italy. We made it to the small town with no problems except that in a lapse of judgement, I didn't write down the name of the campground that was recommended to us. As helpful as a GPS address is, they are pretty pointless when there are campgrounds every 10 feet. We randomly made a decision and decided to stay at..........?? And I can't remember the name of that one either, but it was a nice place. We set up camp near the beach and then the relaxation began. It was a really nice getaway with beautiful weather. Just what we all needed.
My last day of work was yesterday, so the rest of the week is full of packing, out processing, party machen, and goodbyes. It's a bittersweet separation. I'm happy that the 13 months is over though. It's time to start something new. Now on to the next year of my life.
My last day was surprisingly easy. I only had one guest that me want to rip my hair out. That is seriously a record. And I managed to make a huge fool of myself. That's pretty common practice though. Corinne found a small butterfly pin in Market Station and being the kind person that she is, she offered it to me. In celebration of my last day, I pinned it to my vest and went on with my day. It attracted a lot of attention and I was happy to say it was a gift for my last day of service. It wasn't until a small woman came up to the desk, looking worried, and asking about her good luck charm from Brussels, that I began to worry. I sheepishly pointed to the cute little guy pinned to my vest and as my face turned a dark shade of red, asked her if this was what she was talking about. It was. I was mortified, to say the least. She was very thankful that I handed it over and came back moments later to give it to me and as many times as I denied the gift she still insisted. I'm not the proud owner of a good luck butterfly pin from Brussels. Thank you, lady.
I'm off to more productive things with my day. More updates soon to come.
My last day of work was yesterday, so the rest of the week is full of packing, out processing, party machen, and goodbyes. It's a bittersweet separation. I'm happy that the 13 months is over though. It's time to start something new. Now on to the next year of my life.
My last day was surprisingly easy. I only had one guest that me want to rip my hair out. That is seriously a record. And I managed to make a huge fool of myself. That's pretty common practice though. Corinne found a small butterfly pin in Market Station and being the kind person that she is, she offered it to me. In celebration of my last day, I pinned it to my vest and went on with my day. It attracted a lot of attention and I was happy to say it was a gift for my last day of service. It wasn't until a small woman came up to the desk, looking worried, and asking about her good luck charm from Brussels, that I began to worry. I sheepishly pointed to the cute little guy pinned to my vest and as my face turned a dark shade of red, asked her if this was what she was talking about. It was. I was mortified, to say the least. She was very thankful that I handed it over and came back moments later to give it to me and as many times as I denied the gift she still insisted. I'm not the proud owner of a good luck butterfly pin from Brussels. Thank you, lady.
I'm off to more productive things with my day. More updates soon to come.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
It Wasn't Made For Clumsies
It was another busy weekend in Garmisch. On Friday night Marcel, Rachel, Basti (Rachel's man friend), and I went up to Munich to watch Germany and Macedonia battle it out on the basketball court. Although I have never been to a professional game this was awfully similar to a smaller college game. The game was held in Munich's Olympiahalle, which according to Wikipedia, seats between 12,000 and 14,000 people. The fans politely applauded for every player's name until the man, Dirk, was announced and then they went crazy. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the rest of the team who didn't receive near the recognition. After watching the game start, I could understand why. I'm not in any position to judge any ones talent, but it wasn't the best basketball playing I have seen. During half time there was a laser light show followed by a cheer performance by what I'm assuming was an area all star squad. It was nothing like the cheerleaders for the NFL, NBA, or even college sports. They were wearing uniforms that weren't revealing and their dances weren't provocative. Rachel and I were more than curious about the type of food the arena would serve. Would it be nachos and cheap hotdogs? Nope, it was the usual German fanfare of currywurst, bratwurst, fries, beer, and pretzels. I was still delighted with the selection, of course. The game was fun, the food good, and the company better.
On Saturday Marcel and I traveled to Nürnberg to watch the locals play against Augsburg. As usual, it rained the entire morning when we were exploring the city. To our luck it cleared up in the afternoon just before the match began and we were able to enjoy the game without rain coats and umbrellas. Nürnberg was a cute city that I wish we could have spent more time in. I've heard the Christmas markets are something I shouldn't miss, so hopefully I can make a return trip this winter.
