Sunday, April 29, 2007
I am alive
Hello, friends! I have lots to tell you, but life has been so crazy that I havn't been able to keep you updated. I have been packing, cleaning, and finishing up school. I just wanted to let you know that I am alive. Tomorrow evening or the next morning I will be able to catch you all up. I will be in Pullman for Saturday morning's graduation! Yeah! I'm graduating. See you all soon.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
On my way home...
Hello, friends! I am so excited for the next few weeks. I will back in the States in exactly eight days! My flight is thursday evening and I will arrive in Seattle just in time to jump in a car and fly across the state to Pullman for an 8am graduation the following morning. Woohoo! (do'n' a little happy dance) I'm gonna graduate, I'm gonna graduate, I'm gonna graduate, yeah! "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers'...wait, I'm a teacher. I suppose I'll never really be out of school, but after six years working on this degree (including running start during high school), I am so ready to be done with it. Even if I go on to get another (which I will), at least I will already have one done. Sigh. That's a nice feeling.=)
So, I'll be home soon. I'm puting together some of my plans for the summer and beyond... the biggest question in my immediate future is the few weeks between me graduating and my nannying job beginning. (Another summer with the Maiers-hooray!) I would like to spend that time with my family on the westside, but with Mac no longer with us *sniffle*, I don't have a way back to Pullman. Is anyone (or anyone that you know of) coming from the Westside to Pullman on May 17th or shortly before? Please let me know if you know of anyone. Much love to you all!
So, I'll be home soon. I'm puting together some of my plans for the summer and beyond... the biggest question in my immediate future is the few weeks between me graduating and my nannying job beginning. (Another summer with the Maiers-hooray!) I would like to spend that time with my family on the westside, but with Mac no longer with us *sniffle*, I don't have a way back to Pullman. Is anyone (or anyone that you know of) coming from the Westside to Pullman on May 17th or shortly before? Please let me know if you know of anyone. Much love to you all!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Spring Break
Quite the week I've had. It started friday morning at 2am shortly after my last full-length post. I caught my first train at a rediculously early hour. It took my five trains and seven hours to get across Germany and I nearly missed half the trains. Sigh. But, I made it in time to enjoy Regensberg with my parents. We saw a beautiful monastery, another cathedral, and mostly just spend quality time together. Very enjoyable.
Long train ride home. Slept three hours and jumped on a van to Slovakia. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Bratislava, Slovakia. Needless to say, I was totally beat so anything even resembling a bed was good enough for me. Good thing, because my hotel...resembled a hotel. I am not one to complain, especially when traveling abroad, but this was pretty interesting. By the end of the week, numerous people had gotten stuck between floors on the elevator(myself included), one person had to have people break down the door to the bathroom when they got locked inside, and I had spent five full minutes trying to get my key out of the door. =) I really didn't mind so much. It was kind of comical.
The trip itself was amazing. I totally fell in love with our group of high schoolers. Such great kids. I headed up the relational ministries at our school and got to know the principal of the school. It was so fulfilling to bring ideas and resources to a school that really needed them. They loved the curriculum we put together and I got to impart the heart of a teacher to all the high schoolers. I loved it. I felt like this was my final exam both spiritually and academically. I was puting everything to use that I have learned over the last four years. In ministry and education. I was working with educators and imparting spiritually. *sigh* So satisfying. And the mountains were unreal!
Quote of the week, "we need to run to Hypernova tonight to pick up more cheese." I made some great friends in the other leaders at our site. We all discovered this heavenly feta cheese that we shared probably every night.=) There were five of us in all. We were all so different from each other that I don't think anyone would have guessed that we would have bonded so well, so quickly. We had a skater, a young couple about to leave as missionaries, an older gentleman with a quirky sense of humor, a salor, and me. Quite the mix. But we had such a great time together. A perfect example of how the Body needs all types to work His glory. The right people at the right time.
So I am feeling delightfully poured out. I got to sleep on the van ride home so I'm doing fine energy wise. This semester has been such a growing semester for me. I've enjoyed it immensly.
P.S. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. My digital camera has broken (that happens when you drop it on marble.) so my pictures were all on a disposible. But, I may download some digitals from a friend.
