Its Winter, Lets Go Swimming.

What do Germans like to do in winter? Go to a water park of course, but I'll get to that later.

I've survived my second week in Germany! & this weekend has so far been great. To begin my weekend the children got out of school early Friday around noon. My host family and I went to a ceramic painting shop where I painted what they called a "traditional bread board" (because Germans have bread 90% of the time, and the remaining 10% is a mix of beer and meat..) We all had a great time painting them and then we went back to a friends of my host families for dinner. Saturday we took a trip through Lubeck and then to an awesome indoor water park RIGHT on the Baltic Sea! For a quick fun fact, In 2005, a Russian group of scientists found over 5,000 airplane wrecks, sunken warships, etc., (mainly from the Second World War) lying in the bottom of the sea. WOWZA.

I love the coast (my preference being a tropical coast) and the Baltic Sea was another coast line that I had to photograph. My host family laughed at me as I ran towards the coast to snap a picture. It was 14 degrees and felt like -4 degrees, you can imagine how crazy they thought I was. Despite the bone chilling wind, the water and view was beautiful. The sand was also surprisingly very soft. I was expecting it to be very rocky, I had this image in my head of a rough, and rugged viking sea shore. I don't know why I thought it would be like that exactly, but I did.

Once we got into the water park I noticed a few things about the people in there..

1. ALL VERY VERY PALE. I mean like pasty white. I guess that's what happens when you only see the sun a handful times a year.

2. The swim suits. haha, wow! The women's suits were pretty normal, or what I consider normal. However, the male's suits (this is where I had to try and not laugh) looked like ladies booty shorts. 

3. PDA, Germans don't care. They also had very creative paintings on the wall depicting very adult activities.

4. It's not German without a bar, or 2, or 3. They seemed to sell liquor and beer everywhere you looked.

Over all I had a great time, but by far my favorite part was the outdoor section. 95% of the water park was indoor but there was a section outside that you could swim to. The pool was heated, don't worry. Anyways, out there I managed to be in pool, in Germany, while looking at the Baltic Sea. It was incredible and there is MORE! The steam coming off the outside pool was being swirled around by the arctic wind and it was freezing on the statues, plants and grass outside of the pool. If I would have been thinking I would have brought my phone with me to take a picture. My handy dandy phone has a water resistant case =] But I wasn't, and for that I am sorry!

Another farewell fun fact: The basin containing the Baltic Sea was created by glacial erosion during long-term Ice Age periods.

Diagnosed by Dr. Suess

“Out there things can happen, and frequently do, To people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew. Just go right along, you'll start happening too!”
- Oh, The Places You'll Go

Many people are hesitant to travel because they begin to think about all the things that could go wrong. I am not here to tell you GO TRAVEL THE WORLD SOLO. Traveling abroad for an extended time isn't for everyone. (I personally love it. So far it is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done) But I am here to address the concerns of traveling solo.

If I spent all my time concerned about what could go wrong I would never get anything done. I could fall getting out of bed and hit my head, I could lose my shoes and have nothing to wear, I could give myself a paper cut reading the daily paper, I could take the wrong train home and have to take another one back....I could go on and on about all the things that could happen. (I could be kidnapped and sold into a sex traffic circle, that one is a bit extreme but I thought I would throw it in. Sorry Mama.)

I simply like to make the best out of what is happening around me. Short history lesson, I have completed 2 years of college and found the study grid a bit boring. I felt like I was wasting my time (and $$$) taking loads of classes. I have taken interest in almost everything I have ever done, and settling in on one degree just isn't for me. So until I find a "true calling" I am going to keep searching and questioning the world around me. When I travel I love engaging in conversations, debates, and stories with all sorts of people.

*Back to making the best of things* While I have taken the wrong train home already, twice, instead of worrying I went along for the ride. I saw new parts of the city I would not have seen had I not allowed myself to enjoy what was happening. I have made many unintentional turns since I have been here, and each one has turned out to be something great. So lets cut to the chase, traveling solo can be dangerous if you're not prepared.

Traveling Solo List:
*I began my travels solo, but since then have made friends along the way

1. Read, Read, Read. Read about where you are going& what its like. I checked out my governments write up about my travel location and signed up for travel alert emails. Read up on the local sites and political/social history, but most importantly READ your surroundings while you are there. Be aware of everything going on around you and if you don't feel comfortable, leave. You'd also be surprised how willing locals are to help! If you feel uncomfortable while alone go into a public building with people, simple solution.

