Farewell 2007

Wow, it's hard to believe another year has come and gone again. I've seen and experienced so much that sometimes it feels like I've been away from home for ages. But then when I actually look at the calendar and realize that 4 months have already gone by, I'm amazed at how quickly things can actually fly by.

Here in Schwäbisch Hall I've finally had the wonderful experience of celebrating my first German Christmas. In preparation for the holiday spirit, AFS (my organisation) has been throwing parties and activities back-to-back. I've even already had the wonderful opportunity to go to a Christmas Market in Stuttgart and taste some of the "Glühwein" (a festive drink composed of spices and alcohol). Throughout this season, I have also gotten to know my host relatives better. December seems like the birthday month here, as my host father, sister, and oma (grandmother) have all celebrated their birthdays with the family.



Throughout the Christmas season, I've already noticed a few differences between Germany and the States. First of all, things aren't as intensely decorated as back home. The holiday also seems a lot less commercialized and centered more around the family (but those are just my impressions). Despite the differences, I can truly say that my first German Christmas was amazing! The festivities began on Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), in which the whole family and I attended church in the Altstadt for a Christmas Eve service. Afterwards we headed home and lit the real candles which were displayed on the Christmas Tree. Inbetween singing Christmas Hymns and the Christmas Story, we took turns opening presents. Then, once all the gifts had been opened, when then began to devour the thousands of Christmas cookies that my host mother had made herself previously in the month.

Then, faster than I could've comprehend, Christmas came again. With melodies of "Ich steh' an deiner Krippen hier," we all walked through a frost-covered countryside to a small church in Erlach. After communion and Christmas Hymns once again, we headed back to Gelbingen and immediately thereafter departed for Criesbach (where the Oma lives). Upon reaching our destination, we enjoyed a typical Schwäbisch meal of Spätzle und Linsen (self-made noodles with lentils) and not long after that, the rest of the relatives came over. Before I knew it, the time had passed and we were once again on our way back home.



On the "Zweiter Feiertag" (second holiday, the Germans celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas, and then the 26th as a second holiday), I found myself once again in the church here in Gelbingen, playing the keyboard for the children's "Krippenspiel" (Christmas pageant). Upon finishing the service, we arrived back at home and after a quick lunch, headed to Dußlingen (a town outside of Tübingen) to visit Georg's relatives. Not long after we reached our destination, did it begin to snow! It had been quite a while since I'd last seen true snow, and this time it actually stuck to the ground. So in this wintry atmosphere, we all decided to take a walk. Making our way past the church and into the countryside, we truly had a winter adventure.

That evening we made our way back to Schwäbisch Hall, but not without a minor detour which led us to Weiblingen. There we had dinner with Georg's brother and his family and after much socialization and relaxation, another "Christmas" day had ended.



So, to put an end to today's post, I have to say that about sums it up. I did have the chance to go to Rothenburg ob der Tauber yesterday, a truly beautiful and well-preserved medieval town on the border between Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. But besides that, today itself has been filled with preparation for an upcoming evening - the last one of 2007. And so I end this post for now, with "Silvester"-filled Greetings from Germany on this last day of 2007. Until next year!

Danny

Weihnachtsmarkt Time!

And as Month 4 of my exchange here in Germany has already begun, I can hardly believe how quickly the time is going by. My life here in Germany is truly like a movie - I've experienced so much already that I'm just waiting for someone to write the screenplay for it! Exactly one year ago I began filling out the CBYX (Congress Bundestag) Applications and this year has been, without a doubt, more amazing than I ever could've imagined. It is with such realizations that I can't help but thinking, "Wow! What an opportunity!"

But anyways, as I conclude my philosophical rant and merge back into the real world, nothing too "blog-worthy" has happened within the past week or two. As assumed, most of my weekdays are spent at school, with the occasional surprise of being able to leave school and head home when the teachers are absent. Already I've had the opportunity to make some chocolate chip cookies for the family (something that was very quickly devoured, if I may add) and therefore add my contribution to the Christmas cookie pile.

And as you've most likely noticed back in the States, it won't be too long until Christmas arrives. Here in Germany things are quite similiar, although the holiday doesn't seem as commercialized as it is back home. Every Sunday we celebrate the weekly Advent leading up until Sunday and with each new day I get a little surprise from my own personal "Adventskalendar." Another interesting event in the holiday season is Sankt Nikolaus Tag. Supposedly this is the day when St. Nicolaus first comes to Germany and all the children leave boots out for him over night, hoping for a treat in the morning of December 6th. The town itself has also managed to get some of the Christmas spirit and everyday there is a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) that stays open until the evening (something that most shops normally don't do here in Germany).

