Headed Home

I'm hopping on a jetplane tomorrow at 2 pm, headed home. I've got 6 days until school starts and LOTS to do. Yikes.

I love Germany

Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been busy with the little guy (I'm home alone with him this weekend). We've been doing some fun stuff (going to the zoo, Legoland, a few amusement parks... not all this weekend). Anyways. German life is treating me well. I've been going on a couple of 5:15 am bike rides with my uncle and his friend and I hate to admit it, but it is refreshing. I am SO not a morning person. Good news though, I've lost TWENTY ONE pounds. I think I should move here. The past few weeks have been just a couple of pounds, but that's ok, I'm not gaining anything. Next weekend we're headed to Holland to spend some time on the beach. Then I have one more week here and then I'm homebound. Soon after that, I start school. Busy busy. Anyways. I hope it's not this long again until I update, but it probably will be.

Good news!

I wake up at about 11 everyday, eliminating my need to eat breakfast. Plus, the snack food just sucks here in Germany. I've lost 7 pounds in three weeks and I haven't been doing anything! Maybe I should start doing something and I'll keep losing weight.

HOT HOT HOT

It's 34°C here today. And in America, that's 93.2°. There's no airconditioning here. I'm going to die.

Life is good today...

I went for a bike ride today. I was going to stay home, but I got off of my butt and I went. And I'm damn proud of myself. We biked for about an hour around the country side of Germany. Now, I'm showered up and we're grilling some chicken for dinner. Like I said, life is good today.

GTKY Sunday!

Since I have a lack of creativity and action in my life, I am going to do this weeks Getting to Know You with Keely over at MannLand5. Go over and check it out.

1. If you had $5000.00 to spend on plastic surgery what would you have done?

I would get Gastric Bypass, lose pounds, and get my skin tightened (if it was all floppy and loose, gross). Then I would be a babe!

2. Do you watch Soap operas and if so what is your favorite and why?

No, I don't.

3. Favorite clothing brand?

All of my jeans are from American Eagle. I love wearing basketball shorts (champion brand) and I like getting shirts at Old Navy, cheap and cute :)

4. An afternoon shopping spree at your favorite store or maid service for a year?

I'd probably have to say a shopping spree. My mother is my maid (just kidding, love you mom!)

5. Would you ever vajazzle?

Umm, no. But I might after I lose all of that weight and I'm a babe.

6. Favorite Disney Princess?

I was never really into the princesses, but I would say Ariel from The Little Mermaid (is she even a princess?)

7. Last movie that made you bawl your eyes out?

I watched The Blind Side again last night, but didn't cry as hard as the first time I saw it. The end of Marley and Me really made me cry. Pets should never die!

8. Have you ever broken bones and if so, what?

I was born with a broken collar bone (that's what I get for weighing 9 pounds 13 ounces. I slammed my finger in a truck door and broke it, now it's forever crooked. That's all.

So, that's it. Uneventful, but so is life. Sorry.

Germany won!!

Hello from Germany!

Hey strangers! Sorry for the hiatus! I got to Germany on June 11 and we've just been hanging out since then. We've gone swimming, played at the local gym, gone swimming some more, and jumped like crazy on the trampoline. We've been watching the Weltmeisterschaft (The World Cup) and cheering for Germany (of course). They won last night and the usually quiet neighborhood was so loud! Everyone was honking and yelling, it was like they won the whole thing. Anyways, life is pretty boring here, so not much to report. I'm going to try to take more pictures and when I do, I'll post them. So, until then!

Leavin on a Jetplane

I'm headed to Germany. See you in a few days! :)

My very FIRST vlog!

I made my very first vlog for you tonight! :) I was watching some that other people posted and I think it's neat to hear everyones voice and see them, so I made one! (Plus, I want to know if I have an accent...)

Anyways. Here goes nothin!

I didn't really understand why people picked on themselves about their vlogs, until I watched mine. Oh gosh, so many things to critique! And I'm all snuffly and runny nosed, sorry about that.

Well, have a wonderful day!

FQF

I've been out of the five question friday loop for a few weeks, but I'm back in action now! Head on over to Mama M's blog to see what all the fuss is about!

1. If you could go back to college would you change your major? Or, if you were to go to college right now...what major would you choose?

