Abenteuer

I finally have figured out how the public transportation in Germany works (: It only took me four months and a million mistakes.. -_-

The Great Hamburg Bahnhof

Joy and I spent three hours traveling around Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) last Saturday, and it was quite the abenteuer (adventure). Boy, did we get lost!! I've also had quite a few experiences of getting on the wrong train or being on the wrong platform at the wrong time.. crazy, crazy.
Although it's been tough to figure it all out, I have come to LOVE public transportation. I don't know why I have never used it in the states before? I think the only public transportation i use regularly back home is airplanes... to leave utah... does that even count? I dunno..
Trains are my favorite, though. I love how much mystery there is on there. You are with all these strangers, all with different stories; different backgrounds; different paths; different dreams; And, all your paths are crossing for half an hour or so and then they are scattered. Very rarely will you see those same people that you shared that hour or so of your life with... I think it's so cool. Plus, the trains here are SO DANG FAST AND AWESOME. (: I could literally spend my whole day on a train.

The sign on our room's door (:
Götze is a soccer player in Germany (:

Last week I had a Re-Entry Seminar with all the returning-in-january YFU exchange students. It was so great  to see some of my friends again and to meet a lot of new people (: I shared a room with 5 other girls, 2 from south africa, two from Argentina, and Joy (USA, New Jersey). I met people from Finland, Bulgaria, Italy, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, etc etc. An INTERNATIONAL GROUP (: At the seminar, we talked about returning home and how our last month and a half should be here in Deutschland. Ah, it's crazy I only have one month left here :/ ...so sad.
Yesterday (December first) marked the First Advent!! ITS CHRISTMAS TIME! Gah, it is SO DARN beautiful here at this time of year! All these christmas markets are going up, everything is lit and there is music everywhere. Fantastic, am i right?
I went to an Adventstreffen (meeting celebrating advents) up in Griffhorn, which is a tiny town in Niedersachsen that is so beautiful! Getting there was quite difficult... as i mentioned before, an adventure. We walked through the same christmas market 4 times.. twice because we were lost and two more in the dark (cuz, why not? it's beautiful). We then walked an hour or so trying to find the location we were meeting (we didn't have the exact address). At least we had fun, though! And guess what! We walked into a big Sportplex where a competition was going on.. and i'm not talking about a Spelling Bee or a dance competition... no, haha... I mean Fahrrad kunst. Translation? Bicycle Art. That's right, these young girls and boys would get on their bikes and.. dance!! I have never seen anything like it (: and neither had Joy, so we went and sat down to watch. (: Awesome, right?

Me being the Best Bar Tender Ever

After spending 4 hours traveling and trying to find the place, 2 hours being there (which was way fun, also!), and 4 hours to get home (which was just as hard to get there, haha), I headed to a party with my soccer team. (: Since I was the only one not drinking, i tried to be their bar tender.. They taught me a few things about alcohol.. Since I really have no idea about alcohol haha! It was really good to see them and hang out with them (: Plus, the home we were in was SO COOL! The guy had a freakin' bar in his basement. And!! He had ice! I haven't seen ice since the airplane ride over to germany! They gave me the rest of the ice to put in my cola.. (: so nice.

ICE!!!

The next morning I headed to church (Yes, I know... a LOOONG 24 hours).. And, once again.. public transportation. Ha, it took me an hour and a half to find my church because I had forgotten the trains and buses run at different times on sundays.. ha, whoops! But, I got there (: and one of the men brought a surprise to church with him.. that's right, I got to hold a PORCUPINE! Gah, so adorable. It kinda freaked me out, but it was awesome!

I only have three weeks left of school, so I am beginning to finish all my projects and am turning them into my teachers.. the end is coming way too fast.
My host sister gets home TOMORROW from Ghana! Ahh, I am so excited to hear all her stories and see her pictures and to have her home.
I thought i'd post some pictures of my school.. i think it is so awesome that the back yard is pretty much a forest! And, there is paintings all over the school. Abi is short for Abitur, which is like graduating. So, for example, ABI'97 is like saying Class of 1997 (: Pretty cool, I think! They have a tradition that each year has some kind of project they do to the school, whether it's a monument or a painting. I wish schools in america did something like this!
As for embarrassing-brigitte moments.. I'd have to say running down the sidewalk, weiße heiße schokolade spilling everywhere, bags flying, and loud panting just trying to catch the train. Yes, that happened to Joy and I in Wolfsburg. Don't worry, we made it!
Also, walking past the same Döner shop 5 times, seeing the same three people outside while I was looking for my church... In my defense, I thought I was walking west to east, not north to south haha! Whoops (:
...annnnd... crashing on my bike again.. in the middle of an intersection.. it was just SO DANG SLIPPERY. Yep. I thought i was done crashing, too. All is gut though (:
One month. ...Bittersweet.
Nooo. :/ I don't want to leave this beautiful country!

The view from my school.. beautiful, right?

SOMETIMES i listen in class

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