On to other topics, this weekend itself was quite enjoyable as I had the chance to get together with all the other exchange students in the area (there are 3 other Americans) for a "Halbzeitcamp," or Midstay Camp. After 2 days of discussions over school, culture, and families in Germany, we finally headed back home and so began this current week. I suppose that is about all for now...I am by the way attempting to read "Nathan der Weise," a book written almost 300 years ago in German class, so I'm having quite a few interesting "adventures" as I try to plow through this text.

Anyways, I won't try to ramble on too much more....so, with many holiday greetings from Germany I end this post for now!

Thanksgiving...or not?

After much activity, the Herbstferien finally came to an end and I transitioned back into the school routine. After being originally put in the 10th grade, I moved up to the 11th where I quickly felt very welcomed by the other students. In the first few weeks of November, nothing too eventful came to unfold itself. I did however go along with the family to Criesbach (a town in the area around Künzelsau) where I met my Gastoma (or "host grandmother"). There we enjoyed a delicious lunch and then took a walk around the town. A few days later, I also enjoyed the opportunity to meet Georg´s mother from Stuttgart. Afterwards I received a call from my temporary host mother from the Wuppertal language camp - calling to check-in on everything.

That Saturday, Georg, Henrike, and I headed to a Skibörse (like a ski flea market) where we bought a pair of Skis for Henrike. Later we went to the Staatsbibliothek (library) where I bought a "Teach yourself French" book, seeing that I´m now having French lessons...in German. That evening Georg and I headed to a piano concert where we listened to 1-,2-,3-,4-,5-, and 6-handed piano pieces.

Not too long later did we happen to receive our first snow shower of the year (Nov. 14), and it was then that I realized how short we have until Christmas. That Friday we had a get-together with the other exchange students to plan things for our organization´s Christmas party and afterwards I returned back to Gelbingen where we rented a video (of course, in German).

Within the past few days, school has begun to flow quickly once again and this past week I even enjoyed the chance to go to a Politik AG (political science club). Unfortunately Thanksgiving itself was not celebrated in any way special, seeing as the pilgrims landed in America and not Germany. However, I still made an effort to enjoy the holiday, and a few days later I was able to attend one of the most amazing concerts of my entire life here in Schwäbisch Hall. My host sister sang in the community choir as they presented Brahm´s Requiem, a truly German work...which, if you can imagine hearing that piece in the country of its history, then you´ll be able to feel the power behind it. And so, after such an amazing concert, I conclude my cotidial events from the past few weeks. Until the next post!

--Danny--

An Alpine Wanderung

So Leute, after an amazing time in Oberstdorf during the Herbstferien, things have begun to settle down once again in Schwäbisch Hall. On the way to school yesterday we found ourselves engulfed in a Schneeschauer (snow shower) and it then occured to me that in less than 2 months, Christmas will be here. Although there´s still quite some time until the holiday season truely begins, people are already starting to decorate the shops, and let me tell you, there´s nothing more beautiful than seeing half-timbered, thatched-roof houses covered with snow. Unfortunately the snow didn´t last long, but it was definitely a good reminder of the new and changing seasons.

But anyways, moving on to other things, the fall break in Oberstdorf was (as said) absolutely wonderful. After a long week of exams and preparations for the upcoming vacations, I finally found myself in Bavaria. Once we had finished packing together all of our things, the Ottmar family and I soon began our 2-and-a-half-hour journey to Oberstdorf. We then arrived at our apartments and after geeting situated, headed to the 5th Bergkäse Olympiade (cheese olympics). Although it was a little weird (if you ask me), we did end up walking around the town itself and testing the cheese...then made our way back home. Later that evening, Hannah, Georg, Anne, and I went back downtown to watch the grand finale and see the firework conclusion to the festival.



Day 2:
Das Nebelhorn - highest peak in the Allgäu region. Today we truely touched the heavens during our hiking adventure. But beforehand things began a little differently. Anne had a doctor´s appointment, so the rest of us simply walked around enjoying the atmosphere. Then after lunch, we finally made our way to the Steilbahn where we began our Alpine Adventure. We went to 3 train stations until making it to the peak of the Nebelhorn (it was, however, on any occasion well worth it). Exciting the station, the heavens unfolded around us and we quickly went to the wooden cross - signifying the mountain´s peak. After finishing lunch in a mountaintop café, we then headed down one station and then furthered our hiking journey. We eventually made it to another smaller peak where we could see the Alpsee and look further into the heart of the Alps. After a little bit of meditation, we then made our way back to the first train stop by foot. Although this path was immensely steep, the scenery was gorgeous and we finally made it to the foot of the mountain. It was then that we returned to the Ferienwohnung and made a conclusion to our first day of adventures in Oberstdorf.

