Out with the old and in with the new

Now that I am more than half way done with my study abroad, I find myself more and more excited to be back on American soil (41 days and counting!). Which also means only 24 days until I get to see my dad and then only 30 to see my mom! I am counting down the days. Literally. There is a countdown timer on my phone in case I forget.

Germany has been amazing, don't get me wrong. But there are certain things you start to miss; being able to drive a car, being able to grocery shop on Sundays, being able to stream videos (most of the streaming sites don't have rights in Germany yet), and last but not least a good old American milkshake that is so thick it sort of hurts to suck through a straw. Yeah you know what I'm talking about... but when it finally reaches your mouth it is soooo good. Oh and In N' Out cannot be forgotten, aaand Mexican Food. And fruit that isn't shrink wrapped for freshness because it had to be shipped from very very far away.

Phew. I didn't take a breath while typing that entire paragraph, good thing I'm a fast typist huh?

Needless to say, the list does go on and on. But all of those things I could probably learn to deal with. What I miss the most is being able to talk to my mom on the phone every day when I need to, my bed at home (in a room that actually has curtains that block light), hugs from my dad, that no one else seems to be able to best, and most of all that sense of peace that comes from just being able to sit on a couch with your family and watch a movie...

So in homage to the homeland, I decided to spruce up the ol' blog for the final stretch. Reminded me a little bit more of home :)

P.S. Family members; feel free to write or skype at any time. If you didn't catch it; I MISS YOU

Quaint towns in France and the impending doom of finals week

That moment when you realize that studying abroad might actually require some studying... it's shocking and terrifying. This woman who has been reading me stories for two months expects me to write a five page paper in German about the stories? What?!?! And then she is going to give me a grade for it that will be on my transcript for the rest of my life? Let the panic commence.

Unfortunately it is getting to be that time, when I have to start to part with my life in Germany, one final exam at a time. The German education system is the sort that likes to lull you into a false sense of security with a semester sans homework or any apparent sort of grading system. Then BAM! Final exams are here to ruin your summer, and also possibly your impression of the German culture. Despite the fact that we still have a good four weeks until that dreaded time (thank God), I am finally realizing that maybe it's time to actually hit the books for the first time since I've arrived in this beautiful land of beer and brezeln. But I have been (and will continue to be) determined to get as much out of my study abroad as possible, despite that annoying studying bit. Enter; casual day trip to France.

Hopped on a train with some new (and old) buddies and approximately 2 hours later (and no train fare either woot woot!) we were in the (very) quaint town of Wissembourg. It's a charming place nestled in Alsace, just over the German border, with about 8,000 inhabitants on a good day. Despite it's small stature, it was definitely worth a free train ride to go see. Full of picturesque French cottages and a lovely little river, it definitely gives one the impression of true French countryside.

We spent some time, did some exploring, ate and drank (when in France...) then ate and drank some more. I even managed to order E'claires all on my own, it made me feel like a true Francophile. But after a long and lovely day it was back to Heidelberg and my own current version of "real life". Hopefully going to make it to Zurich soon, and only 27 more days until the fam begins to arrive! Can't wait to see their smiling faces. Oh and you know you've been in Germany for too long when you have dreams about eating Mexican food (which is illegal here). That is all. 

Au Revoir!

To Scotland and back again

To my more faithful readers; I apologize sincerely for the long wait between posts. I know that my titillating tales are the highlight of your respective weeks. But life has been busy overseas and blogging is hard on the move.
I finally made it to the ancestral home of the Montooth clan; Scotland (Edinburgh to be exact), and I must say it really did fee like coming home again. The Scottish people remind me of the fam; chatty, friendly, and a little bit inappropriate from time to time. I must say the entire trip made me feel quite adventurous. I traveled out of only a backpack (due to RyanAir's strict baggage regulations) wore one pair of jeans for four days, and stayed in a hostel for the first time. Much to my surprise (and relief) the hostel was amazing. It was cozy, the staff were helpful, and there were a lot of really interesting people to meet from all over the world.  The first night I arrived, I ended up in a pub (big surprise) for (super delicious) dinner. Anyway long story short, the bartender took a liking to us and we ended the night with about 14 free pints from the tap lines being cleaned out. Needless to say, it turned into a fun evening, and the perfect welcome to Scotland. In the morning (despite the hangover), it was off to the castle, to see the stone of destiny. Coolest thing ever. It's like the stone King Arthur pulled his sword out of, but real life version. I also visited the war memorial and found some (possible) distant relatives in the memorial books who gave their lives defending Scotland. I even found my family crest which was pretty neat. The next day it was off to Loch Ness and the Highlands to try and wrangle myself a monster. Unfortunately no Nessie, but I did see some unbelievable things, like these mountains;

