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

On Tattoo and Piercing Parlors

True Loves,

DON'T WORRY MOM! I DID NOT GET ANY MORE PIERCINGS OR TATTOOS!

However, my nose hole closed up one morning and I needed to have it repierced. It turned out to only be 5 euros at the shop which seemed like a fair price to have it done by a professional instead of sticking a needle in myself. The procedure was quick and almost painless, and the lady who did it was super fly.

Catherine came with me on this little adventure and mentioned as we trecked up the stairs to the third floor that all tattoo parlors had to be on the top floor. This got me thinking about "Things All Tattoo Parlors Have"--Here is what I came up with :)




With Love,
Emily

On Taking Your Time...Or Not

True Loves,

Germans are known for their efficiency, but as an American I find that yes they are very efficient at some things, and other times, well, I get antsy. It's true that in a grocery story you see groceries bagged at lightening speed (I am sure there is a system here that I don't know about), and, at any given time of day you can see Germans racing to catch the trains that come generally only 5 or 10 minutes apart--this includes the crippled and the women wielding baby carriages.

On the other hand--Germans allow time for rest, eatings, walks with loved ones. I see fewer to-go cups and enjoy a lot more days off here. I don't know if I'll ever let go of my American "go, go, go" mindset, and frankly I miss the convenience of American consumerism daily, but that said, I really do enjoy my Thursday holidays.

With Love,
Emily

On Inventions from Germany

True Loves,

As it finally feels like summer out and it's the weekend I will not be doing a real post today. However; I will leave you with a couple things Germany contributed to the world :)

BLUE JEANS
Levi Strauss (1829-1902) was an entrepreneur who invented and marketed blue jeans. Trained as a tailor in Buttenheim, Bavaria, Germany, Strauss went to San Francisco, USA from New York in 1853. Strauss sold dry goods, including tents and linens to the 49ers (the people who came to the California gold rush, which began in 1849). In 1873, Strauss and Jacob Davis, a Nevada tailor, patented the idea (devised by Davis) of using copper rivets at the stress points of sturdy work pants. Early levis, called "waist overalls," came in a brown canvas duck fabric and a heavy blue denim fabric. The duck fabric pants were not very successful, so were dropped early on. His business became extremely successful (and still is), revolutionizing the apparel industry.

BUNSON BURNER
The laboratory Bunsen burner was invented by Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in 1855. Bunsen (1811-1899) was a German chemist and teacher. He invented the Bunsen burner for his research in isolating chemical substances - it has a high-intensity, non-luminous flame that does not interfere with the colored flame emitted by chemicals being tested.

GLOBE
Martin Behaim (1459-1537) was a German mapmaker, navigator, and merchant who made the earliest globe, called the "Nürnberg Terrestrial Globe". It was made during the years 1490-1492; the painter Georg Glockendon helped in the project. Behaim had previously sailed to Portugal as a merchant (in 1480). He had advised King John II on matters concerning navigation. He accompanied the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cam (Cão) on a 1485-1486 voyage to the coast of West Africa; during this trip, the mouth of the Congo River was discovered. After returning to Nürnberg in 1490, Behaim began construction of his globe (which was very inaccurate as compared to other maps from that time, even in the areas in which Behaim had sailed). It was once thought that Behaim's maps might have influenced Columbus and Magellan; this is now discounted. Behaim may have also developed an astrolabe. Behaim's globe is now in the German National Museum in Nürnberg.

PRINTING PRESS WITH MOVABLE TYPE...this one is for Andy
Johannes Gutenberg (the 1300's-1468) was a German craftsman, inventor, and printer who invented the first printing press with movable type in 1450. This invention revolutionized printing, making it simpler and more affordable. Gutenberg produced dies (molds) for easily producing individual pieces of metal type that could be made, assembled, and later reused. Gutenberg's new press could print a page every three minutes. This made printed material available to the masses for the first time in history. Religious materials were the majority of the early printed materials. The use of printing presses began the standardization of spelling.


And there are many more where that came from!

With Love,
Emily

On Germany Winning on Wednesday

True Loves,



With Love,
Emily

On the Worst Part of My Day

True Loves,

Every morning after my aforementioned awesome night's sleep, I have to force myself to crawl out of the warm comfort of my bed and arise into the day (ariiise and seize the daay..."Newsies").

Many find comfort in the fact that not long after leaving their bed they will soon be in the steamy bliss of the shower. Not I. My Shower, here in Freiburg, a mere cell of a stall, hates consistency. On my worst day, I am less ADD than this shower.

Hot, Cold, Ho---BURNING, cold, the temperature has me doing moves akin to a chicken dance...or perhaps one of those odd mating dances those puffy birds do that always seem to be featured in Animal Planet features. And it has me in a catch-22! Often even on the coldest temperature the water feels like the boiling "Ramen Noodle" water I spilled on myself as a kid!

Needless to say, when I finally finish my bathing regimine I am far less refreshed than desired and far more irritated.

With Love,
Emily

On Sleeping...Or Not

True Loves,

Falling asleep at 8, staying up until 6, sleeping until 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the afternoon, my sleep schedule here is well, F***ed. I don't know if my body subconsciously wants to be up with my friends at home or what but it seems hard as I try I simply can't change my schedule. I've tried forcing myself to sleep, pulling an all nighter in hopes that the next night I'll be back on track, tea before bed, warm showers, everything. And still, every night as my friends here in Germany are wrapped up in dream land I consistently look like this:



With Love,
Emily

On Produce

True Loves,

I've mentioned before that produce does not have a very long life here. This is one of those great things about Germany but in my American way I just can't get used to. Germans use a lot less preservatives and pesticides thus the not so long life of their fruit, but being someone who expects my food to last a week can't get in the habit of regularly going to the store. Instead I end up in a race against the clock eating whole boxes of nectarines or bags of apples in just a few days. Let's just say sometimes it is fiber overload.