2. Don't market yourself as a tourist. Tourist's are often targets in my opinion. Maybe it is because tourist always try to look their very best and carry all their fancy new toys. I personally feel more comfortable traveling when I blend in a bit, or just look like a student. I travel with the minimum day to day and try to live like the locals. (Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of things I leave at home! I am by no means a nomad, I just don't use my bag as a way to hoard useless junk around)

3. Always have/know a way home. Where ever your home is, always have enough in savings to afford that plane/bus/train ticket from wherever you may be! =]

4. And finally while you are out and about try to keep a map& watch of some kind with you. First, learn to read maps if you don't know how to already! In my experience it helps to know the time, and be able to look at a map and figure out where you need to go. I have an offline app map on my phone. Whenever I need to see it I slip into a coffee shop or bakery and then check it out ( I do it this way so I am not all eyes-locked on my phone screen and standing there like an idiot. Germany is also cold so I don't like to be out longer than I NEED to be)

5. Stay in contact with someone you trust and always let them know the general places you will be and around what time you will be back. That way if something does happen (like you trip, roll your ankle, and are taken to the ER) and you don't return someone will know something isn't right.

Those are my 5 tips to traveling S..O..L..O... (I hope someone reads that like Jason Derulo) Like Dr. Suess said "today is you day" something, something, something "get on your way!!!" Or don't. I wont try to pressure you into traveling, but I will say it IS pretty awesome.

Goals of an Au Pair

"Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown."-Gaby Basora

Many people have asked me about what it is I am doing here in Germany.(They have also asked me a lot more but I'll stick to the basics) I have decided to dedicate this post to explaining; What I am doing, Why I chose Germany, How I like it, What I wish to accomplish, and a bit more. It won't necessarily be in that order though, not really sorry.

What is an Au Pair?
Glad you asked! Whats an Au Pair, I am an Au Pair!! haha. Sorry, I had to. But, an Au Pair is a french term that basically means I am a live-in nanny abroad. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Well it is, as long as the individual doing it likes working with children and doesn't have a hard time adjusting to foreign cultures. Which I do and I don't, win-win.

I found my Au Pair family through one of many au pair web pages. They are a lot like care.com and are fairly easy to do yourself. I did mine myself. To be safe, ALWAYS be sure to ask A LOT of questions, and skype them multiple times! You're going to be living with them, don't be shy!

My duties are very straight forward. I clean my own things, set the table, and run the dishwasher each night. My main duty is to be ready for breakfast at 7am, go with the kids to school (drop them off), then I attend a language course which my family pays for, I have a bit of free time to explore the city and travel within it. Later I pick the kids up from school and take them home. Often stopping to play or get something at the bakery.

Why Germany?
Why not? Germany has a very rich culture, and history. Many people speak English so I'm not terribly homesick. I can travel to MANY of the other European countries from here. Plus, the German language has always interested me. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and I am diving in head first!

What do I want to accomplish here?
Fluency in the German language. I feel like being from America, or perhaps an English speaking country in general, a second language is not heavily pushed. Many Europeans learn a second, or even a third language. I definitely admire that!

I want to continue my education of the world. I want to travel to many different places and see multiple walks of life. As a traveller I am able to see things not everyone gets to see. The simple task I get to do living abroad become adventures. Such as shopping for food, taking the train, trying to find out where the bathroom is, walking around a park, watching the locals go through their days, figuring out which is trash/recycling, ordering food, washing clothes/dishes, etc... Its the normal things I do without a second thought back home that have become extremely interesting here. A few even funny. (Hold on, I'm about to detour) An example; I was walking around the lake here in Hamburg and I saw a really pretty steeple and wanted to know what it belonged to. I thought I would be able to just follow one street straight to it. Not the case, in Germany the roads grew as the cities grew. In most American cities the roads are planned out for future growth, often in a grid. I managed to make a couple lucky turns and guesses on which direction would get me to the mystery landmark. When I finally got there it was a really old church, and it was quite amazing!

Back on track... simply put, I want to travel. I love moving around and being new. When I am new to a new city, everything is awesome.

