Greetings from Germany!
I've been here for a bit over a week now. I arrived an exhausted mess on Thursday morning, the 10th. I was fairly ill the first few days I was here with a prolonged cold, so I barely left the house. I spent most of my days curled up on a chair with my book, eating well, and sleeping (or trying to). During my slow recovery, I've been for walks in the woods, shopping downtown, and I saw a Christmas concert at a local church.
It snowed yesterday! A lot! I've been inexplicably referring to snow as "snizz" and I can't stop. Please help.
It was lovely walking in the woods with the snow. So peaceful and quiet...until it got windy near the end. But the cool winter air feels lovely as I'm regaining health. I took a lot of pictures, but those aren't yet on my computer.
It's still slowly hitting me that the semester is done. I'm finished with DC. Who knows when I'll be back and who knows when I'll see some of my closest friends again. That's a weird thought. DC and those people were my LIFE for four months.
Side note: time is a weird thing, very relative. I told Oma that the decade is coming to a close, and that a decade ago, I was 10 and she was 70. She said "oh, that's it? Just ten years? That's nothing." I said "Oma, that's half my life." I'm reminded of this when she tells stories from "just the other day, not long ago" and then I find out it's from when I was 6.
So yeah, four months is kind of a long time for me, as a young'n.
I'm super excited to get back to Claremont. I miss my friends there so much. Caety and I skyped for two HOURS yesterday, which was awesome because we're in the same time zone so there was no trying to figure out when someone had to go to sleep or whatever. I've had two dreams in the last week about Claremont. Nothing special, just being back at Scripps in familiar territory and walking around campus, etc.
I fly home on Monday. I have two days left in Germany. It's currently -15º celcius (5ºF). The lowest it got in DC was close to 32ºF/0ºC. Claremont is currently 75ºF/23ºC, so it's easy to understand why I miss it.
I've got to start packing up all my stuff and making sure I can fit it all. Thank goodness I'm gonna take a duffel from Oma - no worries about trying to jam everything into the one black suitcase I have. (Which, by the way, ended up weighing 68 pounds from DC-Germany.)
Off I go.
Showing posts with label dream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dream. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Everything is winding down
I have three big things left and I'm donezo. Number one is my crazy research paper, which is still only 20 pages, so I have to pull another 10 out of *somewhere*, but my advisor sent me an article he thinks will help, so hopefully with some recent developments I'll be able to add information to what I already have.
Number two is my SWOT Analysis. For you non-business savvies, that's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a company. My group is doing Bank of America, and I am focusing on the weaknesses. With some recent developments in my research (i.e. an interview with an insider!!! very hush hush) I think it's gonna be a good paper, at least on my part.
Number three is my final exam on December 7th, but we're so not there yet.
My family will be here in one week!! I'm planning an epic itinerary for the weekend of sightseeing and touristy stuff, following by delicious (real! non-cafeteria!) food. Food that is not sandwiches. I seriously cannot wait. I don't think any of you understand - I've been literally LIVING OFF SANDWICHES. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. I EAT ONE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
Anyhow, it'll be fun with Shawna staying in the dorm with me. I honestly think I might die of excitement when I see my family.
Three weeks from today, I will be in Germany! Five weeks from Saturday I will be in Sea Ranch!
It's still not sinking in that I might not see these people for...ever? My good friend from class who lives in Germany got an internship for next year, January through April, in...SHANGHAI! That's just so crazy to me.
Back to Thanksgiving, (sorry my thoughts tend to drift around) I was a little bummed that I might not get traditional fare. I actually had a nightmare a few nights ago that it was Thanksgiving and all I had on my plate was cranberry sauce and some mashed potatoes and I woke up crying because there was no stuffing to be found. ANYWAY, last night the cafe served a delicious T-giving feast! The green beans were oddly seasoned and pretty gross, but everything else (the mashed potatoes? gravy? STUFFING???) was delicious! Even the turkey was good! My friend Erin and I did a "dark meat" dance when we were serving ourselves. The caf was also showing a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which was awesome. Childhood!