Day 3:
Unfortunately the day started quite rainily today, but even so, much was still accomplished. After breakfast, all of us went walking through the town center and looked at some of the various shops in the region. Upon our return to the apartment, Hannah and I fixed "chili con carne" for lunch and then afterwards we headed to the Breitachklamm (a river cavern/ravine in the region). We went along the trail quite a while and upon our return to the starting point, headed home. Once dinner was out of the way, Georg, Anne, and I went for a night stroll through the Stadt and upon our return home we played a few card games. Although the weather wasn´t as hospitable, we still enjoyed ourselves equally as much.



Day 4:
Republik Österreich: Herzlich Willkommen! After a pizza-filled lunch, we all headed to the Walserschanz section of the Breitachklamm on the Austrian border. Shortly after our exit, we then travelled into the river ravine and followed the stream along for quite a while. In the midst of Haribo and apple juice, we finally stumbled out of the river-valley and hiked up to the gorgeous town of Riezlern, Austria. Because of knee problems, Hannah returned home somewhat early. Anne and I on the other hand decided to make our way back to Oberstdorf on foot. Unfortunately it soon became dark after we´d ascended the Mittelalp. We therefore headed back to Riezlern where we caught a bus back to Oberstdorf (and with tired legs and feet, returned back to the Ferienwohnung).

Day 5:
As today unfolded we found ourselves riding through the misty countryside: destination Füssen. After some time in the fog, things finally cleared-up and we could see the wonderful Alpine landscape which had engulfed us. Once we had finished a quick pitstop outside of Wertach, we then drove on further and in 30 minutes, made it to our goal. We finally found a parking spot (after some rigorous searching) and then walked through the small town of Schwangau and waited at a ticket booth for quite some time. As as Georg had purchased our tickets to the Königsschloß Neuschwanstein, we then headed up a hill path to the fairy-tale castle. Upon reaching our destination, all of us took a break to eat our Festpar and then continued on to the Marienbrücke for a panoramic view of König Ludwig´s castle. We then went back to the front entrance and waited a while until our tour was ready. Although the castle was flooded with tourists and the tour was quite brisk and short, it was still wonderful to see the castle from the inside. Travelling through the throne room, bed chambers, and main hall, we soon realized the castle´s charm. After the tour we then went back to the van and drove to the Austrian border. There we continued on the Autobahn and enjoyed a scenic view from the Tannheimer Tal. Passing by lakes, forests, valleys, and villages, we finally ended-up back in Oberstdorf to add a "Happy Ending" to the day´s fairy-tale adventure.



Last Day:
Today we wrapped up our adventures in Oberstdorf and headed back to Schwäbisch Hall. But first after breakfast, all of us drove once again over the border to Austria in the Kleinwalsertal for one last hiking experience. We finally made it to the village of Baad where we then went wandering through the Alpine landscape. After our excursion, we then departed to the small town of Baad (and Oberstdorf, Allgäu for that matter) and continued on to Sonthofen where I received a little bit of America at McDonald´s. Once our lunch had been completed, we then drove to Ulm and took a slight stroll through the city. We first viewed the Alstadt, where I also saw the Danube river. Later we went to the main square where I climbed over 690 steps to the top of the Ulmer Münster, which has the tallest church tower in the world. After our rigorous treck up the Ulm-tower, all of us then went for a walk along the Danube while enjoying an ice cream treat. Finally our city visit had come to an end and we boarded the van once again with our eyes towards Hall...until, after 2 more hours on the Autobahn, we finally arrived. After unpacking and eating a warm dinner, things settled down once more and then, after much travel and many new adventures, added a conclusion to our Herbstferien in Oberstdorf...

Herbstferien in Schwäbisch Hall

After much anticipation, the Herbstferien (or fall holidays) have begun. Although the previous week was crammed with exams and preparation for the upcoming break, I´m glad to have a little time off from school. Things in Hall have continued to go well, and with each day, I feel a little more at home here.

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to travel to Weikersheim (check out the pictures in the side bar) with my host father, Georg, and visit the Schloß there. It was wonderful to be able to drive through the south-German countryside and take in all the surroundings. After a quick tour of the gardens, we then went through the Schloß (palace) itself and viewed one of the royal family seats of the Hohenlohe royalty.