Sunday was a productive lazy day. Christina, Marcel, and I gorged on brunch and mimosas at the resort. It was way too much food, but I'm not complaining, it was delicious and filling. Way too filling. To burn off our late morning indulgence we decided to go for a nice hike through the Partnachlamm Gorge. The weather was perfect, it was sunny and hovering between 60 and 70 degrees, or 15 and 20C. I'm trying to convert my brain to Celsius. Wish me luck. So, during our hike we managed to only get sprayed by the water a couple times, except for when Marcel thought he was being sooo funny and threw a hand full of water in my face. He redeemed himself by showing concern for me while I was walking near the edge of the pathway by saying "This wasn't made for clumsies, walk behind me". I'm not sure if it was an insult to my coordination or a sincere concern for my well being. I think I'll be ignorant and choose the latter.
It's official, the last day of work is September 12th.
On Saturday Marcel and I traveled to Nürnberg to watch the locals play against Augsburg. As usual, it rained the entire morning when we were exploring the city. To our luck it cleared up in the afternoon just before the match began and we were able to enjoy the game without rain coats and umbrellas. Nürnberg was a cute city that I wish we could have spent more time in. I've heard the Christmas markets are something I shouldn't miss, so hopefully I can make a return trip this winter.
Sunday was a productive lazy day. Christina, Marcel, and I gorged on brunch and mimosas at the resort. It was way too much food, but I'm not complaining, it was delicious and filling. Way too filling. To burn off our late morning indulgence we decided to go for a nice hike through the Partnachlamm Gorge. The weather was perfect, it was sunny and hovering between 60 and 70 degrees, or 15 and 20C. I'm trying to convert my brain to Celsius. Wish me luck. So, during our hike we managed to only get sprayed by the water a couple times, except for when Marcel thought he was being sooo funny and threw a hand full of water in my face. He redeemed himself by showing concern for me while I was walking near the edge of the pathway by saying "This wasn't made for clumsies, walk behind me". I'm not sure if it was an insult to my coordination or a sincere concern for my well being. I think I'll be ignorant and choose the latter.
It's official, the last day of work is September 12th.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Dirndl Heaven
This past weekend the girls and I did a little train hopping and found ourselves in Straubing, a small Bavarian town, to celebrate something. That something we are still unsure of, but with the help of our dirndl and the big beers we accomplished it. Corinne studied abroad in Australia and collected a couple German friends, Patrick, Martin and Matthias, so when they extended an invitation to her for a weekend in Straubing that features the second largest beer fest in Bavaria following just behind the oh so well known Oktoberfest, we couldn't turn it down. We stayed at Patrick's childhood home and the hospitality his family extended was amazing. His mom brought us snacks, made us coffee, fixed our dirndl, and did just about everything humanly possible to make us comfortable in her home. His always smiling and quiet dad was very interested in the group of giggling American girls. He speaks zero English, but he always planted himself in whatever room we were in and had Patrick be the interpretor while he asked us questions about America and our experiences in Germany. I think Patrick was slightly embarrassed by his overbearing family, we didn't mind a bit though. The home atmosphere and escape from the Abrams was more than enough to make the weekend a great time.
The fest was your average county fair. Subtract the animal barns and replace them with beer tents and wine stands and you've got Gäubodenvolksfest. Unfortunately, I couldn't take myself away from the tent long enough to enjoy the great food and treat stands, but I did manage to fit in a ride. After prying my hands from the bars, I was reminded why I'm not a huge fan of swirling and twirling. You can always bring on the roller coasters and mile high plunges, but after a liter of beer no one needs to put their body through that. We spent the better part of the day dancing and singing to our tent's band, Bergratzn (translates to mountain rats), and before we knew it the fest was closing down for the night. We still can't figure out where the 8 hours went. 8 hours?! I know.