I applied for two summer internships so far, and I'm researching more. I figure I need to do this now, because if I don't, time from the end of the semester until like the end of March is absolutely nuts. December is obviously packed (Germany until the 21st, then Xmas, then Sea Ranch 26th-January 2nd). In January, I have a bunch of stuff to get done (dentist, haircut, surgery???) then I'm back in Claremont on the 17th. I'll have to settle into my new classes and everything, then before I know it it'll be parents weekend and my 21st birthday! After that is midterm season, then spring break (aka VEGAS!) then suddenly it's the end of March and I'll only have a month and a half until summer. TOO LATE TO APPLY THEN. Ergo, I am doing so now.
Finalmente, I am a genius. Instead of shipping all my stuff home, then packing it in my tiny car and driving to Claremont, I'm going to ship one box of stuff (bedding, summer clothes, etc.) to Rachel and have her hang on to it at Scripps until I get back. This way, I have one less huge box to put in my car, which will already be packed with my trombone, fridge, and far too many clothes. We all know me and packing light - it doesn't happen.
No pictures this time, kids, sorry! Nothing notable has been going on. Actually, nothing at all has really been going on, honestly. But I'll post some after Thanksgiving! Get excited!!!
Number two is my SWOT Analysis. For you non-business savvies, that's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a company. My group is doing Bank of America, and I am focusing on the weaknesses. With some recent developments in my research (i.e. an interview with an insider!!! very hush hush) I think it's gonna be a good paper, at least on my part.
Number three is my final exam on December 7th, but we're so not there yet.
My family will be here in one week!! I'm planning an epic itinerary for the weekend of sightseeing and touristy stuff, following by delicious (real! non-cafeteria!) food. Food that is not sandwiches. I seriously cannot wait. I don't think any of you understand - I've been literally LIVING OFF SANDWICHES. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. I EAT ONE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
Anyhow, it'll be fun with Shawna staying in the dorm with me. I honestly think I might die of excitement when I see my family.
Three weeks from today, I will be in Germany! Five weeks from Saturday I will be in Sea Ranch!
It's still not sinking in that I might not see these people for...ever? My good friend from class who lives in Germany got an internship for next year, January through April, in...SHANGHAI! That's just so crazy to me.
Back to Thanksgiving, (sorry my thoughts tend to drift around) I was a little bummed that I might not get traditional fare. I actually had a nightmare a few nights ago that it was Thanksgiving and all I had on my plate was cranberry sauce and some mashed potatoes and I woke up crying because there was no stuffing to be found. ANYWAY, last night the cafe served a delicious T-giving feast! The green beans were oddly seasoned and pretty gross, but everything else (the mashed potatoes? gravy? STUFFING???) was delicious! Even the turkey was good! My friend Erin and I did a "dark meat" dance when we were serving ourselves. The caf was also showing a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which was awesome. Childhood!
I applied for two summer internships so far, and I'm researching more. I figure I need to do this now, because if I don't, time from the end of the semester until like the end of March is absolutely nuts. December is obviously packed (Germany until the 21st, then Xmas, then Sea Ranch 26th-January 2nd). In January, I have a bunch of stuff to get done (dentist, haircut, surgery???) then I'm back in Claremont on the 17th. I'll have to settle into my new classes and everything, then before I know it it'll be parents weekend and my 21st birthday! After that is midterm season, then spring break (aka VEGAS!) then suddenly it's the end of March and I'll only have a month and a half until summer. TOO LATE TO APPLY THEN. Ergo, I am doing so now.
Finalmente, I am a genius. Instead of shipping all my stuff home, then packing it in my tiny car and driving to Claremont, I'm going to ship one box of stuff (bedding, summer clothes, etc.) to Rachel and have her hang on to it at Scripps until I get back. This way, I have one less huge box to put in my car, which will already be packed with my trombone, fridge, and far too many clothes. We all know me and packing light - it doesn't happen.
No pictures this time, kids, sorry! Nothing notable has been going on. Actually, nothing at all has really been going on, honestly. But I'll post some after Thanksgiving! Get excited!!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
She's going rogue!!
No pictures today, and I'm "going rogue" because I'm updating from work. Sssh...