Which are unfairly beautiful, and definitely helped to contribute to what I think might become a life long love affair with Scotland. On the last day of my trip I climbed Arthur's Seat, an inactive volcano, that overshadows Edinburgh. The views were breath taking of course, and cannot be done justice by a simple photograph. But here's one for trying's sake

It is a pretty high mountain it turns out, and I have to say that I was pretty damn proud of myself for making it to the top, so I asked a nice German man to snap a photo. 

On top of the world(ish) WOOHOO! :)

After that climb, I needed a pint and some food so I bravely ventured where few American's have gone before and sampled a bit of the local cuisine, a.k.a haggis. It. Was. Delicious. Must be my Scottish blood craving for it's mother land's food. Sadly in the morning, it was back to Germany and reality. Have to say though, being in an English speaking land where the people weren't so closed off really made me miss the good ol' US of A. So to cure my homesickness I made another little trip last weekend to Kaiserslautern to see our old friends the Birdsong/Doulaveris family. It was just what I needed. After catching up with (really) old friends, who I seemed to not skip a beat with, eating some home cooked meals and some good old fashioned American junk food, and holding a crisp new Jackson in my hand I feel much better. But I still can't wait to see my family again (49 days and counting) and set foot on American soil. In the mean time though I plan to make the most of my time here, and remember that I will most likely miss it a ton when I'm not here. 

Paris je t'aime

Ahhh where does one begin with Paris? There is so much to see, so much to experience, so many baguettes to eat. And I did eat a lot of bread and cheese. I have, of course, seen Paris before with the fam, but for me it was a whole new experience to be able to just wander the city solo, no one to answer to, no one to keep track of. It was really lovely to be able to follow my own whims. My wanderings took me first to Père Lachaise Cemetery, the final resting place of some famous souls such as Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison For those of you who have seen the movie that is the namesake of this blog post, you have seen the grave of Oscar Wilde in a scene of one of the short love stories that the movie is comprised of. Unfortunately, one is no longer able to kiss his grave and show their affection to the notorious ladies man. The stone was being worn away by all of the love, so the kiss marks were washed away and it was encased by a glass box. How sad.
Jim Morrison's grave also leaves a lot to be desired. It is very underwhelming, hidden behind a larger and much more impressive monument, and also enclosed by a fence so as to be rendered unreachable by the passerby, or Doors fanatic. Apparently there have been many thefts of his various grave markers. Way to respect the dead people. Good Job.
But beyond the big names, Père Lachaise is worth seeing for many other things; the beauty, the sense of reverence, and the chance to really loose yourself in the history of Paris.

After the cemetery it was off to the Louvre, which of course needs no introduction. It is amazing and overwhelming. I of course visited the famous Mona Lisa and snapped a few photos, but I have to say it is, in comparison to some of the less talked about pieces of art in the Louvre, somewhat unimpressive. I mean of course it's amazing, but so are the sculptures and the antiques and the paintings of entire coronations. I won't burden my followers with all 200 of the pictures that I took while in Paris, so I will share only one of my personal favorites from the Louvre, which I think deserves some more recognition; but of course it is just one of many breathtaking works of art, which can really only be truly appreciated in person (so I recommend a trip for anyone who has the means) 

 From there it was off to the Arc De Triomphe, just a metro ride away. To me, one of the most amazing things about Paris was that you would come out of the metro stops and all of a sudden something beautiful or famous or just generally impressive is right in front of you, and the Parisians just pass it by like they do everyday. From there the Eifel Tower was just another metro ride away, and then it was off to meet Ilaria for tea and sweets at the Parisian mosque. 

For your viewing pleasure; a small sample of the sights in Paris. 