Although the weekend went too quickly, I was ready for Marcel's arrival on Sunday night. He's been here for 4 days now and I'm loving every minute of it. Well, except when he woke me up from my mid day nap this afternoon. I don't wish that fate upon anybody.....
But seriously, it's great to have him around. This weekend we will go to Nürnberg for a football (soccer) match and some quick sightseeing. We wanted to extend our time there to get in a visit to the zoo, but responsibility is high and funds are tight at the moment. So instead of making faces at the monkeys all day, we'll either play at Lake Eibsee or maybe hike the Partnach gorge. Not a bad alternative, if you ask me.
It's my last series of greaves, so it's back to the ol game called "pretending to be productive". It really is the final countdown.
The fest was your average county fair. Subtract the animal barns and replace them with beer tents and wine stands and you've got Gäubodenvolksfest. Unfortunately, I couldn't take myself away from the tent long enough to enjoy the great food and treat stands, but I did manage to fit in a ride. After prying my hands from the bars, I was reminded why I'm not a huge fan of swirling and twirling. You can always bring on the roller coasters and mile high plunges, but after a liter of beer no one needs to put their body through that. We spent the better part of the day dancing and singing to our tent's band, Bergratzn (translates to mountain rats), and before we knew it the fest was closing down for the night. We still can't figure out where the 8 hours went. 8 hours?! I know.
Although the weekend went too quickly, I was ready for Marcel's arrival on Sunday night. He's been here for 4 days now and I'm loving every minute of it. Well, except when he woke me up from my mid day nap this afternoon. I don't wish that fate upon anybody.....
But seriously, it's great to have him around. This weekend we will go to Nürnberg for a football (soccer) match and some quick sightseeing. We wanted to extend our time there to get in a visit to the zoo, but responsibility is high and funds are tight at the moment. So instead of making faces at the monkeys all day, we'll either play at Lake Eibsee or maybe hike the Partnach gorge. Not a bad alternative, if you ask me.
It's my last series of greaves, so it's back to the ol game called "pretending to be productive". It really is the final countdown.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
One Year Later
One year ago today I was in "the packing room" with heaps of my things piled around me wondering how I was ever going to pack for one year. I was overwhelmed and nervous at the big step I was taking. Now after being in Garmisch for one year I'm beginning to get the same overwhelmed feeling thinking about my move to Freiburg. You would think after being in Germany for one year a move across the country wouldn't be such a big deal. It's going to be completely different and I'm truly excited for that. I appreciate my American safety net and support system, but the thought of figuring things out on my own and actually being in German culture every day is more appealing to me. Working for the government and being on a military installation was definitely a good stepping stone and eased me into what I'm about to do. I've already located an English speaking club that meets every week, a volleyball club, and hopefully a good German school. Now if I can't make friends through at least one of these activities we'll have some serious worrying to do....
Marcel's family has spent the weekend in Freiburg visiting him. It's their first time to the city to see what he has been up to for the last year. I'm not going to lie, I was a little jealous. I miss the days when Mom would come down to Bloomington (Or when Bret and Mom came to St. Louis...minus the 100 degree weather). It was so great to share a part of my life that she doesn't get to see every day. I could tell Marcel shared the same excitement and I'm really happy for him. I did learn that his family calls me Jenny and even after Marcel told them I really don't like to be called that, they still insist on it.
It's a beautiful day in Garmisch and I don't want to waste any more of it blogging on my balcony fighting off the bees. Happy Sunday :-)
Marcel's family has spent the weekend in Freiburg visiting him. It's their first time to the city to see what he has been up to for the last year. I'm not going to lie, I was a little jealous. I miss the days when Mom would come down to Bloomington (Or when Bret and Mom came to St. Louis...minus the 100 degree weather). It was so great to share a part of my life that she doesn't get to see every day. I could tell Marcel shared the same excitement and I'm really happy for him. I did learn that his family calls me Jenny and even after Marcel told them I really don't like to be called that, they still insist on it.
