On Leaving

True Loves,

As I have to return the internet equipment and such I thought I would write my leaving blog now.

I don't know if there is any other time in life where you feel these kinds of emotions. You feel more independent than ever, yet have never been more excited to see Mommy and Daddy. You've never felt more content being alone, but if you have a partner, never felt more in love. You feel nostalgic and not quite ready to leave this home, yet impatient to get back to your other one. You feel smarter than ever after feeling dumb for 5 months (nothing like trying to explain your nose hole closed up in German).

You feel like there are friendships you should have nurtured more, and ones you held on to too long. You feel aware of how wonderful people back home are...or not.

You feel like a grown up but have never been more dependent on people's support.

You feel beautiful.

You feel fat.

And if you're me, you want to process and analyze every feeling you're feeling into neat little packages and find a perfect word for it. But sometimes, you just have to let it be.


Off to the United States on Saturday,


With Love,
Emily

On Things I WILL Miss About Germany

True Loves,

I'm in a very odd head space right now. I will be in the states, the US of A, America, in 10 days. I started packing today and I'm hit with a collision of "can't wait to get home see my friends, family, and mack on my boo" and "I just got here" and "I'm so...comfortable here, why would I leave?"

With final papers piling up, the heat only getting hotter (and Germans don't believe in fans or AC) and most of my friends just as busy as I, I'm alone, lying on my bed in the sticky irritable way that comes with summer and processing what I feel.

I think the "processing" blog will wait, for now, here are some key things I am certainly going to miss.

With Love,
Emily

On Things I Won't Miss About Freiburg

True Loves,

17 days left. In 3 days I'll start packing, in 16 I'll be on a train to Frankfurt, in 17 on a flight back to the States. It's crazy. I'm feeling all sorts of emotions naturally. Glee, sadness, I feel like I haven't had enough time, I feel like I've been ready to go home for a while.

I don't know if it's because homecoming is so close or what but lately I've been really appreciating things about Amherst that Freiburg just doesn't have, or things Freiburg has that I really wish it wouldn't (i.e. the flasher that hangs out by the path to my dormitory several times a week hoping to "get caught"...yes, I'm serious)

Anyway, we're in the final countdown, and I can't wait to see all your faces.

With Love,
Emily

Things I Won't Miss:

On the 4th of July

True Loves,

Holidays are the hardest thing for me when I am abroad. I have a really great network of people at home, people who are family, people who are like family, that I have the opportunity to celebrate with every year. I reconnect with friends from high school who still know me better than most others, and I get to celebrate with new friends who have fast become dear to me. I am blessed that I have such a wacky family that still manages to love each other. July 4th is particularly hard to miss because I can just hear my mom talking about how much she loves parades and what not. Oh and I'm missing the biggest BBQ of the year.

While I'll celebrate with my friends here I will absolutely be missing all of you back home in a big way tomorrow. So please know that you'll be in my thoughts, and hopefully I'll be in yours, and maybe we can meet half way.

With Love,
Emily

On Things I Miss From Home

True Loves,

Catherine created a blog on things she was excited for when she gets home. Now that we're in the final stretch I thought I would do the same.

Things I am SO excited for:


With Love,

Emily

On Elementary Thievery

True Loves,





With Love,
Emily

On People at the Train Station

True Loves,

Everything is closed here on Sunday except little America (the street with Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King, SubWay and Hagan Daas all in a row) and the train station. This means on Sunday afternoons after I've laid in bed long enough to get restless I'll make a trip down to the train station. It's a little known fact that this is actually the resting place of the full moon.

What I mean by this is every crazy mo'fo seems to be at the train station. Long haired beggers who shake marakas at you, women with rashes on their faces and washed out eyes shaking their fists, and every pidgeon toed person you've ever seen...not that they can help it but have you ever seen a severely pidgeon toed person walk?

I don't know why I haven't learned my lesson, it goes from silly to creepy very fast. It's probably the only place in Germany where people make unwanted small talk with strangers. Ironically they'd all fit right in in the valley.

With Love,
Emily