This week itself didn´t contain too much. After some discussions with Herr Single, my English teacher, I have decided to move into Klasse 11S after the Ferien. Things were going fairly well with my previous class, but I didn´t feel challenged enough and therefore look forward to advancing up into a newer class after the break. I am however proud of a 1,5 which I received on a Math exam this week (the equivalent of an A-).

Yesterday also contained some activity as Hannah and I headed to an AFS meeting with other exchange students and families around the area. It was definitely great to be able to meet some of the volunteers and see the other exchange students once again. Another interesting thing to note: tomorrow my family and I are travelling to Oberstdorf, Bavaria, for the week. I´m looking forward to this opportunity very much and will be sure to post pictures and comments on this trip as soon as possible. I may even be able to get some Ski practice in the Alps...but if not, I´ll still enjoy the time had. So, until the next post...

Viele Grüße,
Danny

Spätzle, anyone?

Well, here I am, a few weeks later in the heart of Southern Germany. I greatly enjoyed my stay in Wuppertal, and although I´ll miss my host family there and the other Americans with whom I got to know well, I´m still looking forward to every new adventure that comes across my path here in Schwäbisch Hall.

Anyways, things in Wuppertal continued to go pretty well for my last few days. Hildegard and I took a trip to Düsseldorf one evening and viewed the Altstadt along with the fashion avenue - the Königsstraße (where, by the way, one could buy €900 shoes and €1,500 pullovers). I also enjoyed the experience of having a semi-authentic Italian pizza (it´s only 100% original if eaten in Italy, of course!) at one of the many cafés in this metropolitan city.

A few days later in Wuppertal, AFS led a group of exchange students to the Müngstener Brücke, one of the tallest bridges in Germany. We then hiked to a castle, Schloß Burg, where we spent the rest of the day exploring the medieval hilltop town and fortress.

On the 3rd of October, I was fortunate enough to celebrate Der Tag der deutschen Einheit (day of German reunification). Early that morning, Hildegard and I went to the Wuppertaler Stadthalle (city hall) where we listened to the orchestra play works by Haydn and Wagner. Later that day, I enjoyed a walk in the countryside with Gisela (our neighbor) and Janna.

Although bittersweet, my last day in Wuppertal also contained quite a lot of exciting activity. We (being the group of American CBYXers in Wuppertal for the language camp) decided to go for a breakfast buffet in one of the cafés surrounding the town centre with our teacher, Monica, and then shortly afterwards said our goodbyes. That afternoon, I went for a whirlwind tour with Gisela and Janna around the entire city of Wuppertal. With an end soon arriving to the day, I then packed together my things and said goodbye to the Kotthaus-Völpel family with one last game of Siedler (an amazing German board game, for those of you unacquainted with it).

And now on to all the things that have happened so far in Schwäbisch Hall.

After conquering quite the difficult task of loading my suitcase onto the ICE train number 515 to Stuttgart, I then arrived 3 hours later at my destination. I instantly met the Ottmar family (or at least Anne - mom, Georg - dad, and Hannah - daughter). Along our drive back, I enjoyed a typical south-German treat, Brezeln and quite quickly felt sehr gemütlich, as the Germans would put it.

Although the first day is always the hardest, things continued to go well and I went along with the family for a tour of the town. With its medieval walls, baroque churches, and half-timbered, plastered townhomes, I instantly feel in love with the charm of Schwäbisch Hall. I soon started my first school day, which actually went quite well, and on the second day, I was invited to go to Heidelberg along with a group of other exchange students.

Now, almost 2 weeks later, school continues to go well. This past Saturday, Hannah and I went to the Cannstatter Wasen (like Oktoberfest, only in Stuttgart instead of Munich) and I´m beginning to feel like I belong here. I know it´ll take quite some more time until everything becomes wonderful to its fullest potential, but until then, I´ll still enjoy the simply things that come across me day to day and the opportunities I have to make new experiences and meet new people.

Adventures in Nordrhein-Westfalen

Things in Germany so far have been absolutely amazing! I apologize for the lack of information within the past few days (or more like weeks). I´ve seen so much and have been exposed to many new and wonderful things; I fear this post might be a long one. So, just as a warning, brace yourself for quite a lengthy read (if you dare).

But first, I now have pictures uploaded which you may view by clicking on the album of your desire on the dark-blue side panel. I will try to update these albums and add many more so that you truly can visualize what exactly I´ve been up to.