It's a beautiful day in Garmisch and I don't want to waste any more of it blogging on my balcony fighting off the bees. Happy Sunday :-)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Confessions of a Front Desk Attendant
Yesterday I began to compile a list of things that guests do that drive me crazy. I'm positive I'm leaving out hundreds of offenses, this at least scratches the surface though.
Another confession. I think I'm going to discontinue the blog once my time in Garmisch ends. It's not that I don't like relaying stories and updating people, but it's a lot of effort and time. We'll see though. Maybe my new life adventure will be so exciting I will feel compelled to continue with the blog and all will be well again.
- Allowing your children to sit on the front desk...when they aren't wearing pants.
- Allowing your children to do anything and/or everything while you pretend you don't see them.
- Asking for a room with a view. We're in the valley. There are mountains ALL AROUND US. This also happened in Bloomington. Would you like a view of the highway? Or the Waste Management bins?
- Making a joke about upgrading you to a suite free of charge.
- Charging up to the front desk without me acknowledging and calling you over.
- Dismissing the line and then charging up to the front desk.
- Charging up to the front desk, laying some papers down, looking at me, and not saying a word. Talk. I can't read your mind
- Staring at me when you can't figure out which credit card to use/how that charge got on your bill/why your wife married you.
- Trying to check in at 10am.
- Wearing your swimsuit up to the front desk.
- Getting mad at me because of a policy. I just work here.
- Watching me run your credit card and then disputing the charge.
- Referencing your $300 bar bill and telling me you rarely ever drink anymore, but it's vacation.
- Insisting the conference bill should be covered by someone else.
- Asking to use the front desk phone to make personal calls....to the states.
- Asking me to google hotels in Munich/Salzburg/Timbuktu.
- Having a mild heart attack because you left a key in the room/car/pool/god knows where.
- Not making eye contact. Talking on your cell phone and whispering goes right along with this.
- Complaining about how much the Army/Air Force sucks. Hmmm is there a draft in place?
- Bringing your dirty towels up to the desk and asking for clean ones. Yes, one moment. I keep the clean linen right underneath my computer.
- Ahhh you're from South Bend, IN? Germany is a little different, right?
- So, you're a military wife.......??
- Putting your child on a leash
Another confession. I think I'm going to discontinue the blog once my time in Garmisch ends. It's not that I don't like relaying stories and updating people, but it's a lot of effort and time. We'll see though. Maybe my new life adventure will be so exciting I will feel compelled to continue with the blog and all will be well again.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ahh piss on it...
Friends and family, I have decided what to do with the next year of my life, I will be moving to Freiburg to be an au pair. It was more difficult to make this decision than I ever thought it would be. I will be leaving my American safety net and actually be emerged completely in German culture and life. I have also been doing some research and found several German language schools I'm interested in. Hopefully after some time and hard work I can be a functioning member of the German speaking society. Luckily, Stefanie, my host, lived in London for most of her adult life, so she can speak English with me and also help with my studies. I'm excited to be back in a classroom, but I know that will fade after the first session. The thought of studying is always fun until your actually doing it. I already warned Marcel about how frustrated, annoyed, and whiny I'm going to act when I have to study. For some reason he didn't seem that surprised...
So, just to give you the run down on what I know right now. I move to Freiburg on September 16th. I will be staying with Stefanie and her daughter, Iysha, in my own bedroom off of the main entrance. I also have a private bathroom just down the hall. The flat is located just a couple minutes from the city center and is really nice. When I met Stafanie there it was disorganized and cluttered. Her excuse was that she was in between cleaning ladies, so I'm really hoping that whole situation has been worked out. The best news is that her phone plan allows for free calls to U.S. land lines AND she has extremely fast internet for her job as an at home IT consultant. This makes me more than happy. I can finally skype with all of you guys with video, no disconnection or distortion. It's great! So, with my job as the au pair I will be responsible for taking the daughter to and from school, light babysitting, some housework, some meals, yada yada yada. Stefanie seemed really laid back and flexible about everything, so I'm pretty positive it will be an easy going environment. I should have more details about the job within the next couple of weeks. I'll update as information becomes available.
