:)

          So I haven't had much time recently to do any up dates, because I have been spending so much time trying to learn german! I put so much effort in, and it's still so hard for me:( </3 I have flashcards with words on them that I keep in my bag so whenever I am on the train, I can study! and not to mention, and nobody laugh, please! but... I am in 5th grade classes for german, with 10 year olds. I AM ASKING 10 YEAR OLDS TO HELP ME WITH GERMAN! Hahaha, it's bad! But I learn a lot in these classes, because these kids don't speak and English, so they teach me words by acting them out, and it helps me remember! I love it. and It's funny because My little brother back home is also 10 years old, so it's like I am my brothers age in school!
         I need to start applying for colleges soon I think, but I don't know how well that will go, you know from another country and what not but I will try!
         Although I haven't been keeping up with this blog, I have been keeping up with a private notebook, which I hope to oneday read, and it be so amazing to see how I felt back there! and by then, I mean now. Hahah.
         There is a list of things that I can say I definitely like better in Germany than in the USA. Starting with school. Compared to German schools, US schools are like prisons. We have no freedom, here everyone has free classes, and they have different classes everyday of the week. Classes only last 45 minutes each and you can leave school whenever you go to a kiosk or grocery store. and the best part is, that nobody skips classes, because they actually care about education! So we get freedom and nobody abuses it! It's awesome!
         Luckily I have completely and totally figured out the bus/train systems! Thank god!

But the rides so long, this is how I end up everyday, just sleeping on the trains <3

SOOO much to do!

I got to see my amazing Anna, for those who don't know, Anna is a German girl, who came to North Carolina, and lived there on exchange for one year in my town, in that one year, we became very close, and my heart broke when she moved back to Germany! Now I live only 3 hours by train from her, and she came all the way to Cologne just to visit me! I was sooo happy!!

Here is another picture of us!! I missed her way way way too much!

This is a picture of my language camp class and our teacher! It was an amazing group of people! and an amazing teacher, even though my german isn't that good, I have learned a lot of the basics here! 

This is a picture of Clara from Italy, Ines from Mexico, and I, going to a disco, Cologne has tons of them, everywhere, but this night we were in Bonn! I love these girls!

This is a picture, or the Italian girl again, and I playing in the leaves enjoying the semi warm weather befor winter comes and we can only wear big jackets for the rest of the stay:( Just like home, I miss these colors!

Quick catch up!

Sorry, it's been a while since my last post but it's been so crazy, and I have been sooo busy! Theirs always so much to do! But to make things better, I have completely figured out how to use the trains and buses, so I am no longer getting lost. Life is much easier and I absolutely love love LOVE Germany!

Heres some pictures to sum up the last few weeks!

I hung out with my fellow exchnage students

 Theres millions of photos taped together in the shape of germany outside on the pavement by the Dom BHF which is Colognes main station! It was beautiful!

I saw some amazing buildings and historical places!

I ate strange Oriental foods and other weird things!

And I even got a little sleep in!

Can't have it all.

This is my complaint post, I think I am allowed to have at least one of these.

I miss my small town back home.
I miss knowing everyone and knowing how to get everywhere.
I miss being able to ask someone for directions without saying "Excuse me, do you speak english?"
I miss my friends and family.
I miss my doggie.
I miss ice.
I miss my car.
I miss my cellphone.
I miss my little tiny comfy bed.
I miss normal water.
I miss looking at my window and seeing the mountains.
I miss screaming at Owens football games and cheering on my boys.
I miss my bathrobe.
I miss swimming at the Northfork swimming hole and hiking in Montreat.
I miss Ashevilles crazy stupid shenanigans.

I have been having the WORST time getting around Cologne, it's soooooo big and theres so many people, I can see 4 train stops and 2 bus stops at any given moment in the city. I can get lost biking to school. I can't read the street signs or the maps. I don't know how to find the platform for a train. I can't even go for an afternoon run without getting lost and having a mini heart attack. I am so lost in this huge city and it's so different from Black mountain NC or any other place I have ever been. I have even cried a few times because I got lost with no phone and no idea how to get home or read a map or which train to take. I have felt alone in the middle of a city I don't know, with people who can't talk to me.

But the weird part is... I love it. 

I would trade all the things i miss for more experiences like the ones I have made in the past few weeks.

In a heartbeat.

Half of me wants me to go home where I know I can't get lost walking from the store to school.

But the other half can't wait to get lost in this amazing city more.

Find things out on my own.

Trust my inner voice and reason.

I guess I will see where I go.

Pray for me.

I want to make it out alive.

<3

Or at least find my way back home in a years time.

I miss everyone.

Exchange students!

This weekend I attended my first rotary youth exchange get together, 50 something exchange students and I all spent a full weekend stirring up trouble! It was so much fun! I meet so many people and I have about 4 billion pins that I am going to put on my blazer (all exchange students wear them).

 We visited a castle/ museum thing, where was saw really awesome old things. Haha.

 We played with lots of dangerous toys! :)

 This was at this small festival outside of the castle. The two guys are also from the United States and the other girl is from Ecuador!

 This is a small group picture with only a few of the kids. We went on a very long and beautiful walk.

And last but certainly not least we sat through a ton of boring meetings with information:(

This is a guy from the United States!

Wow!

In the big city part of cologne you see tons of street dancers, homeless men, festivals and crazy things like men having bachelor partys and wearing paper suits letting people pay to cut out hearts on their suits. It's a little hard to explain, but my favorite out of all of these things, is the street art. This is a picture of a street dancer! I love it! So exciting!

Another thing that is amazing.... The view from the top of the cathedral! HOLY COW! You can see the whole city! It's so nice and windy at the top, after a long, and I mean LONG walk up the stairs (over 500) It feels amazing to stand on the top, (feels like the top of the world) and look down at all the tiny ant-size people. You would only understand it if you were there. Everyone needs to go at some point in their lives!

<3 Now you can understand a little bit... but it's just not the same!

German words, so confusing!

So imagine this, you need to pee really really bad and you see two doors; one has a really big "D" painted onto it and the other has an "H"... Which one is the ladies room? Hahaha... Pretty embarrassing moment, not only did I walk into the wrong door, which was H, but I didn't even think "Hey, there is a stand up urinal in here, maybe it's the mens room."

Another embarrassing thing; The words nacht and nackt are almost impoosible for me to pronounce differently and not to mention, are very hard to remember which is which.... one means night and the other means naked.... I fail.