With Love,
Emily

On Germaphobes

True Loves,

One thing that you notice quickly when traveling is what ticks, who off. Some people can't handle less than 9 hours sleep, others hate sitting in one place for a long time. Some people need to be around others, some people need their space. Some people (myself in this category) have no issue trying new foods, or care about the cleanliness of the kitchen while others are total germaphobes.

As I am not in the later camp I decided to illustrate my reason of why not.

With Love,
Emily

On Summer in Germany

True Loves,





With Love,
Emily


PS!
Happy Father's Day to my wonderful dad!!! We'll Celebrate the 19th :)

On Being Loved

True Loves,

I've been pondering this entry for a while now. I've been visited in the last three weeks by both Andy and my parents and I just feel...well so many things. It's an experience and I thought I would outline how a visit feels when you're used to being on your own, in another country, where people who speak your language are few and far between.

Why are you in my space?: This is absolutely the first thing I felt. While I was absolutely psyched to have my loved ones around me, having people to adjust my routine around was definitely a bigger shock than I anticipated. This was especially true with Andy as we were sharing a bed that I wouldn't doubt is the same make and model that serial killers use in hide outs. Thin mattress, narrow width, no room for escaping snoring. Thank goodness my sister sent me ear plugs prior.

Welcome to my world!: This follows naturally after the initial shock when you get to share your life changing experience with others. Taking my parents and Andy to my favorite places to eat and drink, watching them experience the same annoyances I did when I arrived (rain, rain, doors that look like they should be pull but are push, and more rain), and the droning back drop of the world cup was truly special. I felt blessed for the opportunities I've had and the people who allowed me to experience them.

Why are you leaving my space?: Saying goodbye here is different than any other goodbye I've ever had. I can't quite express it. Just as I'm getting used to having people I truly love and appreciate around me again they leave. It's sad, it's hard, and I'm glad that I have people in my life that I am sad to leave. Freiburg really does feel like home, but I don't miss missing these people, and it will certainly be really wonderful to be back in their presence when I arrive home.

Anyway, thought I would give you all a quick update on the visits,

Much Love,

Emily

PS.

Pictures from both visits are on my facebook page

On Language Gaps

True Loves,

One of the unique experiences I'm having to a lot of my friends is I am not a native speaker in the country I am studying in. Though I've improved greatly there are still times where if not better comprehension, at least quicker comprehension could be useful.

Andy (my number one lover) was here for the week. It was wonderful having him here and I felt pretty secure in my German leading him around Freiburg and translating for him. After dropping him off at the train station this morning I headed up to the platform to catch my tram, throwing my bag over my shoulder to hold my dress down in the breeze.

I walked around the platform, feeling melancholy as I had just said goodbye to my boo when a rather sketchy looking man (there are a lot of these in Freiburg, and in most cities I imagine), who started to talk to me. I simply said "Nein" or "No" before he got very far, assuming he wanted a cigarette oder Etwas (or something). He walked away hastily. It was only later that I realized what he had been trying to tell me was that my dress had gotten caught up under my bag leaving my butt cheek exposed to the world. Good news is I was wearing solid unmentionables and I will probably never see these people again.

One of those "don't judge a book by its cover" stories.

With Love,

Emily

On Grocery Shopping

True Loves,

Grocery shopping in Germany is a very unique experience when you're used to American super stores. The following are the top 3 things I've observed to be the most different.

1. Milk and Eggs are often not refrigerated

2. You must bring your own bags, using there's (if they have any) will cost extra
3. Because they use a lot less pesticides and preservatives produce can look...well...sad.

I've mentioned before that maneuvering around Germany's 1990s atmosphere can be difficult, but wondering the isles of a Grocery store can make you feel like you've gone even further back in time. Milk comes in glass bottles, there's a butcher and a baker, and you're half expecting a candlestick maker, not to mention the alcohol section that looks straight out of a specialty shop in the States.

It's time's like these I wish I had a video camera to allow you to observe these wonders in all their glory. On the bright side, most of the people who read this blog will be visiting me anyway.

With Love,
Emily

On Classes

True Loves,

I love economics. The closest courses they have to business courses here are economic ones and thank goodness, I have totally fallen madly in love. Business is definitely my passion and I am only slightly less surprised by this than I was when I discovered this in Entrepreneurship a year ago. Slowly but surely, however, these courses are making me understand why. Ready Mom? You're going to love this...

I think in a way business and economics is a marriage between some of my parent's passions. My mother a psychologist and my father, someone who considers "The Economist" candy for the brain may have subliminally and unknowingly been pumping business theory into my brain. There are so many psychological and analytical aspects. Psychological you say? Yes! For instance, have you ever heard of Hofstede's indexes? Basically (stop reading here if you aren't interested in my nerdiness and skip to the next paragraph) he created a system to measure cultures in different countries which transformed how international marketing and consumerism is approached. I.E. the masculinity index--how important women are in the workforce, or the individualism index, how much you rely on yourself for success (America is very high on that one). So cool.

While the rain continues to fall...and fall and fall, I'm taking comfort in the warmth of Aspect Cafe getting back to my Amherst "I'm a pretentious asshole who hangs out and 'does work' in coffee shops" roots. Which is why this blog was originally written in a notebook first, have to look the part!

With Love,

Emily

PS.

Dad--what do I do about this?

It started out as a callus, now it's blackish purple and bleeds a bit. Ewwwww.