Gretta Gone Global

Last weekend a group of us went to Lucca, a gorgeous city.   Very clean, very peaceful, with a wall around it that you can walk on.  Famous for olive oil and sweets. mmm.
Weekend before last we went to Siena, which is also gorgeous, but in a different way. It has rolling hills, with houses stacked on the slopes and a gentle haze over it all. That cathedral was so amazing. I just wanted to lay on the floor and admire the ceiling.
This weekend we go to Rome for two days. I am very excited! We are going to the Pantheon and the Vatican, among other things. I can’t wait…

So much has happened in so little time it feels like we have been here so much longer than just three weeks. Is that really all it has been?! Everything is still novel and exciting. Once that wears off and we have to buckle down to school, time will fly. Right now I am happy that the beauty still impresses me. Inevitably it becomes mundane after seeing it for weeks and months. Just keep reminding how amazing it really is to be here…

Classes are a drag sometimes, just because they keeps us from doing other things, but really, they are not that bad. Every class is pertinent to the world around me and actually it is great to be able to slowly understand my surroundings better. Italian history, art history, Italian language, and Italian cinema all expand my knowledge and comprehension of daily life in this country. I love it! The biggest drag is all of the reading, but even that is interesting once I start, then I hate to put it down! I hope the entire year of classes is this way. If it ever gets boring, I will not survive…

Finally I’m settled, for a year.  I will only have to move houses and take short trips.  No more intense packing.  No more long-term goodbyes.

Christmas felt completely different this year, even though I spent it with some of the same people. My host family from Frankfurt was here for 10 days. A whole ten days.

I love them to death, and I am eternally grateful for their generosity over the year I lived with them, but this visit reminded just how much like family they really are. You know what I mean… right?

I mean, in high school I used to get so upset with my parents that I would yell and sob. Or I would get so embarrassed by them that I just wanted to disappear. That’s part of being a family too.

The only thing with a host family is that you don’t have the unconditional love that real families do.

Now that I’m on the topic…
The first half of a year I was so afraid to do something terribly wrong and get sent away for it that I could never relax. They were just volunteers so if they got fed up with me they would just have to say the word and I would be history. I had seen it happen to other people.
The second half of the year I was so used to them that I almost wanted to be move. Not really, but that was when the other side of being a family kicked in. The little things start to bother one. The excitement had worn off. In marriage you would say that the honey moon stage was over.

In hind sight:
I understand how terrible it is for children who are adopted, especially if they have seen it happen before. Or for young married couples. Never let an immediate escape clause be part of a relationship. It sets it up for failure. Just stick it out. It’s after the grace period/ honey moon stage and the tough second stage that the lasting relationship begins. That’s why my host fam was invited to visit me.

Then I was in the Land of Christmas. The first home of Christmas trees, Advent wreaths, and cookies. Where traditions hold strong, where candles are real and even electric lights on trees resemble their waxen forefathers. Where 1000 year old nativity sets are not so rare. Where Christmas is much more than just one day out of the year…

Well, this year Christmas snuck up on me. I was so busy with my classes, my business, and my travels that I didn’t even realize what day it was until… well, ’til now. And now it is 2010. Wow.

The Christmas tree at home, the pies and the extended work hours at the bakery should have gotten my attention, but I was just so tired after work that all I wanted was a long winter’s nap. I already had visions of sugar cookies dancing in my head.

I guess what I needed was a lighted Weinachts Markt, some ice skating, and more cookie baking (not selling) to get me in the mood. Next year. Or should I say, THIS year.

God Bless.
Merry Christmas Season.
And a very Happy New Year.

Oh, Dear…
I am terribly behind. I had seriously considered for a while giving up this blog, but due to popular demand I have begun again.
I have a lot to catch up on, but that will have to be another day.

Today is my first day of classes. I began my day with an 8am class, and then my next class is at 1. So inbetween I get to do fun things like get on my new, adorable, extremely portable notebook computer. It is so small that it could fit inside a three-ring binder. It is fun to walk around campus without anyone knowing that I have a computer in my bag. It makes me feel like James Bond…
Of course later this brake will be used to “study” but this week I can use it to get my life organized, and my blog. I hope you will have some spare time to read it. Enjoy!
And wish me luck on my newest venture on the road of life.

Heaven is Where:
The Police are British,
The Chefs are Italian,
The Mechanics are German,
The Lovers are French
and
It’s all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is Where:
The Police are German,
The Chefs are British,
The Mechanics are French,
The Lovers are Swiss
and
It’s all organized by the Italians.

Oh, Bayern…

I had a wonderful Easter.  I spent it on trains, on my feet, and with friends.  But the best part was evening.

The family I visited has three girls, all around my age.  Every evening that I was there we sat out on their second story balcony, relaxed, sang, talked, watched a flickering fire, drank beer, enjoyed the summer weather.  Today I sit inside, alone, in front of the computer.

What a difference.  But only for today, I hope.

Well, back to big-city life tomorrow.

Happy Easter Season everybody!

Who ever knew

• that a stretch of track that usually takes 20 minutes to cover can also take 1 hour
• that that 1 hour could also be fun

The first train was 30 min delayed and only took us two stops because it was ‘defekt.’  the next train traded for the defekt one didn’t even leave that stop because it was also defekt.  Finally another train came, but I opted to wait the 2 minutes for the one after because the passed 40 mins had caused quite a crowd to accumulate.

So, I get on the next train and travel halfway to my destination.  Then, oh, time to get off again.  The train we were on had to turn around because he was running that late.

Next train.  Again, very full, and every station after that only made it get fuller!  We were so packed in that no one even needed to hold on in order to keep their balance.  The chatty people in the middle said it very well: “cuddly.”  Thank goodness we could all laugh about it.

And thank goodness the ride home was much quicker!

I have been alive on earth for roughly 19 years and 9 months.  Thanks Mom and Dad for getting me this far!  I’ve still got a long way to go…

The past 8 months I have been on the other side of the world.  Without my parents (physically at least) but not really alone.  I have two pairs of host parents, a program director and an area representative to look after me.  Sure I have become independent, which is to be expected at my (new) age, but I am still looking forward to spending the summer in their nest.  I’m sure they are looking forward to the nest not being empty for at least a few months.

Really though, I am enjoying my time here.  What is better than a Salsa Costume Party: Dancing and Dress-up combined!  Almost the Masquerade Ball I dream of… 

I almost forgot it was my birthday because I was in Bonn and it was the height of the Karneval season, the fifth season of the year in Germany.  But now it is all over.  The costumes and decorations are packed away and ashes on our forhead call us to repentence and preparation for the Passion of our Lord.  Then the party begins again in 6 and a half weeks.

I got millions of Valentines

from God.  They floated down out of the sky and made the ground all white.  Three days in a row.  On Saturday I even played in it:  I went sledding with my host parents.  Beautiful!  I couldn’t have asked for anything better for Valentine’s day.