I am back at home in Victoria, MN and have been now for a little over a month. Crazy to 
believe that it’s been so long since I’ve been in Germany! I definitely miss many things – the people, my room and apartment there, the culture, the language. But what I really miss is being able to speak German. Sure, speaking English is a great thing – I even understand basically everything that people are saying – but I feel as though I am cheating my German skills by speaking English. And if there’s some secret or some comment I’m just dying to tell someone, my thoughts go automatically to German. Every once in a while German comes out of my mouth as well, followed by looks of confusion to whomever I am talking. 
The past month has been a bit crazy. What with the reverse culture shock (there was quite a bit of that), making sure I was still able to drive, and cleaning my messy room I came home to was all a bit much for me the first couple of days back. Reverse culture shock was the worst: I’m still trying to get over it! What a difference in how the store clerks treat you, how spread-out and wide the roads here are, how friendly the people here are (sometimes a little too friendly for my taste now), etc. Everything takes its toll. It is still going to take me a while before I get used to being greeted as I walk into a store or when I am talked to by the cashier behind the counter – and not for doing something wrong or being in the wrong line. I am still not used to people I don’t know smiling at me on the street as I walk by them, or getting waved at while driving past your neighbors as we do here in this country: another thing I am not yet totally used to. (It’s still weird that I have to drive a car to go to the grocery store and then don’t have to worry about how heavy the products are or if they will fit into my backpack for the walk home. Quite a plus now, really.)
At times, I just want to pack my things and go back to Jena where I know I was happy. But things there have changed, too. Another roommate of mine has moved out to study abroad this coming year, so even if I were to go back things would not be the same. Most of the other exchange students are back in their home countries and the German students I met are either at their parents’ houses, writing their papers or are vacationing somewhere else. The easy thing to do would be to throw in the towel, buy a plane ticket and head back. The tough part: staying here and sticking it out, which is the right thing to do. Maybe things will be better once I’m back at Concordia next week with all of my friends. But then there’s the fear of how much I’ve changed over this past year and how much they’ve changed as well. Will we still like each other? Will the same common interests still be there? Will conversation be as easy as it was a year ago before I left? But I need to just have faith. If God doesn’t want me having those same friends, I pray that He gives me the strength to find new ones.
On a happier note, a few Saturdays ago I had one of the best days of my life. My uncle is a professional photographer and was shooting a wedding in Eagan, MN. That Friday night I got a call asking if I would like to help him shoot….and I would get my own camera to shoot things, too! What an opportunity! So I took him up on it and was even able to capture some really great shots. I got to learn a lot about lighting, camera positioning and how to capture the emotion of the day. When I made it home that evening, I was exhausted! But it was well worth it. The other day I got a DVD in the mail of my photos from my uncle with a note about what I could do better the next time: at my cousin’s wedding…slightly more pressure there! I was very surprised at how pleased he was with my photos and how pleased I was with them. Typically the artists are in some way dissatisfied, but I was really ok with the job I had done, lifting a bit of the stress for my cousin’s wedding. So now my job is to go and nit-pick my pictures and find out ways that I could make them better.
Hey everyone!
I have not updated in quite some time. Many things have happened over the last few weeks. One of our beloved student summer ambassadors, Hope, has completed her summer work at the admissions office in order to go train for her DA position! We all miss her smiling face very much around the office.
This summer, our student ambassador team has grown close. We like to hang out as often as we can. A couple of weeks ago, we got together and played an ultimate cranium game. It was pretty fabulous! The picture featured in my blog is of Hope and me. In this picture, I am being Hope’s puppet while she tries to get her team to guess what I am. I believe the word was “heat wave”…apparently I am a bad puppet because Hope’s team did not get this one. Everyone made fun of my puppet skills, but I know better. I am the most accurate puppet these Cranium people have ever seen. They are all jealous.
Only 13 days until school starts! I am actually really excited. I miss my philosophy classes the most. This year is going to be pretty relaxed for me, since I have completed most of my necessary requirements. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have one class: Shakespeare. It is from 1:20 until 2:30 with Gordon Lell, who I have heard many great things about, but have not had a class with yet. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class from 10:30-12:10 then 12:50-2:30. My first class on those days is Asian Philosophy; this is the class I am looking forward to the most because it is with one of my favourite professors, Dr George Connell. Then at 12:50 I have a class called U.S. Foreign Policy with Dr Sonja Wentling. I am looking forward to this class as well because I had a history class with her last year and loved it! This semester is going to be great!
This weekend I am going to the lakes; I don’t know which lake, however. I will either going to be my sisters boyfriends lake in Luck, Wisconsin, or my boyfriends grandparents cabin in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Either way, it will be a great way to say goodbye to summer days, and hello to a beautiful Minnesota fall.