On Saturday I got to spend some quality time with Ila, and also got to see the amazing view of Paris from the Sacre Coeur. We were also on a mission, to find a Parisian Coiffure who could take four people on a Saturday afternoon. Needless to say it was a difficult endeavor, and just as we were about to give up hope, we happened upon a man cutting hair in the street. After some consideration, and a little chit chat, I decided that I would partake in a "hair sculpt". So I did because YOLO. It was definitely an experience that I will never forget, and my hair does look pretty good at the end of the day. Nothing too drastic, but worth it all in all. For those of you who have the patience (or nothing better to do) I did take a video of my transformation, but unfortunately it is a little to big for blogger to handle. Anyone interested in seeing my new Parisian coif is welcome to follow me on instagram. 

Overall it was an amazing weekend, and I was so happy to reconnect with Ilaria again. I can't wait to go to Italy this summer :). In the meantime I discovered today that I have two more free days this semester that I wasn't aware of, so it looks like it's time to plan some more trips. I live a pretty rough life I must say. More updates soon. Bis Später!

From childhood memories to young adult lack there of

In stark contrast to my last post.. drinking. That is all. I'm gonna go ahead and apologize to my mother (and other family members) for the events you are about to experience vicariously.
It all started with a seemingly harmless strawberry margarita on a beautiful spring day.. just happened to be at noon, right before my German in Film class. Needless to say that class was a bit more interesting that day. Once you discover that the only place in town with real mexican food has half price drinks on Thursdays it is quite hard to resist the temptation of a few margs, or zombies, or just tequila shots. And tequila shots generally just lead to more of the same. I have (in the last three days) become a regular at the shots bar in town (they do have a shot named after me so I feel somewhat obligated to patronize). Anyway long story short, the night ended with a midnight (actually 4 am) serenade from the most adorable band in the world, finding our friend (who shall remain nameless for legal purposes) making out on the cement ground in the courtyard of the mensa, getting a phone number and a fork (literal silverware don't worry dad) from the bass player, having a waitress threaten to call the cops on the band serenading us, and finding a new soul mate in Meg (she's English, enough said).
Friday was a day of hangovers, and massive amounts of fried rice and crispy duck. Then back to shooter's for another few 'Olivias' and an interesting encounter with some boys from Bavaria. They were in town playing some kind of sport and the cute chubby one had come into some money, and thusly insisted on buying us far too many rounds of something called a "schüttler" (basically means swish in German) consisting of a shot of lemon juice, another of blue curacao meant to be shaken around together in ones mouth and then swallowed. He bought so many rounds that we just started giving them away to random people at the bar. By the end of the night porta-potties were being tipped (and we were running away like children). Enough said. Topped it off with a fresh brezel from the bakery (which was opening by the time we ventured homeward).
Then again Saturday, because you just don't miss a Saturday on the Unterestraße in good ol' HD. Meg and I ventured out, met a canadian and said goodbye to the Bavarian boys before they headed home. Then we were flying stag(ette) waiting outside of a bar when we met a lovely group of upstanding young German men who took us on a lovely adventure to a dance club, and then home relatively early with nothing interesting to speak of. We met a fair amount of people, all German. I think at the end of the day we were really just learning day to day German conversation skills (at least that's what I'm choosing to believe). Despite the three days worth of hangover I experienced on Sunday, it was well worth it. And besides YOLO, carpe diem, fuck it (sorry mama).

Scandalous! ;)

Next weekend off to Paris to see an old friend (Ilaria) and experience the city of love by myself. But that's okay, I think I need a little TLC from me to me anyway. I will eat macaroons at Sacre Couer and a Mont Blanc at the famous Angelina Cafe. 

Au revoir!

So as promised here are some photos from Landstuhl. Frau Peaceman and I spent some time going through a photo album she compiled of my first and second grade classes. There were also some writing samples which were both adorable and hilarious. An excerpt from Olivia at five "Today we went on a nater walk. We brout plastick bags so we cood gather trash, and stiks, and leavs and beris." God I was gifted. But it was pretty fun to see how much I really have changed over the years, and how much my beautiful mama has changed too

The quality is pretty poor, but you get the idea, and also can I get a few "awws"? Because I was an adorable child, and also very humble, and of course lucky to have such amazing adults in my life :) 

Other amazing things; our old landlord Herr Brumer is still alive!!! Which was just crazy to me because I very acutely remember him as being at least 400 years old, so I guess he lived to be 412. Good for him. He was out in the garden on Saturday doing yard work (as per usual) and astoundingly enough he actually remembered me, and thought it was very neat that he got to meet me all grown up (oh and also mom and dad he says hi). Needless to say it was a great experience all in all and I really hope that I can make it back to say hello again before my stay in Germany is over. 

