This is the Beginning.

 

School has started, the first few days were so very easy; partly because we had 
no classes due to our schedules not being made yet. But, nonetheless I had made 
friends and had found some that I made during the holidays. Everybody here is so 
very nice. It's funny though, because sometimes people just stare at me. Kind of 
like an animal at the zoo. Those people aren't mean, they just don't know what 
to say when they talk to me really. I find it humorous though. Partly because I 
would just go and talk to someone, but nobody would approach me, initially. 

I take the train to and from school. I have been doing so much walking recently. 
It's great, but I know that when winter comes its going to be terrible. It's 
very very cold here in the mornings, and then warms up to about 75 F. So it's 
hard to dress in the mornings not knowing what the weather will be like. It also 
rains here. A lot. Like a lot a lot. So we always have an umbrella. 

On the weekend I went to a concert called Rumo Tripot- I really have no idea 
what that means. But it was so cool. We walked there (surprise). It was a 
concert with local bands from around the cities and they played in this big barn 
thing. With lights, and even a disco ball, a real one. The place itself was just 
really rustically cool looking. And old barn turned into a mess hall sort of. We 
had a great night and it ended at about 3am, we had to walk home because our 
host brother was still at another party. But it was funny because when he came 
home he apologized profusely. And we then stayed up the whole night and just 
talked and watched some German tv. Annika slept over that night too. But we 
didn't do much sleeping. Actually we didn't sleep at all. We also went on an 
adventure through the woods near our house. Max led us. He was the only one with 
some sort of flashlight. They were all scared but I wasn't. Of course not. The 
next day we had our first orientation here for district 1900. I met so many new 
friends and reunited with some old ones. Not very old, but some I had hung out 
with before. My host sister from Brasilia told me something that I will never 
forget. "even if I haven't made that many great German friends, I have so many 
more lifelong friends now. The best part? They all live all around the world, so 
I can go anywhere and have a place to stay, and a friend to show me around." it 
was such a great realization. It genuinely gave me goosebumps every time I 
thought about it. Granted, I've only been here for 3 weeks, but Maria has become 
my sister, and I know that we will be friends forever. She will always be there 
for me and I will always be there for her. This has been the fastest friendship 
and definitely one of the truest. 
Max has become my brother, he has taken care of me, and been there for me many 
times already. And very very sweet. Its definitely going to be very hard 
leaving. So far, so great. 

This week on Friday, we went to my friend Milan's house and slept over with a 
few other people. His house was built during WWII, and was a very special house. 
I am so lucky to have met him. We went over his friends house and played some 
games, one similar to mafia and tabu. It was such fun. At about 1, we went to 
Alex's house and watched Sherlock Holmes, but I fell asleep. And so did Maria. 
Then, we went back to Milan's and slept. The next morning we had breakfast and 
met his whole family. It was beautiful. Then Max came and picked us up and we 
went home. Later on Max invited me to his friend Timo's house and we had a 
barbecue and played monopoly until about 2am. We were tired and guess what, we 
had to walk home. Always happens. But we did and it was a nice walk, very cold 
though. Sunday morning was a lazy Sunday, Max and I woke up at about 12 and then 
had breakfast. My friend from soccer (Joelle) came and picked me up and then we 
went to the sportsplex for the festival and the opening games. It was so fun. We 
won our game 8-2. I scored the first goal off a corner kick. I kicked the actual 
corner and it went in. It was beautiful and a great moment at that. I felt so 
great, I really did. And my team was just so happy. 

Now it is Monday, and I am at school. We have created a game, similar to ping 
pong, that we play during our free periods. It is with a ping pong ball and some 
tables in the student rest center. Today we played with Antoine's shoes as 
paddles. It was so very funny. We have a good time at school. I don't mind so 
much coming to school here. I really feel like I learn something new everyday. 
Although, I don't understand much of anything people say, I can read it quite 
well. It's so relieving to be noticing my own progress. I know that my family is 
proud of me. I hope to be fluent in about 3 months. But my first month is almost 
over. I know that time is just flying by so very fast. I can't even imagine. 

Tomorrow I will go to Köln, for a Coldplay concert. It will be so great. I am 
sooooooo exited for it. Maria, Arcenio, and I will all go together. It should be 
really amazing. I'm still not sure if we will go to school on Wednesday though. 
Maybe. I hope not, we will be very, very tired. 

Also I'm writing this while at school. Great student right? 

Some other things I've noticed at school here. None of the teachers have 
computers, it's all done by paper still. Also, there are real blackboards, I've 
never seen one in a classroom, and now I have. It's very, very different here. I 
like it. The teachers are also really understanding, so everything will be good; 
I think.  We are also not allowed to use our phones at all. Period. No 
exceptions. And no gum either. It's not acceptable. 

I wish I could write and tell you everything about every day. But, I can't, 
there is just too much to say. I could elaborate on every little detail and 
every little moment, but that would be so very much. I am taking time wisely and 
enjoying every minute. I am not letting a day go by and say that I wish I had 
done that differently. I will make the most out of this year. I will make the 
most out of everything I do here.

P.S. I just found out that I will go to London at the end of this month! Oh my 
goodness. I feel so blessed and so overjoyed and so very very lucky! I am so 
excited! I can't even contain my excitement right now! I will go with my English 
class. We will visit the Westminster Abbey, Oxford, Kunst Museums, The Globe 
Theater, and so many more things. I will be there for one week. So so so so do 
so so cool! I am just so thankful for opportunities like this. I can't even 
begin to describe how I am feeling right now. Oh my goodness. 

Sweet Serendipity.