I'm a junior in college and I still have no idea what I want to major in. Right now I'm thinking about a B.A. in Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance. But it could change next week, or tomorrow. Who knows. I sure don't.

2. What do you love most about your home?

I love that I come home to a sweet dog, a fuzzy cat, and a silly bunny everyday. And that I get to see my parents and my brother everyday, too :) (but that can be a bad thing...) There's some days that I feel like moving out more than anything, but most days it's nice to be surrounded by them.

3. What types of books do you like to read (if you like to read at all)?

I loveeee to read! I like to read anything fiction. Usually the bestsellers list is my go-to, otherwise whatever has a nice looking cover and a convincing explanation on the back. And now I like to read ebooks on my new NOOK :) I love it so much.

4. What is the grossest thing you've ever eaten?

When I was in Sweden I had lunch at my aunt's friend's house. She ordered sushi. I hate fish. I had braces at the time and a bar in the roof of my mouth. Trying my best to be polite, I plopped a chunk of sushi in my mouth and started chewing. It took everything in me to not gag, but when the piece of raw fish got wrapped around the bar on the roof of my mouth, I lost it. Gagging and everything, like a little drama queen. It was so disgusting!

5. If you HAD to be a character on a TV show, whom would you be?

I would be Kate on LOST, so I could have "relations" (; with Sawyer (Josh Holloway). Yummmmm

So, that's it, hope you enjoyed it. I might, MIGHT make a vlog for the SIF community, but I'm not sure yet. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Stress

I leave in 9 days for Germany. I bought some new clothes tonight, but ripped my jeans. Looks like I get to spend more money. Super, because I'm not broke enough already.

I'm stressed.

sweet summer time

I'm sitting in front of a campfire enjoying the weather. Pool and sun during the day, music and campfires at night. This is the life.

Winner, winner...

Tonight we went to a little bar to play bingo. Ate delicious wings, won coverall. $24. I've never won bingo in my life, so back off. I'm proud of myself. I can die a happy camper :)

life

I've been spending a lot of time with M (my cousin). Having a lot of fun with him. I got a new background, still need to make a new header. I just painted my fingernails. I'm watching "True Life: I don't like my large breasts". Thinking I should be on the show. Thinking I should start working out. Getting over a nasty cold. Mostly happy, a little sad. Annoyed that I have to go exchange my phone for the SIXTH time. 6. SIX. That's too many pieces of shit. Sadie is getting better about potty training. She's learning to sit and stay. Worrying about stupid things. Having heartburn. I go to bed way too late, consequently waking up way to late in the morning (read: afternoon). Going to eat ramen. Goodnight.

GTKY Saturday

I'm doing my first Getting to Know You with Keely over at MannLand5. If you want to play along or read what other people have to say, go check out her blog!

1. What has been your most memorable Mother's Day? (with your mom, as a mom, or with your wife)
-For the past couple of year I have done the Race for the Cure. I did it with my mom last year and we had a good time :) Otherwise, Mother's Day is pretty tame around here.

2. Have you ever been pulled over for speeding and were you able to talk your way out of it?
-I have never been pulled over.

3. What's the oldest thing you have hanging in your closet?
-Well, I only have a sweatshirt and a jacket hanging in my closet, so the sweatshirt. But there's a big opening over the stairs (in my closet) that you can't reach and when I was younger I would throw notes from friends and boyfriends in there. I bet if I could get them they would be hilarious!

4. Do you whiten your teeth?

-Nope, my teeth are pretty white and the dentist told me that the color they do have isn't on the surface so whitening kits wouldn't help. Plus, those strips are more painful then getting your toenails ripped out.

5. Underwear or Panties..What do you call your "unmentionables"?
-Underwear

6. If you could go on vacation right now..today..where would you go?

-I would go somewhere exotic (I'm not picky). Somewhere with deserted beaches and sun :)

7. Do you get offended when people cuss on their blogs?

-No, not at all. I actually cuss a lot in real life and I try to keep it tame on my blog. It would seem more like me if I swore more often online, but I don't want to offend anyone.

8. If you had to give up one luxury item, it would be....?

-My iPod. I like it, but I don't use it very often.

