Week in Colorado

As soon as I could I went to Colorado for Beth's funeral and everything else. I went May 6-12. I woke up super early to catch the bus to the train to the airport...fun of course. The flight was long so I watched some movies and then arrived in Colorado when I realized how depressing this trip was going to be. It was nice to see my dad and Mary though. We drove back to dad's house and saw Grandma. Walking into the house was really weird and overwhelming and I started to cry. We talked a little bit about Beth and our childhood which was nice but made me sad. We just relaxed and talked and I saw Julie too.

We went out for some Mexican food and went to the liqour store and Uncle Steve and Grayson came the next day. It was really weird to see Grayson because it had been years.Mary and I talked with uncle Steve and told him our concerns about how Beth felt and all of that stuff, and we all drank a lot of wine. Talking about that stuff made me sad so I started crying.  Uncle Steve came over and helped me feel better and then we helped Julie with her homework to distract us and then I walked over to my dad because he was crying looking at pictures that Beth had taken of herself on her computer before she died.

I think the next day Uncle Steve and Grayson came over again and his nephew came over too. The wife was really nice and I had met them before when I was really little.We talked a lot with them and then we ordered pizza for dinner for everyone. We put together the photos for the service also.

Thursday we picked up Celina from the airport (listened to yodeling!) and got stranded at the airport because she got picked up before we could pee...We drove back to the house and stopped at the grocery and then the liquor store that day again because we went through so much wine! I was going to go to Italy on Thursday but ended up not going which I was happy about, but not happy about losing the money. We put together the music for the service which was bittersweet because the music reminded me of her but also made us sad. Uncle jeff and aunt terri were there too which was so nice. It was really nice to see them. Celina and I also made Grandma's chocolate pie.

Friday was the day of the service which no one was looking forward to. That morning I felt really sad and angry and cried in the car and when we got to the service place because everything became real. It was really depressing. A lot of the neighbors came which was nice to support dad and stuff. Julie's classmates made her a little gift and card which was really sweet. The service was really nice and sad. The pastor read a few things about our letters and read a card given to Grandma. Uncle Steve and Celina got up and said something which was really nice. Grandma took home the ashes and Julie was the comic relief the whole time. After that we had the reception at dad's house with a ton of food and wine. We all drank a lot again and talked. Grayson drank too much and got sick. We talked to the neighbors and then cleaned up everything. That day we also went into the room and talked about our anger issues and what we thought of everything and then Julie came in to be with us and we were all together as sisters. It was really nice. She was so cute because she wanted to prank call people. She called dad and then made a fart sound into the phone and then hung up. It was so cute. I think we tried to prank Andy too. I think it was that night that we watch the Punisher with dad which was sick. haha. but I got really into it.

The next day we went to the coffee shop that was Beth's favorite and ordered the drink that she normally gets. It was really good and a nice way to say bye to the place now that Beth is gone. Everyone was there which was nice. After that we had to go through Beth's stuff which was weird. Dad got really sad because it was like everything was final. My stomach was bothering me that day too so Celina took my coffee away from me. After that we all just relaxed and talked and dad and uncle Jeff told stories about their trouble-making days. After that they left and i think I went to bed because I was really tired and had to wake up ealy for my flight back to Marburg.

Sunday I left really early in the morning which was weird because it was Mother's Day.
It was a really long journey and I was really happy to be back in Marburg. The flight was really crowded which sucked and I had the layover. I was able to watch a lot of movies though. I stopped in Atlanta this time and Detroit before. It sucked though because I didn't even get to my dorm until like 1 so I missed class and slept and then had to leave the next day for Paris!

-learned that I like a lot of types of wine!

Amsterdam

So it has been like 3 weeks since Amsterdam...I am so behind blogging!
Amsterdam was really chill and fun. We took the train there which was really long because we had to transfer like 3 times. I did a lot of homework so that was good though. Kara, her boyfriend, Ashley, Han, Sam, Charlie, and I went. We got there and walked to our hostel which was basically in the Red Light District. It had a bunch of coffee shops, a cheese place, and sex shops close by. Sam and I went exploring right away because we didn't want to waste time sitting around. We walked into the cheese shop and tried some cheese and then met up with Ashley where we got the coca shots which was really good. After that we met up with Han and Charlie and got some food and then went on the boat tour with everyone. It was really nice and relaxing and we were able to see a lot. It was a really long tour though. After that I think we went to a coffee shop and then walked around and chilled by the train station and got a couple of beers. Ashley and I shared a brownie and after that we went and walked around the red light district at night. It was really surreal and strange to see the girls in the windows. Saturday we got coffee and then we walked a lot trying to find and went to the Anne Frank House which I am really glad I did. It was chilling when I first walked in and I learned a lot. It was devastating. We got lucky when we got there because Ashley just happened to see some of her friends so we were able to join the line with them which saved us a lot of time. After that we went to get food at a hostel restaurant which was chill. We drank a lot there of course because there was a deal on drinks. After we went to relax and take a break at the hostel ( that is when I called Mary and found out that Beth had passed away. I had a feeling it would happen while I was there and talking to her and my dad was really sad. I walked up to the room crying and told Ashley what happened while she was talking to some guy in our room. I told her and my dad that I would go to Colorado as soon as I could. I didn't want to stay inside so Sam and Ashley and I went to get some ice cream and then back to the hostel) and then met up with Kara and her bf and Han and Charlie for drinks again. That night we also went to the coffee shop where I asked the lady if there was stuff in the brownies..like an idiot. haha and then we went to get waffles which were really good. There was also a moment of silence for the holocaust victims that weekend so there was a city corner cornered off for that. We did not go though.
Sunday we woke up and got some coffee and then walked to the Van Gogh museum. We took pictures in front of the I Amsterdam sign and then killed time by buying our postcard and shot glasses and Starbucks. Sam and I went back to the museum while Ashley shopped. After that we got some food and then headed back to the train station to head back to Marburg. It was a fun weekend but stressful because of the bad news I got. When I got back to Marburg I Skyped with Mary to book my flight for the next day and got very little sleep but was relieved to know that I was going home.