Just a few new pieces of info. Numero uno: I'm teaching myself to write with my left hand. My friend Jason could not believe I did not know how to use a lighter (not even a zippo or anything, like your basic BIC) so he tried to teach me and I just could not make it happen. He bought me a lighter so I could practice and after my right thumb got sore, I switched hands and boom. It worked every time. Sometimes I forget I'm left-hand dominant. I was supposed to be left-handed, but my dear sister always took the pen/crayon/whatever out of my left hand and put it in my right when I first started picking them up. But my piano playing was always off because my left hand would naturally be louder than my right, and I still sometimes reach for things with my left hand. So I figured it only makes sense to teach myself left-handed writing. I'm seriously tempted to go buy one of those books for 5 year olds that teach you how to write by tracing letters and stuff, but do it with my left hand. Should I?
Nexttt...I went to an Oktoberfest party with my German friends last Thursday night, but that turned out to be a total bust. The only thing Oktoberfest-y about it was the giant glass mugs. There were no huge tables, no German music, no German decorations, and the beer wasn't even that good. It was more of a networking event for business people. Seriously, people were passing out business cards and shaking hands and whatever.We felt awkward being there as students, so we didn't stay long. But it was fun to just go out with my friends. It's kind of funny that I'm here in DC but studying with a lot of international kids (at least eleven Germans in my class, almost as many French, a Danish girl, a Chinese girl, three kids from South Korea, three girls from Colombia, two girls from Africa, three U.S. kids, and I think I might be forgetting some) but some of my friends from Scripps/home who are studying abroad are there with a bunch of American kids. Who's getting the real international experience? Maybe none of us.
Another fun thing is that I reconnected with the Forans last week (yay!) and I'm going to New York this weekend to spend a few nights with them (YAY!!!) I'm really excited about that, except for the small fact that it's supposed to rain all weekend. Oh well, I can happily experience New York from their apartment, honestly. And Penn Station.
The other night, I had a dream I was eating pumpkin pizza. I think it's time for fall.
I'm getting tired of wearing business casual clothes almost every day. I'm such a jeans, sweatshirt, and flip-flops kind of girl. I should get my black jeans up here, then life would be easier. I'm also kind of sick of all my tops. I didn't bring a whole lot, seeing as I had to ship everything, but my office is dangerously located next door to an Ann Taylor and a Gap. Every time I walk by I want to try on everything in the window. I smell a post-work shopping excursion in my future - but next month, after this month's ridiculous credit card statement has gone through. Daily metro rides and eating out almost every day is killing me...and my bank account.
I've been swimming on Wednesday and Friday mornings. I wake up at 6am and eat a banana or granola bar, then walk ten minutes to main campus (last week it was raining, so that was fun) before the sun even comes up to swim for about an hour. The bus starts running at 7 so I can bus back and shower before class. It's glory. The pool has retarded hours here - 6-8am on Wed/Fri mornings, and then various times in the afternoon/evening the rest of the week. I've heard that it's normally PACKED; one of my friends had to share a lane with five other people once. When I go at 7am, I get a lane to myself. I live for that. I sometimes forget why I ever stop swimming, and I still kick myself for not swimming every day this summer. Next summer, assuming I'm home, I'm gonna try to go daily again. It just changes my whole day, it wakes me up.
On the other hand, I've been taking afternoon naps almost every day I don't work (aka Wed-Sun) Just one short hour in the afternoon does wonders. It doesn't help, though, that I've been sniffly and sneezy because pollen counts are ridiculously high. Stupid allergies.
No other news for now, but I'll probably post something when I'm back from New York. This will be my first time back in almost five years. I cannot wait!
Just a few new pieces of info. Numero uno: I'm teaching myself to write with my left hand. My friend Jason could not believe I did not know how to use a lighter (not even a zippo or anything, like your basic BIC) so he tried to teach me and I just could not make it happen. He bought me a lighter so I could practice and after my right thumb got sore, I switched hands and boom. It worked every time. Sometimes I forget I'm left-hand dominant. I was supposed to be left-handed, but my dear sister always took the pen/crayon/whatever out of my left hand and put it in my right when I first started picking them up. But my piano playing was always off because my left hand would naturally be louder than my right, and I still sometimes reach for things with my left hand. So I figured it only makes sense to teach myself left-handed writing. I'm seriously tempted to go buy one of those books for 5 year olds that teach you how to write by tracing letters and stuff, but do it with my left hand. Should I?