How do I like Germany?
I miss people smiling, saying hello, good morning, good day, afternoon, holding doors, and helping out regardless of whether they know you. I also miss taco bell, sweet tea, football, barbecue, and my family. Besides that list, I love it here. The mix of architecture is beautiful, public transit is very effective (once I figured it out), and the German life style is a nice change from what I am used to. I like going to the store every few days for meals, I LOVE the quality of products here (I cant say I'm a fan of how damn expensive stuff is), I like a cash based environment, and I also enjoy all the people from all over that I get the pleasure of meeting.

A bit more...
Yes, Germany is cold. I am on the 53N parallel, that is equivalent to Attu Island, Alaska or Quebec, Canada. So yes, I am very cold here and miss the Texas sun. In Texas I was at the 30th parallel, that was about the same as parts of Egypt. Even in Oregon (the coldest place before here I thought I would ever allow myself to live in) I was only on the 45th parallel, which is equivalent to parts of Italy.

No, I don't hate Germany because of WWII..(seriously someone asked me that) That's a bit ridiculous, it was a part of history and I did enjoy learning about it. But I don't hate Germany because of it. I actually find it very interesting.

Yes, the German language is hard. I have a difficult time pronouncing things and don't get me started about the sentence structure!

Yes, I will post more picture. Get off my case, I have a life and can't spend every minute updating you (You know who you are). I will post them when I have some free time, until then, I will keep exploring Germany =]

Bis Bald!!

"Take the time to put the camera away and gaze in wonder at what's there in front of you."
-Erick Widman

Problems No One Tells You About

Take the Red line to the blue line, then hop off at the "shlumlumlumburg" stop, and then walk the "hausrawr-rawr" bus stop, catch the T238K7S3, ride that four stops, spin in circles three times, buy a beer and your there...

Public transit in Germany, Very effect. Learning to use public transit abroad is one thing someone would be happy to accomplish. Learning to use public transit for the first time in a language I hardly understand is down right cruel. Twenty minutes of waiting at a plat form, to then figure out platforms go in different directions. Simple things like this are the problems of a girl who is using a S/U bahn for the first time. Please, remember everyone (using transit for the first time), know the major station stops along the way and not just the next one. The reader boards don't tell you those. When in doubt just go back to Hauptbahnhof! Next thing no one tells you..NOTHING is free. You pay to use the bathroom everywhere, If you don't have grocery bags you pay, and NO free water. Its truly heart breaking that last one. I drink water like no ones business. It's the simple day to day tasks that turn into the big adventure while you're abroad.
  (Next Day...)
I met a few other au pairs and I can't wait to start exploring Germany and the rest of Europe!! Being my first time in Europe I want to meet as many people as possible and see as many things as possible!!

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."

So far though I have been in Germany for 6 days. I think I am starting to get the hang of things with my host family. Next on my list is to start sight seeing, and planning other European trips.

 

German language of the week:

Ja= Yes             1. Wie geht es dir? = How are you?
Nein=No            2. Wie kann ich sagen..= How do I say..

Wo= Where       3. Wo ist die Toilette?= Where is the bathroom?

Was= What        4. Ich wurde gerne ein X bitte.
Danke= Thanks      = I would like a(Food)please
Bitte= Please      5.Ich verstehe ein bisschen Deutsch.

Sehr= Very             =I understand a bit of German

Gut= Good

Wie= How

Welt= World

Deutsch= German

Wer= Who

Wenn= When

Warum= Why

Toilette=Bathroom

Turkey to Hamburger?!

Hallo Hamburg!

My arrival to Germany was wonderful! I spent my first two days with my host family seeing the city and just getting a feel for the place. On my first day I simply found my new home, and the major work/school buildings. Which was enough for one day because streets in Germany are NOTHING like the US. I don't think a street goes straight for more that 5 blocks. Plus, in Hamburg there is NO shortage of bridges. Bridges are to Hamburg as Trees are to the Pacific North West. My Second day I saw the fisch harbour, the Reeperbahn, and the Rathaus. Simply put; The fish harbor which is like many other large harbors, and the Rathaus, which is City Hall, and one place I will write its on post about in the future..The Reeperbahn aka Red Light District. haha.

My third day was much more business less relaxing. I woke up and finally unpacked. After breakfast (which is a main point to the German day) I became a Hamburg resident, got my Au Pair work permit, got my U bahn/S bahn/Bus/and train pass, found out how to open a bank, and had dinner with some of my host families close friends at a lovely Italian place. Since most of my early days I was too distracted to bring a camera I will post later with more photos. As for now lets talk about what I noticed about Germany.