So, there you go. My first Getting to Know You! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you had a wonderful weekend!

So Self Conscious

Whenever I type out a comment I reread it before I post it. I feel like the way I wrote it sounds stupid and doesn't convey the point I was trying to make, so I delete it and move on.

But you know what? I love comments, and I'm pretty sure everyone else does. So, from now on, no more deleting comments. I'm not posting them for myself, but for encouragement for others. I don't care if I think they sound stupid, they're still appreciated.

Four Things About Me :)

1. I wear my hair up everyday. No kidding, every single day. Sometimes I pin my bangs back and floof them up and some days they hang down. But the hair is always up. If I'm going out I MIGHT wear it down, but by the end of the night, it's up.

2. I wear size 10 shoes. And I just bought myself these puppies to wear this summer (gotta look German and everything)...

3. I have a cat (Lucy), a bunny (Sheldon), a dog (Sadie), and three fish (Jasper, Yellow Fish, and Orange Fish) for pets. I live in a zoo.

4. I could not live without a DVR. I love watching LOST, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Glee, Law and Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and The Simpsons. I hardly ever watch live tv.

So, there you go. Head on over to Aspire and check out the awesome giveaway going on. I just found her blog and I really enjoy reading it!

Five Question Friday

Time for Five Question Friday! Head on over to Mama M's blog and check out her answers and everyone else's!

1. If you could, would you go back to high school?

-I have only been out of high school for a few years. I enjoyed it, but no, I don't think I would want to go back. I can't imagine sitting in class for 8 hours a day, no thanks.

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? (And, no saying "more wishes".)

-1. I wish I could have my B.A. degree, like, yesterday. And preferably with no loans to pay off.

2. I wish I could magically weight my preferred weight. A girl can dream.

3. What kids show do you secretly like?

-I really love Arthur.

4. What is your beverage of choice?

-Coke, water, juice (except grape), chai tea latte.

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)?

-I would like to change the way I look and I would like to change the fact that I am judgmental.

Meet Sadie :)

Who am I?

Today was my third appointment with my therapist. She's really nice and I feel like we can make some progress on getting me to feel better about life. She asked me to journal about who I am. She said, "if someone was writing a newspaper article about you, what would they write?"

I've got nothing. I used to have hobbies, I used to be passionate about things, but not anymore. If someone wrote about me it would sound like this, "She's lazy, loves to sleep, skips school (and is therefore unsuccessful), and she's not motivated."

I think it's pathetic and sad that my life has come to this. I'm not passionate about anything, I don't have any hobbies, and I don't ever do much. I think I need to look at my life and reevaluate how I am living. Of course I'm not motivated if nothing drives me. I'm off to think. I need some drive, some passion in my life.

Screw You Eyjafjallajokull

Stupid volcano. Stupid, stupid, stupid. My favorite little boy M and my aunt were supposed to arrive in MN tomorrow but their flight from Düsseldorf was cancelled. I'll see them in June, so it's not a huge deal to me, but the rest of the family won't. They haven't been here since August and it sounds like they can't even book a flight for this August (it's full). So, Eyjafjallajokull, Fuck you. You're on my shit list.

the newest family member...

Meet the new pup. She looks old in this picture, but she's only 4 months. She still doesn't have a name, any suggestions?? :)

So excited.

In 10 days I get to see my favorite little boy, my cousin M! He's coming to visit just in time for my birthday :) (pardon the lovely picture of me...)

Five Question Friday

This is my first time EVER doing Five Question Friday with Mama M from My Little Life. Go check her out. Seriously. Go. She's a fellow Minnesotan and she's pretty funny :)

Alrighty, here goes nothin!

1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

Well, I don't really care who plays me, but Josh Holloway could play my boyfriend. I wouldn't mind that. I guess I would want me to play me. I know the most about my life but I would really hate being in a movie. How about we skip the movie?

2. Did you ever go to summer camp?

I used to go to a bible camp every summer. I was really close with all of the girls who went and my counselor (just a girl who was a 5 years older than us). It was so much fun, but my counselor turned crazy. She made us feel really guilty about everything that we did, it wasn't healthy or normal. So, I stopped going. That whole situation also turned me away from church in general. Maybe someday I'll get the courage (and the urge) to go back. But not right now.