More great news. Marcel got an internship in Garmisch at a children's hospital working on the administration side of things. He'll be here for just under a month and I can't wait for it. We've already decided we can't act like we are on vacation while he's here. We tend to eat out every night and enjoy too many beers when he's around, so after his last visit I felt like I gained 20 pounds. His internship ends around the same time my contract does so it will be so nice to have him help me pack and move my things.
Our trip to Lake Constance was great, as always. It rained the whole weekend. Despite the weather we had a great time. On our last day we visited Insel Mainau, an island with botanical gardens covering every inch. The highlight of the island wasn't the beautiful butterfly house, it was when Marcel got stung by an angry bee. "Yen what is it!?!?" as a huge yellow jacket is hanging from his neck with his stinger in. I flicked the bee away and watched his neck turn more red and swollen than it should have. I kept assuring him that it didn't look that bad and I casually asked if he was allergic to bees. Luckily, he isn't. It wasn't until it started to calm down that I told him it actually looked terrifying, but I didn't want to freak him out. Anyway, the real highlight of the trip was our convertible smart car. I'm in love with these cars now. They're so little! The weather only permitted us to take the top down a couple times. I was thankful for that because the car already draws enough attention, no need to look like a douche bag with the top down for 5 minutes in between the rain showers. For our entire trip we spent $37 on gas. 37!
Have I mentioned I'm coming home for Christmas? EEEEK! I have the best Mother ever. Not only does she send me great cards and care packages, but she is getting me flights as my Christmas present :-)
Oh and the title of the blog is a short shout out to Daddio Martinez. Love you, Dad!
So, just to give you the run down on what I know right now. I move to Freiburg on September 16th. I will be staying with Stefanie and her daughter, Iysha, in my own bedroom off of the main entrance. I also have a private bathroom just down the hall. The flat is located just a couple minutes from the city center and is really nice. When I met Stafanie there it was disorganized and cluttered. Her excuse was that she was in between cleaning ladies, so I'm really hoping that whole situation has been worked out. The best news is that her phone plan allows for free calls to U.S. land lines AND she has extremely fast internet for her job as an at home IT consultant. This makes me more than happy. I can finally skype with all of you guys with video, no disconnection or distortion. It's great! So, with my job as the au pair I will be responsible for taking the daughter to and from school, light babysitting, some housework, some meals, yada yada yada. Stefanie seemed really laid back and flexible about everything, so I'm pretty positive it will be an easy going environment. I should have more details about the job within the next couple of weeks. I'll update as information becomes available.
More great news. Marcel got an internship in Garmisch at a children's hospital working on the administration side of things. He'll be here for just under a month and I can't wait for it. We've already decided we can't act like we are on vacation while he's here. We tend to eat out every night and enjoy too many beers when he's around, so after his last visit I felt like I gained 20 pounds. His internship ends around the same time my contract does so it will be so nice to have him help me pack and move my things.
Our trip to Lake Constance was great, as always. It rained the whole weekend. Despite the weather we had a great time. On our last day we visited Insel Mainau, an island with botanical gardens covering every inch. The highlight of the island wasn't the beautiful butterfly house, it was when Marcel got stung by an angry bee. "Yen what is it!?!?" as a huge yellow jacket is hanging from his neck with his stinger in. I flicked the bee away and watched his neck turn more red and swollen than it should have. I kept assuring him that it didn't look that bad and I casually asked if he was allergic to bees. Luckily, he isn't. It wasn't until it started to calm down that I told him it actually looked terrifying, but I didn't want to freak him out. Anyway, the real highlight of the trip was our convertible smart car. I'm in love with these cars now. They're so little! The weather only permitted us to take the top down a couple times. I was thankful for that because the car already draws enough attention, no need to look like a douche bag with the top down for 5 minutes in between the rain showers. For our entire trip we spent $37 on gas. 37!
Have I mentioned I'm coming home for Christmas? EEEEK! I have the best Mother ever. Not only does she send me great cards and care packages, but she is getting me flights as my Christmas present :-)
Oh and the title of the blog is a short shout out to Daddio Martinez. Love you, Dad!
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