Long train ride home. Slept three hours and jumped on a van to Slovakia. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Bratislava, Slovakia. Needless to say, I was totally beat so anything even resembling a bed was good enough for me. Good thing, because my hotel...resembled a hotel. I am not one to complain, especially when traveling abroad, but this was pretty interesting. By the end of the week, numerous people had gotten stuck between floors on the elevator(myself included), one person had to have people break down the door to the bathroom when they got locked inside, and I had spent five full minutes trying to get my key out of the door. =) I really didn't mind so much. It was kind of comical.
The trip itself was amazing. I totally fell in love with our group of high schoolers. Such great kids. I headed up the relational ministries at our school and got to know the principal of the school. It was so fulfilling to bring ideas and resources to a school that really needed them. They loved the curriculum we put together and I got to impart the heart of a teacher to all the high schoolers. I loved it. I felt like this was my final exam both spiritually and academically. I was puting everything to use that I have learned over the last four years. In ministry and education. I was working with educators and imparting spiritually. *sigh* So satisfying. And the mountains were unreal!
Quote of the week, "we need to run to Hypernova tonight to pick up more cheese." I made some great friends in the other leaders at our site. We all discovered this heavenly feta cheese that we shared probably every night.=) There were five of us in all. We were all so different from each other that I don't think anyone would have guessed that we would have bonded so well, so quickly. We had a skater, a young couple about to leave as missionaries, an older gentleman with a quirky sense of humor, a salor, and me. Quite the mix. But we had such a great time together. A perfect example of how the Body needs all types to work His glory. The right people at the right time.
So I am feeling delightfully poured out. I got to sleep on the van ride home so I'm doing fine energy wise. This semester has been such a growing semester for me. I've enjoyed it immensly.
P.S. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. My digital camera has broken (that happens when you drop it on marble.) so my pictures were all on a disposible. But, I may download some digitals from a friend.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007
I'm sorry that this post will not be accompanied by pictures simply because I am not at my own computer at the moment. I am kiling time (from 12:30am to 1:30am) until I walk to the haptbahnhof (train station) for my trip to Regensburg. Quite the adventure my next few days will be. I spent last weekend with my parents (more on that later) and now I am meeting them for one last day trip. This all before my two day van trip to Slovakia.
I would have gone to sleep at like six a bunch of the teachers and interns went to a salso club for some dancing. Great place. Clean, great music, authentic feel, but unfortunately, most everyone brought their own date. So we enjoyed the atmosphere and came home a bit early. Apparently the alarm I set to go off in case I fall asleep, crows like a rooster. That'll be interesting...
Time with the 'rents was great. We hit Europe in true Packer style-full throttle. I'm kind of glad we decided to stay in Germany because now I feel like I have seen enough of Germany that I have a decent feel for its culture, history, and flavor. I like that. What I always enjoy the most about traveling is just marinading in the culture long enough to understand some of the collective thoughts and feelings. Seeing Berlin was huge in this area. We hear all about the history and the stories, but to lay my hand upon the Berlin Wall and think about the people who died trying to cross it...gives a whole new meaning to what the textbooks say. Check-point Charlie. The Museum of German History. The Brodenberg Gate. Wow. I loved Berlin. I loved that it wasn't cute. It wasn't provential or a sweet place to spent a weekend. It was real. Beautiful, yes. Architecture much older than our country(which isn't saying much;) ) and monuments that impacted the whole world. But, it felt like this was where the buisiness was done. This was where everyone really lived and only visited the other cute towns on the weekends. It felt like the Germany of today, yesterday and tomorrow.
All the other towns are beautiful to be sure. My parents loved Heidelberg. I new they would. They are threatening to drop everything and move over. I told them they should.=) Swetzigen is a nearby town with the palace of the prince from this area awhile back. (18th century I want to say...) What I enjoyed about this palace was that it felt like you were walking among the furniture and wall paper of a palace being lived in. Like you might see someone in a foot-tall headdress pass by a window if you paid attention. The artifacts that you see in places like the Louvre, Vatican and such, are all polished up and looking like...well, new. It is almost hard to believe that they didn't just press out some gold in the back room and call it a denarius from ancient Rome.