3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction?

Spiders, ish. Also, if I meet someone and they brag about all of their drinking stories I back away slowly, then run in the other direction. I don't want people like that in my life. I don't think drinking stories are impressive and it really turns me away from people.

4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts?

Spouse, boyfriend. Same thing, right? Anyways, I suffer from short term memory loss (or so I think) so multiple times a week I'll tell him a story that I have already told him. "Yeah E, you've already said that". I think it really irritates him.

5. What is currently your favorite song?

Hey, Soul Sister by Train and Breakeven by The Script. Tomorrow it will be Lil' Wayne, though.

Whew, that was pretty easy. Hope you enjoyed it!

Long time, no see.

WARNING: This post is going to be throw up. I am going to write whatever comes to mind, so bear with me. I won't hold it against you if you don't finish it :)

You know what sucks. I'm failing two classes. I could fail a third, but the professor is awesome and understanding. He's working with me to get everything finished and I am so thankful for him. The U needs more professors like him! The other two classes are TERRIBLE. I have been so sick and tired lately that I haven't been going to class. Not going to class= failing. Makes sense. I emailed the professors and they basically just said that I should retake the class at a different time to get a better grade (I can retake the class and my new grade will override the old one and the new grade will be reflected in my GPA, the old one won't be. The old grade will still be on my transcript though). I don't know if I can do anything about this because I have been sick, but I'm meeting with an adviser soon, so I will find out. I also had to cough up $600 for tuition today because it wasn't covered with loans. Sweet, I love dropping wads of money.

I've seen two psychologists this week. One focused on my personality traits and showed me a graph saying that I need socialization to be happy. Makes sense because I'm a very social person. He said that when I don't socialize, I'm not happy. I need connections, relationships, and encouragement to thrive, and I'm not getting that. He told me to try and plan something for everyday, make my calendar full. This sound super exhausting to me (and a little nerve wracking to be honest) but he said that's because I haven't been social in so long and now I'm not comfortable doing it. He also told me that working as a Personal Care Attendant is not the idea job for me. I don't have any coworkers (only one person works at once), so I don't get the socialization that I need at work. I may be on the job hunt, but it kills me to leave the pay at that job, no matter how much I hate it. Money or happiness??

The other psychologist just took the time to get to know me; asking lots of questions and trying to figure out what has caused this downward spiral. She thinks that if I set very tiny goals each week and accomplish them that I will feel more encouraged and happier. This week my goal is to go on a ten minute walk (at least), five times this week. Told you it was tiny. Just getting outside raises my mood and helps so much. I have another appointment with her next Wednesday so well see what's next.

I used to be on Lexapro but my doctor though it was causing my sleepiness, so for the past month I have been on Wellbutrin. Oh my. This past month has been terrible. Every five minutes I find myself holding back tears. I am ready to cry at any moment. I busted out in tear during The Simpsons. THE FRICKEN SIMPSONS. No good. I have cried every night for the past month. My tear ducts are exhausted. It has also made me have a very short fuse. I get so angry at everything. I feel so bad for my family, they have to put up with me! So today I put a call into the doctor and he switched me to another kind of medication that I will start tomorrow. I can't remember what it is off the top of my head (I don't have the prescription yet). I am hoping that this will make me feel less on edge. I have been miserable. I feel so bad for the people close to me.

On a positive note, my brother Nick (who is a few years older than me) has been sober for over 5 weeks and he is almost done with his treatment program! I am so proud of him. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it would be to give up the largest thing in your life (for him it was alcohol). Addiction is a crazy thing and I hope that he has beat it. I love him so much and I really want him to be happy.

So, there's my rant. That's why I haven't blogged for so long. I'm such a bad blogger, sorry guys! I'll really try to be better. I promise! If you made it this far, thanks :) I appreciate your time.