So, if you´ve already glanced over at the number of albums created, I´m sure you realize that I`ve visited quite a few places since my last post on the 12th of September. Starting at the beginning of these series of recent adventures within Nordrhein-Westfalen (the state of Germany in which I´m currently residing), on September 16th, Hildegard and I made our way into the Volkswagen and headed for the Autobahn. Afer 45 minutes we arrived in Düsseldorf (the capital city of this region)and soon found our main destination: Schloß Benrath. The surrounding gardens were gorgeous, but even more so was the Schloß (palace) itself. After touring the interior, my host mother and I took a ferry down the Rhine River to a medieval town called Zons were we enjoyed the lovely and nostalgic atmosphere along with the beautiful architecture.

Within Wuppertal itself I´ve also had quite a few adventures. On the 18th of September we went to the Zoo with other AFS students and I´ve also had the opportunity to visit many of the towns (e.g. Schwelm, Remscheid, Solingen) in the region surrouding Wuppertal.

My next large adventure occured this past weekend when Hilde, Janna, and I decided to go to Aachen for the day. The historical seat of Charlemagne´s empire, Aachen itself was a delight to visit. We were luckily able to have warm weather (actually above 60 degrees) and viewed the Aachener Rathaus (like a city hall). Touring the medieval building, we found many old portraits, the throne room, and even the Crowne Jewels of Charlemagne himself! Shortly thereafter we walked into some of the shops in the Altstadt (old town) and then headed to the beautiful and uniquely designed Aachener Dom (cathedral).

After a quick lunch in Aachen, we headed towards the amazingly beautiful town of Monschau, right on the border of Germany and Belgium (we even entered Belgium through the Autobahn for 4 minutes)! Monschau was truly the typical German town that is conjured up whenever one thinks of the nation. It had half-timbered plaster houses, cobblestone streets, baroque churches, and even a fortified castle (along with the remnants of a city wall).

Yesterday was spent touring the city of Köln (Cologne in English) with my host sister, Janna. This city is home to both Kölnisch Wasser and the Kölner Dom (the largest cathedral in Germany). After exciting the train station, we first headed to the Dom and even climbed the hundreds of steps to the top of the tower. As a reward, we received a beautiful view of the city. We also visited the shop where Kölnisch Wasser (cologne) got its name along with some other random shops along the way.

Today itself was spent in Münster. Early this morning, a friend and I decided on a whim to go to Münster and greatly enjoyed our time there. Everyone has been telling us about how charming this city was, and after seeing it with my own eyes, I can´t agree with them more! The Altstadt itself was scattered with churches and shops, and even outside of the downtown, the city was still beautiful (you´ll have to see the pictures to understand what I mean). So, with our cultural fill for the day, I headed back to Wuppertal and will return tomorrow morning to our Sprachschule (language school) for another week and a half of learning.

In about 10 days my time in Wuppertal is over, but I truly believe I´ve found a special place in my heart for both the people and the city itself. I look forward to meeting the Ottmars, my yearlong family, and beginning a relatively normal routine in the south German town of Schwäbisch Hall.

And so I leave you for now...with thoughts filled of all the adventures permeating within me at every second of my time here.

Until later,
Danny

Life in the Wupper

Greetings from Germany! After many days of orientations, travel, and simply "setting-in," I´ve finally become acquainted with my surroundings and its happenings. I apologize for the time gap, much has truly passed since my last post and I will try to fill you in on everything (however long this post may turn out to be).

To begin, D.C. itself was really great (or at least the parts when we were able to see the city and bond with some of the other CBYX students). However, as day and night were spent at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Herndon, VA, I began to realize the magnitude and significance of this adventure! Traveling to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Union Station, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, the Capitol, and so forth, the importance of this trip easily showed itself.

The plane trip also went well (however long it really was). We departed at 5:00pm and arrived at Frankfurt International Airport at 1:00am (or 7am in "German time"). We were even able to fly over Ireland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands before entering Germany itself. Once we arrived in Frankfurt, the next 8 hours were spent sitting in a lobby, quietly waiting for our train with the other AFS students studying this year from around the world in Germany. Finally, late that afternoon, we were able to catch a train to Wuppertal where 6 other CBYX students were headed (along with myself) for one month of language camp.

Upon my entrance into the city, I was kindly greeted by Hildegard and Janna Völpel (my host family for the first 4 weeks). Although Wuppertal itself doesn´t have quite the normal "German charm" to it, the suburb where I live (Cronenberg) certainly does. Built on the side of a hill, Cronenberg allows one to almost look down into the Wupper valley, but also be facing the countryside at the same time. It also has somewhat of a small town-like charm, and is still connected to a larger city. Anyways, now on to the events of these past few days in Germany.