To begin, bakery's and coffee shops are plentiful. The people here all have gorgeous blue eyes. Portland and Austin combined have nothing on Hamburg as to the amount of bike riders. Its cold here. Like really cold. I'm going to be buying a much thicker coat VERY soon, cold. The buildings are beautiful. People walk everywhere that they possibly can. Houses are very cute. Squirrels are very red. One word can mean a half of dozen things. Everything must be taken in context. Toilets are weird. Water is carbonated. Shoes are made at a higher quality. Their states, city states, and regions are strange to me still. And I think I love it here.

Istanbul, Airports, and Dead Batteries

Merhaba! Hosgeldiniz!
Hello! welcome!

Where is Istanbul you ask? Turkey. Not the kind that we Americans enjoy during Thanksgiving either, but the middle eastern country that connects Europe and Asia south of the Black Sea. I'll add a map farther down so you wont have to do any extra googling =] (You're Welcome) Well after a 12 hour flight and half a dozen things to keep me entertained I made it from America to Istanbul.

In America, my flight with Turkish airlines was fantastic. That wonder service carried over into Istanbul. My flight was complete with 2 decent meals, a T.V. screen with a great selection of entertainment like: movies, music, games, news articles, and a flight map. Not to mention, I managed to get an open seat next to me so I could stretch out!! WHOO HOO!

Once I landed I had a slight problem, my e-visa (electronic visa) APPARENTLY couldn't be electronic and had to be printed. I had to make a few at least a dozen trips round the airport looking for a working printer and an employee who was willing to take 10 seconds to print it off for me... I smooth talked (with a Turkish, English translator app) a very helpful young boy working for the airlines to get one of the office officials to print it for me finally. On the bright side by the time I went through customs there was no line and I walked straight through. From there I went to the hotel desk and they booked me a free nights stay due to my 16hr layover.

When I arrived at my hotel I had a difficult time. Here is a list of a few things that are different in Turkey then in the USA.. Light switch's, door knobs, draw handles, and my favorite, drum roll please, power outlets!!!! Thankfully I was gifted a wonderful converter/adapter before I left the USA. Unfortunately I failed to read the instructions about it, or anything else regarding charging my electronics while abroad. I frantically sent my sister a detailed SOS imessage with the free wifi at my hotel (she is currently abroad). I had only 6% battery on my laptop and my phone had already died, and managed to get a "sure" and a "USE YOUR CONVERTER/ADAPTOR" but I personally wasn't 100% convinced I wasn't going to fry my things. I was terribly worried that if I didn't figure this out I would forever be out of touch with the world!!(a bit dramatic, but hey now don't be critical) Regardless, I held my breath and plugged it in bit by bit with one eye closed hoping nothing started to smoke. Nothing smoked immediately but after about 30 minutes my phone cord got hot and started to smell toxic so I unplugged it. Not trying to burn down a Turkish hotel, or poison myself with hazardous toxins. Later that night I decided I wanted to wash my pants in the hotel sink because I spilled some tea on them. ( I made tea in my hotel room) I thought it would be fairly easy. Well, getting my pants soaking wet and soapy was simple. Rinsing them wasn't that bad. The trouble didn't even start until I woke up the next morning at 4:45am and they were STILL soaking..

Never doubt the ingenuity of a slightly desperate young adult. I found a wonderful solution, I call it The Hotel Hair Dryer! and boy oh boy. That hair dryer was going nonstop for at least 40 minutes until my pants were dry, and they did eventually dry.

Over all my stay with Turkish airlines was pretty great. I left the my hotel that morning and caught a shuttle back to the airport and got my last flight to Hamburg (where I am currently writing this blog entry) =]

Operation: Procrastination

"If it wasn't for the last minute nothing would ever get done."-Someone I can't recall right now

Actually I'm not even sure if that's a saying. If it isn't it should be. End of story.