The ultimate blast from the past; sleeping in your childhood room

As of yesterday I have been visiting Landstuhl, my childhood home, where my childhood Deutsch Lehrerin, Frau Peaceman, now lives in my childhood home. Needless to say, it is unsettling reminiscent of my childhood. My house looks exaclty the same, just curiously about half the size of what it was 12 years ago when I lived there. My bedroom still has the same blue flowered wall paper on the walls, and the stairs that Bennett and I used to climb are now within a reachable distance with both feet on the floor. It's weird. Today we drove by the corner where I was run over by a car for the first time, oh sweet memories (sorry to bring up the trauma again Mom). I also had the unique experince of participating in water aerobics geared towards geriatrics. It was somewhat embarassing, but also a surprisingly good workout. The older German gentlemen seemed to enjoy my bikiniclad-self being there just a little bit too much though. And for a change of pace, now I have spent all day today around people much younger than me as opposed to much older. I have been helping Frau Peaceman teach her middle school German classes, and it has been great for my self esteem. There's nothing like hearing a bunch of American 12 year olds try to speak German; it makes one feel pretty boss-like. Also the 7th grade boys getting nervous around the "college girl" is pretty entertaining. Tonight I will be playing in Frau Peaceman's orchestra with her, and I cannot wait. Childhood dream achieved.
For the sake of my parents I will post pictures of the old digs shortly, despite the fact that they have shrunk so drastically.

When the hikes get longer the beers get bigger...

Today I learned some new things about myself, well not really new persay, but I definitely confirmed that I am not (and probably never will be) and athletic person. After the 3 mile hike up a hill to see a tower, some very large beers were in order (1 liter of beer in one serving to be exact). But despite the unwelcome physical exertion, it was a nice little outing. We only got lost like four times, and we got to see some pretty amazing views. Luckily the weather here today was beautiful, 75 degrees and sunny. Unfortunately I have yet to invest in any sunscreen though, so my lily white face suffered a bit. But it was worth it in the end, we could see all the way to France up there.

Panoramas to come on facebook so stay posted!

In other news I am venturing to Landstuhl this coming weekend to visit my childhood home and my 1st grade teacher Frau Peaceman. I am going to play my violin in her orchestra with her, and I couldn't be more excited. She is the reason I started playing, and I feel as though I am achieving a life long goal. But between now and then it's back to the grindstone (AKA school), and even though I am really looking forward to really starting my life here it will be bitter sweet to say goodbye to this lovely extended spring break I happened into. On that note it's off to bed for me and off to classes early tomorrow. 

Guten Nacht!

For those of you who are Game of Thrones fans, Harrenhal is in Heidelberg. The Schloss here was built for war, and destroyed by it. One of the reasons I decided to come to Heidelberg is because it is one of the only German cities that wasn't destroyed at all by WWII. So silly me thought that meant the whole city is over 600 years old. But alas it is not. Apparently in the 16th century (or sometime around there) the French came in and basically just burned everything to the ground, so it's all a lie. Except for die Alte Brücke, der Schloss and der Hotel Ritter everything is (by German standards) pretty brand stinking new (even though it's still all older than the US). The Schloss is unique though, in that the city of Heidelberg has refused to rebuild any part of it, so there it sits, in all of its destroyed glory looking down on the townspeople, as a reminder of what this town has survived. I kind of like the fallen towers and crumbling rock, it has a certain character about it. My favorite part of the castle however was this lovely mysterious hole in the wall; anyone care to guess what purpose it serves? I'll give you a hint; it is found in the dining hall

Any guesses???

Well it's a lovely Medieval status symbol called a Vomatorium. It is for one to vomit in when one has eaten too much, and only people with real swag had them. And since we're on the topic of swag, inside of the Heidelberg Schloss wine cellars is nestled the largest wine barrel in the world.  I would put a picture, but the thing has a staircase on it and an entire room built around it, so it's a bit hard to capture on film. It's something one must see in person. But for some perspective it holds over 220,000 liters (58,000 US gallons) . We did however get some photos of the smaller wine barrel (about a fifth the size of the big one) which we mistakenly took for the famous Heidelberg Tun 

And this is the smaller barrel. 