September 9, 2007:
--Once I had settled down in Cronenberg, I was still greeted early in the morning by the smiling faces of Hildegard and Janna. After breakfast, Janna and I began the daz walking through the woods inbetween Wuppertal and Solingen (a small town). We also walked around Cronenberg itself for a bit and I even was treated to an amazing cone of Italian ice cream.

Later on, Hildegard and I went to the Wuppertal Bühnen and enjoyed the theatre festival there. I was also shown around the city and became better acquainted with the Sprachschule building and the bus stops.

September 10, 2007
--Another day, another experience. Once again I woke up to the faces of the Völpel family and Hildegard and I soon made our way towards the downtown of Wuppertal for another adventure. Although through some misunderstanding we arrived at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) too late, we were eventually greeted and taken to the Sprachschule by AFS.

Our teacher in the Sprachschule (language school) is quite young, and after 3 hours every day, all 7 of us are ready to depart.

We also went to Schwelm, a small town in the area, and visited the home of Bettina Spitz (my AFS liaison).

September 11 and 12, 2007
--How amazingly confident the easiest achievements can make you feel! After my first day using the German transportation system alone, I felt as if I could take on the whole world!

The food here is wonderful and the people are actually quite friendly. I´ve had a few days to explore around the city in the afternoons, and it´s actually quite nice! Janna, my host sister, is unfortunately preparing for her Klausur...but hopefully we will be able to have some more adventures in the next week or so.

Everything is going to swell and I truly feel like I´ve finally gotten used to things here. Perhaps it was just Jet-lag, but even now I´m not making the mistakes I was just a few days ago.

I´ll also try to upload pictures of my adventures so that all of you can view them soon!


Bis dann,
Danny

From Toothpaste to Turquoise T-Shirts

That's right folks...packing has begun. Spending the majority of today raiding out my closets and dresser drawers, I soon realized the clock was ticking away and I only had 24 hours left in little Ashland, Ohio. At exactly this time tomorrow evening, I will be sitting in my hotel room in Washington, D.C. and preparing myself for the upcoming flight on Friday. And, at this time four days from now, I will be aboard American Airlines on my way to Frankfurt International Airport in Germany.

Although I will be taking a short detour in the D.C. area, my adventure is truly about to begin (or at least it will at 5:30 tomorrow morning). Even though I'm very excited to embark upon this new and wonderful journey, after some time packing my things, I've realized how little I really am allowed to bring with me (one check-in and one carry-on). Considering the fact I'm trying to account for 11 months of belongings, packing "light" isn't necessarily an easy thing to do.

However, once I do arrive in Germany, I will definitely make an effort to update this blog much more often (perhaps even weekly if I have the electronic availabilities). In doing so, hopefully you'll realize I'm still alive and can figure out what exactly a foreign exchange student gets to do. I also hope to create a vivid image for those of you back home in the States and share my experiences with any who are willing to read them. If you feel the urge, don't hesitate to comment on my posts or just send me a message - I'd be more than happy to hear from any and all of you!

With that said, I believe it's time I headed to bed. It's been quite a long day and I'm sure tomorrow will be even longer. Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this wonderful new step of my life. I will miss everyone here very much, but will most definitely look forward to seeing you upon return.


Never Goodbye,
Danny

Zwei Wochen

And so, with only about 2 weeks left until my departure to Washington, D.C. (and shortly after that to Germany), I feel that an update is necessary. I am beginning to realize the little amount of time left until this adventure begins and yet, I still feel as if the magnitude of what is happening has not quite fully hit me yet.


Yesterday turned out to be truly amazing as I was able to meet with friends, family, and teachers for one final and official good-bye party. This moment was however somewhat bittersweet and I think it's the first time that I've come to realize how much I will really miss everyone here in the States. Up until now I was simply on an emotional high, too excited to really let the rest of my emotions catch up. After reading all the cards and notes left for me, I actually began to ask myself what I was getting into. Although I would never trade anything in the world for this opportunity that I'm about to embark on (nor could anything ever convince me to do so), I still believe I'm not fully prepared; mentally or emotionally. I guess that's the way the world tends to work though - we never are really ready for anything...but that doesn't mean Christ isn't there to help us through it!

As school awaits just around the corner (at least for those who are starting within the next couple of days), I also find myself scurrying around and finalizing that which still needs to be done. However, it has still been nice to be able to chat with those going to D.C. on the Congress Bundestag scholarship and realize that I'm not the only one who has been counting down for 50 days!

I've also had the pleasure to email back and forth with both my host families (the language camp - temporary and the permanent family). The two families seem very nice and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to meet them! I truly hope that I will be able to create very deep and wonderful relationships with them as my year continues on.