Flavor of the Week

I get sick of things very easily. I'm sure that when I was a kid I would play with toys for a few days and then throw them aside and want something else. I still act like this, especially with office supplies. I NEED (ok, I don't really need them, but I feel like I do..) new pens all the time! I have such the pen collection. Anyways, I am feeling this way with my blog background. I think I like it now, at least for tonight. The picture in the header was taken in my uncle's parent's garden in Germany. We spend a fair amount of time at their house and they have the most beautiful garden with a pond in their backyard. I spent so much time taking pictures back there I think they thought I was crazy. I hope we go there sometime this summer so I can take some pictures with my new camera! :)

I haven't been blogging as much as I had planned. Lately I've been in a funk. I'm falling behind in school, I owe money to a few different places (a mysterious bill from my school for $500, I thought loans covered that??), some appointments to go to (Endocrinologist, Psychologist, CT scan for my face), and to top off all of that I have to sleep for 15 hours a day.

I have been feeling sick for a few years. I originally had some not so pretty problems with my stomach. After lots of "searching" up there, the Gastroenterologist told me that he couldn't find anything wrong and diagnosed me Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I felt like crap. I went to see a General Practitioner who tested me for just about everything he could. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and very low levels of Vitamin D. I am now taking supplements to level out both of those and I still feel like crap. I need so much sleep (15 hours and I will still be tired) and I have gained so much weight (80+ lbs. in less than 2 years). I had a sleep study done and I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I now sleep with a CPAP machine every night, which still doesn't make me feel better. I've seen an ENT to figure out why I am snoring (besides gaining weight) and to figure out why it's so hard for me to breath and I now have nose spray to take every night. Next week I have a CT scan on my sinuses to see if there is an underlying problem in there that is causing me some problems. In May I have an appointment with an Endocrinologist to see if he can uncover what is causing all of my problems. On top of all of this, I have anxiety, OCD, and depression (and I can't figure out the right medicine for it, so were in a limbo with that also).

I know I could have it a lot worse, but I just get so frustrated. I have seriously considered dropping out of school because I just don't have the energy to go to class and do my work. I don't do anything anymore. I hardly even leave the house! I'm sorry if I have annoyed you or offended you with any of this but I am at the end of my rope. I'm sick of seeing doctor after doctor and not finding anything out!

If anything I just said rang a bell with you (about some kind of disorder or disease) let me know. Both my doctors and I are frustrated beyond belief. Or if you have any suggestions about what could help, let me know.

Thanks for listening :)

What's that sucking sound I hear?

Oh, it's me. I really really really suck at making cakes, really.

And chocolate frosting?? I'm even worse at making that...

Poor Dan is going to have the worst birthday cake ever.

And all my comments are gone :( Does anyone have any tips on how to get them back?

New!

Yesterday I went crazy! I bought two pairs of shoes and a new CAMERA!



It's a Nikon Coolpix L110. I don't know much about taking pictures, but I really like to do it so hopefully I'll learn more and get better at it.

I wanted a cover for my neck strap (for the camera) but they are pretty expensive online. So I ventured out to the fabric store and bought some fabric.





These are the four that I picked. I thought they were cute. I used a different fabric for each side of the neck strap.

Here's the two different covers next to each other, then flipped over.





This is how they turned out.



I decided to put this one on the strap and I LOVE how it looks.




They were really easy to make and I had a lot of fun doing it. Let me know if you want one, I'll gladly make you one :)

MySpace 2

I did it! I cleaned my room. I feel like when my room is cluttered, so is my life. Now that my room is clean, my life will be too :)



I also hung up a poster that I have been attempting to flatten out for a few weeks now. My aunt gave it to me for my birthday and I lugged it home from Germany in my suitcase (hence the wrinkles).



It says "When we are together, nothing else matters." Obviously the meaning isn't from my aunts heart or anything (because we aren't lovers like that) but I like that artist so I was so excited to get that poster!

I bought some books today to bring on my trip this summer.



There's:
-50 facts you need to know: Europe
-Say You're One of Them
-Sarah's Key
-The Lost Recipe for Happiness
-The Tenth Circle
-The Time Travelers Wife
-The Alchemist
-Good Rabbitkeeping
-Little Knows Facts About Well Known Places~ Paris
-Dear John

So, I've got a lot of reading to do this summer. Sounds good!

MySpace (not the website)

For the past week I have had no idea what to blog about. This is pretty bad, seeing as it's only the second week of having a blog. Anyways, I was trying to think of something pretty interesting to write about and couldn't think of anything.