Heidelberg is a town with a rich history, and there is definitely a lot to see here. I am however ready to do some traveling, and see some bigger and better things. Maybe Prague, maybe Paris, the opportunities are endless. But for right now the Schloss will do

The rain followed me over 5,000 miles from Seattle. Which is truly unfortunate, Heidelberg is beautiful in the spring, with the sun shining on the Neckar and adorable little tables outside of every coffee shop. In the rain it isn't quite so beautiful, but it does look like it came right out of a fairy tale nonetheless. Besides the rain, I have also experienced some other truly German traditions, like drinking exuberantly and visiting castles. The castle was great, and there was (almost) no paperwork involved. And if nothing else the German people can drink well, and for long periods of time. The clubs are pretty insane, and even though they are all playing top 40 hits from 2 months ago (if I hear Thriftshop one more time I might die), it's definitely worth the experience. There is nothing like trying to speak a second language (poorly) while intoxicated. I'm off to another day of riveting school orientations, but  more updates and pictures from the schloss later!

So wifi is a commodity here. In the US it's the easiest thing in the world to be hooked up to the "datasphere" 24/7, here not so much. It's a strange feeling being cut off from the entire world. My first night here I got to my new bedroom and realized that I had nothing to do... No phone to check.. no computer to stream videos on... I had a book to read at least, but it was nonetheless a very unnerving feeling. Something that you don't experience very often in the good ol' US of A. But regardless I am getting around and I found a German Starbucks with free wifi, so I think I'll just park it here for most of the day and cower in fear from German culture. Don't worry I won't do that, but the language is daunting. I keep getting myself into hairy situations in which people hear me say aufwiedersehen once and all of a sudden start rattling off in 200 km/h German, with a thick accent and I can't pick up a single word. No translate app to fall back on either. I can't believe we have only been here for three days though. I feel like we've just been doing paper work for three days straight. Our visit to Kaiserslautern was however very enjoyable. It was so nice to revisit old friends and childhood memories. I found a fountain in K-town that I remember visiting in the first or second grade. It's meant for kids and there is a fish to "ride" and take photos on. I have a picture of myself when I was five years old "riding the fish" with my buddies, and now I have the same photo 14 years later.... Enjoy. It's priceless

This will no doubt be the experience of a lifetime. Right now though I am feeling a little bit like a fish out of water, and I'm having a hard time breathing air. One thing's for sure though... we are a long way from home 

 (For those of you who can't see that, it says USA 6869 km which is over 4,200 miles)

A word to the wise. Do not mess with a German if you don't have the correct paperwork to do so. They will become very unhappy with you very quickly. We were almost kicked off of a train today for a mix up with paperwork, but all was well in the end. It has been a very long day(s) of travel, from Reno to Kaiserslautern via two airplanes and two trains. Luckily I was reunited with meine travel-buddys Sam und Kell in Dallas, so we have been able to conquer this new adventure together. Although if Sam had been kicked off the train there's a pretty good chance he would have been left behind, after all, when traversing foreign lands one must think like a pirate. Despite Sam's offensive accents and Kell's ridiculous banter, I have been glad for the company, as embarrassing as it can be at times.

Thankfully the travels for today are over, so it's time for a nap and probably a beer (we have somehow managed to make it for 12 hours in this country without trying the beer which is a travesty). Tomorrow it's off to Heidelberg and onto our new lives! 

Bittersweet Goodbyes and Suitcases

So the adventure begins... with packing. Very slow and disorganized packing. Turns out it's pretty hard to fit four months worth of clothes into one suitcase. So I broke and started filling up bag number two. But then the question becomes which is the lesser of two evils? Picture this: two huge roller bags, a backpack, and a violin trying to navigate (with broken German) the Frankfurt Flughafen. Doesn't seem like it would turn out too well. So which do I part with first.... my shoes or my dignity? Tough call. I suppose a decision will have to be made before I get on my plane tomorrow morning.
More important than luggage though, is the realization that I am starting a new life (well at least for four months) in a foreign country... from which I won't be able to immediately call my mom in a moment of panic. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the adventure of a lifetime, hopefully I come out of the other side relatively unscathed.
But for now it's Aufwiedersehen to the good ol' US of A and tomorrow it will be Hallo Deutschland!
One thing's for sure: I'm definitely going to miss this view.

Chuß Tahoe!