Pay day is soon- you know what that means. Maybe you don’t: it means the summer student ambassadors will be going out to eat together! More on that as the story unravels….
What’s up homies?!
It’s been a while since I have posted. My post is going to be a lot like Grant’s “July” post. There is not a lot going on for me right now. I have been going to the lakes a lot with my family and friends; basically just hanging out and having as much fun as I can. I have been studying for the LSAT a lot too; which is good because I need the practice!
A Cobber friend of mine is getting married today! That’s pretty exciting! Her name is Katie, and she is marrying her boyfriend of 4 (+?) years, whose name is Justyn. I am really excited because they are having their reception at The Red River Zoo! Ben and I have been trying to go there for about three summers now, and it’s just never worked out. Finally, we will be going to the zoo! There are camels there- I hope I can pet one.
In light of me seeing camels today, I thought I would provide some interesting camel facts.
1.) Camels have a split upper lip, to aid them in grazing for food.
2.) A camel can go for days or weeks with little or no food!
3.) There are two species of Camel: Camelus (the single humped variety) and Bactrian (the double humped variety). I will be seeing the Bactrian Camels today.
Did you know that we have our own little zoo at Concordia in the Jones Science Center? It contains everything from Bearded Dragons, to Iguanas, to Hedgehogs! In light of this interesting fact, I would like to provide interesting facts about hedgehogs.
1.) A hedgehog’s excellent sense of smell allows it to detect a worm under the ground.
2.) Hedgehogs are born with their eyes closed and open their eyes about 14 days after birth.
3.) Hedgehogs normally live a solitary life…
but not our hedgehogs!! We give them plenty of loving!
Hope you’ve enjoyed my interesting and random post.
More random facts to come…
So this week was my birthday!!! I am officially 20 years old and boy do I ever feel those wrinkels setting in. But seriously, I had an absolutely fantastic birthday with my family, friends, and a beautiful pineapple upside-down cake. I’m not much of a fan of frosting or cupcakes so when my birthday rolls around I beg my mom for my favorite treat. I suppose since I am 20 I should learn how to make my own pineapple upside-down cake on my own.
The birthday celebration started this past weekend, I went out to my boyfriends cabin on Battle Lake and waited for the sun to start shining. It was a gloomy weekend but we packed it with some gift shopping, a trip to Zorbaz on Ottertail Lake, and a lot of sand castle building! There were two little kids who I hung out with all weekend, Izabel,7 and Landon, 4. Together we created “SandCastleLand” which came complete with an airport, a school, a bowling alley, and rocks and twigs for decorations. The kids even built a huge sand wall that protected the castles from the waves all weekend long.
On Sunday, my mom, dad, sister, and older cousin came out to the cabin to join in the festivities, and with my mom came the famous pineapple upside-down cake! Thankfully, at about noon on Sunday the clouds cleared and the sun started beaming. With the change of weather we all threw on our suits and went swimming; my dad and boyfriend even got in a little fishing. The afternoon concluded with presents, my favorite cake, and the singing of that old time hymn, “Happy Birthday to You…” I really could not have asked for a better day.
Now, in my old age, I’m looking forward to the beginning of fall semester. I can’t believe how fast this summer has passed by, but I have a feeling that it’s only going to get better. This weekend I’m going to Valley Fair! I hope I don’t get sick on any rides!
-Hopey
Well friends, I know it’s been a while since I last checked in with you all, but my last few weeks have been rather dull. From waking up and going to work and then just reading until it’s time for bed again, I’ve pretty much made my summer schedule as relaxing as possible. It’s not that I am not motivated to do anything other than those things, it’s just nearly impossible to fit anything else in when you work from 8 to 5. The bulk of the sunlight is used up and my brain is usually so fatigued that all I can do at the end of the day (after I work out for an hour or so) is try to rejuvenate myself for the next day. So based on my personal experiences over the last three months, my advice to all people is this: if you are typically an outdoorsy or extremely active person, find a job that allows you to do those types of things!!!!
But really, summer is going well. I miss camp and working outside with kids a lot, but my current job has it’s rewards as well. I will say that I have learned a better appreciation for those individuals who can do a 40 hour a week office job! It is hard! And often more taxing than I ever had expected.
My main goal for the rest of the summer is also centering around preparation for senior year. It is coming fast and I need to take every opportunity to make it the best, most exciting, and most intense experience of my life thus far. So, reading up about job opportunities, apartments, and other such things has become increasingly integral in my day to day existence.
I’ll write again soon! Until then, keep your head up!
G