I finally had a decent idea (it's better than posting nothing). I'm going to show you my room! When I moved back home last year (from school) I decided I would take over my mom's "shabby chic" guest room. She was pretty sad, but I wasn't sleeping in the basement. I wanted to repaint it so it felt more like me, this is what I came up with.



Three walls are this blue color and the smallest wall is a medium grey color that matches the metal of my bed. I decided to decorate with some green (the squares are pieces of cork I painted green, but they look more yellow from the flash. Clearly I don't know how to take pictures) and I liked the look of metal more than wood.



This was a card that Dan gave me last year for Valentines Day. It says "iguana love you forever". The funny thing is that he gave the same one to me the year before (he didn't remember though). I guess it really reminded me of him. I framed it because I thought it was cute :)

So my room looks pretty decent. Okay looking decor for a broke college kid.

I always think it's so weird that everyones house is so clean. I feel like no one lives like that (at least I don't). Want to see the mess I live in? Caution, I could be on the show hoarders. It's bad.



Let's see, a chair from the kitchen, a random nightstand that doesn't even go in my room, clothes, dirty towels (seeing as I use them once and they are "dirty"), textbooks/homework, pens, makeup, lotion, a puzzle, A PUZZLE?? What? I'm not really sure what all is going on in there, but it is quite the mess. Do I make my bed? Umm, no. It's so much work up there by the ceiling to get the sheets and blankets tucked in. I don't remember the last time I made my bed. It is the hardest bed to make, EVER. I can't even get to my desk because there is so much stuff on the floor. How did I even let it get this messy??

So there you go. My messy room. I hope it makes you feel better about your room :) I'm off to clean it!

FAIL

The Shred was discontinued after two days. It just wasn't working for me. I got bored after two days and Jillian really irritated me. I know those are just excuses, but take em or leave em.

I went to a Weight Watchers meeting tonight and signed up. I think keeping track of the points and having a certain amount of points a day will be good for me. I like that it feels tangible and I can lay it out in front of me on a spread sheet. Plus the weigh ins seem like they would keep me on track. It's too early to tell, but hopefully it will work. I'll post my weekly weigh in results here so I'm held accountable here also.

I've changed my name on here and the url because I realized I didn't want people to be able to track me down. I have a facebook for keeping in touch with people I know. I like the feeling that I can say what I want here and no one IRL will know! I've already met some pretty sweet girls in the blog world and I think it's so fun! They have made starting this blog easy and have been very helpful. Thanks guys! :)

Day 2 & Ten Years

I did the shred again. It seemed harder than yesterday but I got through it. I'm sure my brother enjoyed watching me shake my thang while I did it (he was sitting in the living room with me, poor guy). Tomorrow is day 3. That's all I really have to say about that.

I got tagged by Robin over at Lolidots for a blog game. I have to write where I will be in ten years. I have been thinking about what I want in ten years and I honestly have NO idea! So, here goes nothin!

In ten years I will be xx years old. I will be happily married to Dan (for at least four years) with a kid or two but they won't be very old. I will have graduated from college and will be a kindergarten teacher in a bright, colorful, organized classroom. Dan will be making the big bucks in finance so we will be living in a new, big house in a developing, family friendly neighborhood. We will go to church (and enjoy it), the kids will make friends with the other kids there and we will have parties and play dates with other families. I will be physically fit and Dan and I will take our lab for a walk everyday. We will have a cat at home who is inevitably overweight and partially mental (like all of the cats I have ever had), but loved to death. My parents will both be living nearby, but not too close (sorry Mom!) and the grandparents will still be alive. I'll have hobbies like knitting and scrapbooking that will take up a lot of my free time. We will travel to a different place outside of the US every year just to explore the world. I will have excellent writing skills as I had posted on my blog every day for the last ten years (3,650 posts, you better be ready).

That's all I could come up with. I'm not sure how much of it will really happen, but that's for time to tell. Well, I'm off to bed, tomorrow is a study day! Goodnight!

Day 1

It's official, I've been SHREDDED!

Today was the first day. The workout was like The Firm (which I did last year) but shorter. It was hard, but short enough (20 minutes) to get through it. My boobs were everywhere though. I think I'll go look for a new sports bra tomorrow... they're going to hurt more than anything else.