But before I leave for the evening, I would like to say a few thank yous to everyone: Thank you to those who have encouraged me throughout the years. Thank you to those who have given me their constant support. Thank you to those who have listened. And finally, thank you to those who have believed in me from day one that such an amazing opportunity was possible!


Viele liebe Grüße,

Danny

Let the Festivities begin!

What: My Goodbye Party

When: Saturday, August 18, 2007
from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where: 974 Thomas Drive (Ashland)

---No need to R.S.V.P. Anyone and Everyone invited---

I'm a Baden-Württemberger!

With much excitement, I am glad to tell all of you that today I found out my host family information! I will be living in Gelbingen, Baden-Württemberg; a village with about 500 inhabitants on the outskirts of a town called Schwäbisch Hall in southwestern Germany. My host family consists of Georg (dad, a pastor), Anne (mom), Hannah (16, host sibling), Simon (14, host brother), and Henrike (12, host sister). I will also be attended the same school as Hannah, the oldest of the three siblings! After so much waiting, I'm glad that I've finally received the good news. This location in Germany is possibly one of the best I could've wanted and I am so enthused with excitement that all of today's activities have only consisted of finding more about this wonderful place - Germany! As a matter of fact, I think I'll post some pictures of the town I'll be residing in so that you can decide whether this place is really as beautiful as I'm making it out to be! (note: the picture at the beginning of this post is also from Schwäbisch Hall)




















As I'm sure you can easily see, I don't think this town could be anymore beautiful! I also received a letter today, written by Hannah, describing my new German host family. They sound like a very neat group of people and I am very excited to have the opportunity to spend my time in Germany with them.

Another topic of interest is that I finally know the location of my language camp during the first four weeks in Germany. Originally I thought that I might be studing in Göttingen, but it turns out that I will be in a town called Wuppertal, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany (located in the west). All in all, I hope this year will be more amazing than words can even attempt to describe!

Midsummer Days...

With less than 50 days now until my departure to Germany, I find myself more excited (if not a little bit anxious too) with each passing moment. The time since I first began updating this blog has gone by quickly, and summer is now more than halfway over. As I await more information about who I'll be staying with and where I will live during this upcoming year, I begin to fully comprehend the magnitude and awesomeness for which this experience will behold.

Although I don't know my location and family for the entire year in Germany yet (a question which seems to be one of the first when I tell people about this upcoming year), I actually have learned quite a lot more information since my last posting. I now know that during the month of September, I will most likely be at a language and culture camp location in either Göttingen or Wuppertal. Then, in early October, I will live with a host family in a different location of Germany (that of which is still unknown to me) and attend German high school until mid-July of 2008.

Furthermore, another bit of information that I recently found out is the schedule for my departure orientation and flight information. I will be leaving for Washington, D.C. on September 4th and then flying out of Washington Dulles Airport on the 7th. During these 3 days in D.C., I will be getting together with the other 50 CBYX scholarship students going through AFS, touring certain political areas of the city (including Capitol Hill), meeting with my Congressional Representative, and visiting the German Embassy. I can't explain to you excited how excited I am for this upcoming trip to Germany and at times I find it difficult to hold back the exhilaration building up within me!

And yet, I have also recently found myself slowly getting ready for this lifetime adventure, both mentally and physically. I realize that things are changing, and even with a positive outlook, certain things must come to an end. But we must keep in mind that not all change is bad, but rather simply a new step forward in the multi-faceted directions that life contains for us. Bit by bit we must take these steps, following the path that the Lord has already created for us. Then we will realize that this is no longer an ending, but rather the beginning of a new chapter.

One month down . . . two to go!

I am quite pleased to say that summer has come to sweep us all by surprise with its warm weather, sunny skies, pink lemonade, beach towels, sunblock, and even pesky mosquitoes. However, that doesn't necessarily mean things have begun to slow down in the slightest. I still find myself waiting everyday by the phone in the afternoon; hoping, just hoping, that this might be the day I'll find out about my German host family. And yet I seem to make friends with this newfound afternoon silence of mine and go on disappointed, but knowing that the Lord has it all worked out already.

Summer school has also come to dominate my summer vacation (or at least the mornings from 8-12). As of today, I am officially more than halfway finished with U.S. Government! But this doesn't mean I'm off that easy; I still have to take Economics (starting mid-July). Although I dread waking up at these ungodly hours of the morning (at least for summertime), I'm glad that I have the opportunity to get these classes completed and the credits taken care of before my departure.

Anyways, on a much more uplifting note (yes, school isn't always a happy topic to write about), last night my family and I went over to one of the couples from our church for dinner. They were hosting an English teacher from Germany for a week, so it was definitely awesome to talk about Deutschland! I was able to get an insight into the German school system and, of course, enrich my cultural knowledge.