Monday was spent in Strassbourg, France. It was kind of trippy to switch out of my German language mindset and start thinking in my seven words of French. The people were super gracious and even helped to teach us some more French so we would be better prepared next time. This little town rivals Berlin for my favorite place in Europe. It had everything it should-a river, a cathedral, half-timber houses, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and great food. It was also so laid back. People lounged by the river as we walked by. Slowly walked down some of the narrowest roads I have seen so far. We met a charming woman from Spain who sold me a beautiful fountain pen. We enjoyed her company so much that we went back to get a picture of her in front of her shop. Just as we were about the snap the shot, her family sneaks up behind her. So, we ended up meeting her whole family, getting a beautiful picture of them and gaining a beautiful memory of a peaceful place.
I don't think I will be able to check my e-mail for awhile. I will be in the mountains of Slovakia, so if you don't hear from me, don't worry. Unless, it's been like two weeks, then assume a mountain goat has attacked me and send a search party.=) I suppose that it for now. I'm sure I'm leaving out all sorts of important details, but if I made it any longer it may become tedious for the reader. So, adieu and much love.
I would have gone to sleep at like six a bunch of the teachers and interns went to a salso club for some dancing. Great place. Clean, great music, authentic feel, but unfortunately, most everyone brought their own date. So we enjoyed the atmosphere and came home a bit early. Apparently the alarm I set to go off in case I fall asleep, crows like a rooster. That'll be interesting...
Time with the 'rents was great. We hit Europe in true Packer style-full throttle. I'm kind of glad we decided to stay in Germany because now I feel like I have seen enough of Germany that I have a decent feel for its culture, history, and flavor. I like that. What I always enjoy the most about traveling is just marinading in the culture long enough to understand some of the collective thoughts and feelings. Seeing Berlin was huge in this area. We hear all about the history and the stories, but to lay my hand upon the Berlin Wall and think about the people who died trying to cross it...gives a whole new meaning to what the textbooks say. Check-point Charlie. The Museum of German History. The Brodenberg Gate. Wow. I loved Berlin. I loved that it wasn't cute. It wasn't provential or a sweet place to spent a weekend. It was real. Beautiful, yes. Architecture much older than our country(which isn't saying much;) ) and monuments that impacted the whole world. But, it felt like this was where the buisiness was done. This was where everyone really lived and only visited the other cute towns on the weekends. It felt like the Germany of today, yesterday and tomorrow.
All the other towns are beautiful to be sure. My parents loved Heidelberg. I new they would. They are threatening to drop everything and move over. I told them they should.=) Swetzigen is a nearby town with the palace of the prince from this area awhile back. (18th century I want to say...) What I enjoyed about this palace was that it felt like you were walking among the furniture and wall paper of a palace being lived in. Like you might see someone in a foot-tall headdress pass by a window if you paid attention. The artifacts that you see in places like the Louvre, Vatican and such, are all polished up and looking like...well, new. It is almost hard to believe that they didn't just press out some gold in the back room and call it a denarius from ancient Rome.
Monday was spent in Strassbourg, France. It was kind of trippy to switch out of my German language mindset and start thinking in my seven words of French. The people were super gracious and even helped to teach us some more French so we would be better prepared next time. This little town rivals Berlin for my favorite place in Europe. It had everything it should-a river, a cathedral, half-timber houses, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and great food. It was also so laid back. People lounged by the river as we walked by. Slowly walked down some of the narrowest roads I have seen so far. We met a charming woman from Spain who sold me a beautiful fountain pen. We enjoyed her company so much that we went back to get a picture of her in front of her shop. Just as we were about the snap the shot, her family sneaks up behind her. So, we ended up meeting her whole family, getting a beautiful picture of them and gaining a beautiful memory of a peaceful place.
I don't think I will be able to check my e-mail for awhile. I will be in the mountains of Slovakia, so if you don't hear from me, don't worry. Unless, it's been like two weeks, then assume a mountain goat has attacked me and send a search party.=) I suppose that it for now. I'm sure I'm leaving out all sorts of important details, but if I made it any longer it may become tedious for the reader. So, adieu and much love.
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