On another note, I've been in a pretty bad mood all day. I'm in a youth studies class and we have a lot of speakers come in and talk to us about problems that the kids today suffer with. Well, a 15 year old girl who has dealt with gang prevention was going to come chat with us next week. She was 15 years old and already advocating for eliminating gang violence in her neighborhood; no doubt this girl was going to go on to bigger and better things. Well, we get to class today and the teacher was pretty quiet (which is not like him). He procedes to tell us that the girl who was going to come talk to us next week was killed by a gang member.

What has this world come to? I don't feel like I live in a bad place (Twin Cities, MN). I ride the city bus to school and feel fairly safe on it. Here is a girl trying to better her community by actively trying to eliminate gangs in her area and she gets shot. And by a gang member no less.

Pardon me, but this world is fucked up.

Goodnight.

Germany

I suppose since yesterday I wrote about Sweden, I should write about my trip to Germany, with pictures of course! I went to Germany to help out with my aunt, uncle, and cousin again but this summer my aunt had a knee surgery, so I was doing a lot more work. I took M to kindergarten (which is preschool in Germany) and other places. My aunt couldn't drive so I was in the drivers seat. It was especially nerve-wracking when I had to drive in big cities, German drivers are crazy. The pictures of the flowers/garden are from my uncle's parent's backyard. It it so pretty back there!

So, there's some of my favorite pictures from Germany. I didn't really get any pictures of any landmarks or touristy (is that a word?) things because when I went I wasn't a tourist. I lived there, went grocery shopping like a German, went to the German doctor (for an ear infection), and took my aunt to German physical therapy. I have been to Germany two other times (once for the same aunts wedding and another time for an exchange during high school) so I have been a tourist there before, so it was pretty cool to live the life.

Well, I'm off to buy the 30 DAY SHRED. I figured for $8.99 I might as well try it, Lord knows I need it! I'll be posting to let you know how that goes...

Sweden

I went to bed so excited last night. My mind was flowing with ideas of what I could write about on here so I grabbed a notebook and jotted everything down. There are so many things I want to write about today and so many pictures I want to post. I couldn't decide what to post; my pictures from Germany or Sweden, or from when I took Sheldon (my bunny) outside today?? Should I tell things about my life?? I just don't know!

So, I think I will tell you about my trip to Sweden (or two trips). The summer of 2007 and 2008 my aunt Nicole and uncle Jochen invited me to Sweden (where they were living) to nanny for them. They have a son named M who was born in late 2006. They lived just a few blocks away from the beach and it was always deserted there! Their neighborhood was full of trees with gravel roads (it looked like a state park) and you couldn't see the neighbors. They lived in a beautiful house with a wonderful backyard to play in all summer! My best friend was in Denmark at the same time that I was in Sweden so we met up in Copenhagen and had a really good time!

A year later, I went back to help out again. M kept growing and we had even more fun that summer. We flew to Stockholm for a weekend and drove to Germany to buy some wine (because the wine is a lot cheaper in Germany, and it tastes better).

I'll do a post soon with photos from Germany this past summer.

New

Hey everyone (anyone??...) I'm new at this, as in this is my first post. I guess this blog is to share my "adventures" but I'm not sure how that will go.

I'll tell a little about myself. I am a 19 year old (20 in April) living in Minnesota. I go to college full time (currently for Psychology, but it could be changing shortly to Education). I plan on graduating in 2012 but if I change my major that might not happen. I went to a different college last year and decided to leave all of my dear friend there for a new school, for new beginnings. I also work with an eight year old boy who has autism- Alex. I have become very interested in psychological disabilities and hope to do something with it later in life. I have a boyfriend named Dan and we have been dating for about four and a half years (since sophomore year of high school)! Seems so crazy that it has been so long, but it's a good thing :) I really enjoy watching LOST, Grey's Anatomy, & Private Practice. For the past three summers I have been a nanny for my Aunt and Uncle in Sweden and Germany, and I recently found out that I am going back to Germany on June 10. I hope to take lots of pictures there and post them, so that should be fun! Otherwise, I'll post pictures from my daily life and from the past (some trip pictures) to bring back the memories.

That's me, in a nutshell. Hopefully as this goes on you will get to know me better, and I hope to make some new friends on here! :)