Nexttt...I went to an Oktoberfest party with my German friends last Thursday night, but that turned out to be a total bust. The only thing Oktoberfest-y about it was the giant glass mugs. There were no huge tables, no German music, no German decorations, and the beer wasn't even that good. It was more of a networking event for business people. Seriously, people were passing out business cards and shaking hands and whatever.We felt awkward being there as students, so we didn't stay long. But it was fun to just go out with my friends. It's kind of funny that I'm here in DC but studying with a lot of international kids (at least eleven Germans in my class, almost as many French, a Danish girl, a Chinese girl, three kids from South Korea, three girls from Colombia, two girls from Africa, three U.S. kids, and I think I might be forgetting some) but some of my friends from Scripps/home who are studying abroad are there with a bunch of American kids. Who's getting the real international experience? Maybe none of us.
Another fun thing is that I reconnected with the Forans last week (yay!) and I'm going to New York this weekend to spend a few nights with them (YAY!!!) I'm really excited about that, except for the small fact that it's supposed to rain all weekend. Oh well, I can happily experience New York from their apartment, honestly. And Penn Station.
The other night, I had a dream I was eating pumpkin pizza. I think it's time for fall.
I'm getting tired of wearing business casual clothes almost every day. I'm such a jeans, sweatshirt, and flip-flops kind of girl. I should get my black jeans up here, then life would be easier. I'm also kind of sick of all my tops. I didn't bring a whole lot, seeing as I had to ship everything, but my office is dangerously located next door to an Ann Taylor and a Gap. Every time I walk by I want to try on everything in the window. I smell a post-work shopping excursion in my future - but next month, after this month's ridiculous credit card statement has gone through. Daily metro rides and eating out almost every day is killing me...and my bank account.
I've been swimming on Wednesday and Friday mornings. I wake up at 6am and eat a banana or granola bar, then walk ten minutes to main campus (last week it was raining, so that was fun) before the sun even comes up to swim for about an hour. The bus starts running at 7 so I can bus back and shower before class. It's glory. The pool has retarded hours here - 6-8am on Wed/Fri mornings, and then various times in the afternoon/evening the rest of the week. I've heard that it's normally PACKED; one of my friends had to share a lane with five other people once. When I go at 7am, I get a lane to myself. I live for that. I sometimes forget why I ever stop swimming, and I still kick myself for not swimming every day this summer. Next summer, assuming I'm home, I'm gonna try to go daily again. It just changes my whole day, it wakes me up.
On the other hand, I've been taking afternoon naps almost every day I don't work (aka Wed-Sun) Just one short hour in the afternoon does wonders. It doesn't help, though, that I've been sniffly and sneezy because pollen counts are ridiculously high. Stupid allergies.
No other news for now, but I'll probably post something when I'm back from New York. This will be my first time back in almost five years. I cannot wait!
Monday, August 3, 2009
And so we begin
This shall be my "semester 'abroad' " blog. I say "abroad" in quotes because everyone can be so anal about how DC is TECHNICALLY not abroad from Menlo Park. Whatever, fools! It's a completely different culture and it's not California, so I count it as abroad. Besides, I've done the whole live-in-Spain thing. I wanted something different. Anyway, I was gonna just update my xanga, but that has way too much baggage (aka ninth-grade angst) and I figured I should make a fresh start. Aaaand not send the link to my xanga to family and friends. Awkward town!
I need to pack. Desperately. This is not a surprise. I have two weeks until I leave, but last night I had a terrifying dream where I was getting on a plane to DC but I hadn't packed anything except my wallet and phone and gold nail polish. It was really scary. Scary enough to make me go dig through the basement for old boxes from the move. I also realized that my passport expires in October. Probably something I should look into, no?
Anyhow, look back to this thing come the 19th or so for photos and musings and stories of the East Coast. Enjoy!
L
I need to pack. Desperately. This is not a surprise. I have two weeks until I leave, but last night I had a terrifying dream where I was getting on a plane to DC but I hadn't packed anything except my wallet and phone and gold nail polish. It was really scary. Scary enough to make me go dig through the basement for old boxes from the move. I also realized that my passport expires in October. Probably something I should look into, no?
Anyhow, look back to this thing come the 19th or so for photos and musings and stories of the East Coast. Enjoy!
L
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