So, I said farewell to my family in Oregon yesterday and headed home to Texas. My travel experience this time wasn't that bad. Definitely wasn't my best airport experience, but I've had worse. To start off my trip I'm pretty sure I was poisoned by unknown fumes in my brothers truck (seriously I got light headed and a little dizzy, he laughed) Then I got to the airport and the wonderful lady checking me in informed me my flight was delayed in a less than caring tone. Some people should really thank my mother for teaching me "If you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all"

So what do you do when you're 2 hours early for a domestic flight? I walked over to the Starbucks so I could hook up to the wifi and kill some time with pinterest and my chess app. (I've won twice..the computer is good, real good.) As I got there and sat down I realized I left my plane ticket at the check in counter. It wasn't all that surprising because that's something I would do. I took a second lap around the airport and picked up my ticket but this time I just went through security.

Once I got my ticket and I went through Mr.TSA without a hassel I found a seat next to my gate. There I proceeded to play with my phone and its case for an hour. I'm easily entertained, its actually a little scary. After that became boring I set my phone to German and tried to navigate it. That was interesting and helped pass more time. Finally after my flights second delay time arrived (yes, there was a delay on top of the first delay) I was able to get on my plane! whoop! hallelujah! yahtzee!

I have an easy time flying, the secret is to just plug in and sleep. Ignore the crying babies and the gabby old ladies. If I was forced to choose between the two I would take the crying babies. No ma'am, I don't want to hear about your cousins, nieces, best friends, fiance that is a competitive knitter and made you those gloves last christmas. I'm not mean, I just don't find a story like that, all that interesting. (Yes, I am aware that it is sometimes hard to tell that I actually enjoy the company of people.) All in all though I have to say I LOVED seeing my family and friends before I run away to Germany and never come back (just kidding mama I'm coming home..maybe) =] & All the travel advice I got was helpful and reminded me just how much I had, well have, to do. For starters here is a bullet friendly list. BEFORE YOU GO:

• Copy Passport & other documents
• Inform banks of travel plans
• Check into your flight online
• Keep in touch with your wonderful host family
• Began cleaning your room
• Get distracted by facebook and other social media sites :)
• Start cleaning again
• Discover clothes/things you forgot you had in you room
• Wash all the clothes and then throw them on your bed
• Just look at them for awhile....
• And then start packing

Here is a mid way point where I had some clothes washed and packed, some are still dirty, and the rest is random stuff I found from all over my room. Lets play a game.
I Spy:
1. A mini leatherman
2. Sunglasses
3. two Christmas tree ornaments
4. crocheted ear warmer
5. Leopard onesie
6. Starbucks gift card
7. socks that may or may not be clean...

Okay, I know I don't have that much stuff. However, every time I pack I feel bad for those who do have a lot of clothes. I've managed to separate my clothes into halves. Half of it I'm leaving for my sister to claim while I am away. The other half I'm taking with me because I think I might wear it, I might not, but I might...but in the off chance that I don't I'll just get rid of it somewhere in Europe.

My single suitcase for an entire year is a bit impressive. Its not a GIANT bag (thats cheating) but it does fit all of my clothes...Prepare for another list. duunnn duunnn duuuu....THE PACKING LIST

• Undergarments ie. underwear, bra, sports bra, tanks, socks, spandex
• Sleep wear (I'm a proud owner of onesies..yes multiple)
• Randoms... Swimsuit, scarves, beenies, gloves, belts
• Jeans, shorts, skirts
• T-shirts, long sleeve, sweaters
• workout clothes ie. shorts, yoga's, leggings, tanks, and other tops
• Jackets and Coats

That covers my clothing list. I also brought sneakers, sperry's, a wedge, and boots. AND in this same suitcase I have my hygenic things. Here is the full and almost ready to go bag! I just need to add an extra duffle for my trip home next winter. I 100% anticipate bringing home more than I take over there.

In addition to this I will have my carry on and purse. My purse contains a cell phone&charger, wallet, passport, camera&charger, a few cosmetics (not tryin' to look like I walked out of Left4Dead), headphones, ipod, sunglasses, my retainer (I dont need to wear it anymore but have an irrational fear that if I dont my teeth will shift), a toothbrush (I really really like brushing my teeth..its not weird), and my converter/adaptor.

My carry on, which is a back pack, will have: my planner, address book, laptop&charger, notebook, and gifts for my host family (Because I'm basically Santa) so its actually pretty empty.

So recap.. Operation: Procrastination
Wait until the day before I depart for a full year on an international flight to prepare.
 SUCCESS

Next update will include my flight out of Houston, customs, my layover in Istanbul, more customs, my arrival in Germany, even more customs, and meeting my host family in person!

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