However, all this talk of Germany has made me wishing that summer was already over. I know I should cherish the remaining time I have with my family and friends, but I just want to get on the plane right now and leave! One of my good German exchange student friends who had just completed her study experience here in the States left for Köln, Germany, on Saturday. If only I could've found a way to sneak on the plane! Oh well, 70 days folks . . . 70 days. And after tomorrow, only 69. Hmm, 69 looks like a much smaller number. Maybe I should just count 69 days as my countdown for tomorrow and let it be until time has actually caught up with it!

Anyways, this post is seeming to ramble on into nowhere, so I believe it's time I ended it. And before I forget, on August 18 I'm having a Going Away Party. Everyone (and I mean everyone) is invited. I'm not entirely sure of all the logistics yet, but I'll post more of the details as time gets closer. And so, with that, I wish you another two great months of summer! August will be here in a heartbeat!

As always,
Danny

¡Bienvenidos a Cuba!

On Wednesday, Dad and I returned from our week in Cuba. We went with a group of 3 adults and 3 youth (including me). Even though this blog is about Germany, I thought that I would include a little post about Cuba and tell you about what all we did.


We arrived in Havana and stayed at the bishop's office the first night. In the evening, we walked around town and visited some of the important monuments/attractions such as the Hotel Nacional, El Moro (a colonial Spanish fortress), and Habana Vieja (Old Havana).


However, the majority of our week in Cuba was spent on La Isla de la Juventud (the Isle of Youth). Known for its pristine beaches and marble mountains, the Isle of Youth was the inspiration for Peter Pan and Treasure Island!


While on La Isla, we stayed in Nueva Gerona, the provincial capital. The island was actually quite large (about 40 X 40 km) and had 4-5 towns. To get to La Isla de la Juventud from the main island of Cuba, we had to take a ferry from a small port town, Batabanó, to Nueva Gerona. The security on the ferry was actually as tight (if not stricter) than on the flight over from Toronto. Supposedly many ferries have been hijacked in the past and taken to Miama or Mexico.


Anyways, while in Nueva Gerona, Dad and I stayed with Pastor Javier and his wife, Ana. They had two boys (Javierito and Alejandro) and lived right across from the church where Dad taught in the morning. While on the island, the other two youth and I walked around town and visited some of the places nearby. On our last day on La Isla, we were taken to one of the prisons where Castro was originally put when trying to spread the revolution. We also went to the home of José Martí (one of their famous national heroes) and some of the old tourist attractions when the island used to be a more popular destination for the average tourist/vacationer.



Overall, Cuba seemed to be a land of paralleling contradictions. Beautiful black sand beaches, but bare and empty - untamed by man. Boardwalks along the ocean with shops and beach houses in the background - boarded-up and fading away into the mountains. Antique streets of Habana Vieja (and the rest of Havana) - gorgeous and yet filled with old cars (none newer than 1960 allowed). Religious statues dotting the city skyline - and right across from them, statues of communist figures.


In spite of all this, I can't stress how wonderful the trip was and the beauty that Cuba had to offer. To state it shortly and to the point, I would go back to Cuba in a heartbeat without any hesitation at all! And so, I will leave you tonight with some of the images of "Habana Vieja."

Summer has begun!

I am officially finished with school! Although I am leaving a week early for a mission trip to Cuba with my dad, I feel that this is a great time to start posting periodically about my feelings of Germany and also to update all of you who are reading throughout the summer.

On March 6, 2007, I found out that I was selected as one of the CB (Congress-Bundestag) scholarship winners and have been awarded a full scholarship to study abroad my senior year at a "Gymnasium" (German high school). As of right now, I still don't know my host family or where I'll be staying in Germany, but that doesn't mean the excitement hasn't started to build up yet. Through a multitude of conference calls and orientations, I have begun to realize that this will truly be a life-changing experience. Although I will be leaving Ashland behind for a year, it still is hard to comprehend that my dream of going to Germany is coming true! I just want to say thank you to all of you (teachers, friends, family, etc.) for your support and encouragement.


Currently, I do have a basic agenda for events that will take place and when I will be departing for Germany:

Late August/early September: CB/AFS orientation in Washington, D.C.
September 5-9: Departure to Germany
September 10-early October: Language Camp in Germany (location still unknown)
October-July: Residence with permanent host family, attendance at a German high school


As of now, this is the majority of information that I have about the trip. But don't worry, I will certainly keep an update of my status and let you know as soon as I find out anything new!

Danny