creepiest moment in Amsterdam: the sketch people staying in our hostel with us that were obviously on drugs and the hostel location...no modesty and Ashley making me laugh by asking me if I wanted to laugh and then seeing the guys in the bathroom.

Week before Amsterdam

Nothing happened this week really except for Tuesday night because it was the night before Erster Mai (May Day). That night (Tuesday) I Skyped with my mom to figure out my school stuff and then we pre-gamed in Kara's room and then went out to the festival in the Oberstadt. Everyone was there which was really chill. People bought some beer and I got a drink from a guy. I tried some of the beer too. We talked a lot and chilled and listened to music and I smoked again :/ After that we went to Sudhaus with a bunch of us. It was really fun and I asked a ton of questions as always. We chilled there for a while and then Rolando fell asleep and I laid next to him as a joke. We got some doner and then took a cab home where everyone talked about Emily and how she was so upset about Jordan. When I got home I heard some interesting stuff and then talked to Brooks and he invited me to chill with Katie and Lea, which was really fun. They were smoking while we talked and then I told them about my step mom. Brooks gave me a book that he said would maybe help me, which I really appreciated. They all seem like people who would really be there for you. Earlier that day I had had a dream about Beth dying and woke up crying and then he told me about his friend dying, so I had had a really shitty morning. Talking to my mom made me feel a lot better. Anyway, after chilling with them I said goodnight and then went back to my room and Skyped with my sisters and my mom and we all laughed a lot. It was really nice. I was still drunk though! After that we Skyped with my dad for a little bit. He seemed so sad, but he asked us all how we were doing and asked me about school and Celina about wok. He didn't want to talk about Beth which is understandable. It made me sad to hear him that way; he seemed different. my sisters and I talked after that and wondered how this death would affect him. We don't know, but he cant go downhill because he has Julie. After that I went to bed, which was like at 7 in the morning. I woke up the next day at 11 feeling like shit and just had a lazy day watching Friends since it was a holiday. After that Brooks messaged me about breakfast so I met up with them for it. We had a nice breakfast with coffee, breakfast sandwiches and waffles. It was all really good. Lea, Brooks, Katie, Matthew, Yuri, were there. It was nice to chill with new people and talk with them, although I was super tired so I didn't talk much. After that I came to my room and chilled again. I wathced some tv, but my computer was slow so I just went to bed.

This morning ( May 2) I woke up late and cleaned my room and then ran some errands in town and ran into Kara and ket her boyfriend. After that I met up with Katie, Callum, ROlando, Georgie, Courtney, and Kai for dinner which was really nice of them to include me. We had a really nice dinner with german noodles, pizza, enchiladas, and green beans. I had fun just talking with them. After that I came to my room and started packing for Amsterdam tomorrow which I am stoked for! We are going with the "quad pod" and Charlie and Han. It should be fun..update to come!

Springfest in Munich

This week we had like no recovery time from Dublin. We had school Monday and then that screwed me up for the rest of the week after getting pretty much no sleep. I napped but was still exhausted as usual. We left for Munich early Thursday morning. It was about a 7 hour bus ride but it was really nice because we all had our own seats. We got to Munich and got to our hotel (Econtel?) which was really nice, probably the best one we will stay in while here. They had free tea, croissants, and coffee! After we settled into our hotel we went into town to meet Courtney and Katie in the Marienplatz. We chilled for a little bit and got some ice cream and then walked over to the English Gardens to meet the guys. It was so beautiful there. We found the guys and then walked over to the Chinese Tower ( I think it's called) and we got Apfelwein and shared a pretzel. We relaxed for a little bit and then walked over to the guys' hostel and they got some soda. After that we went back to our hostel because we were exhausted. We went to bed so that we would have energy for Springfest! The next morning we got ready and pre-gamed for Springfest and had Coffee with Baileys which was really good. We had other drinks too and then took the train over to Springfest. We had a table outside and we met up with everyone else. We ordered some beers and pretzels to share and took a lot of pictures. We went inside eventually and that is where the drama went down. There were people who told us to leave because they had the table first and then they said this isn't America you cant just take our seats, which isn't really what happened and then a guy was trying to push Kara off the seat because he was an ass hole. I tried to make the peace but Sam and I got in a fight kind of and I ended up leaving before I got food or anything. I also smoked that day which was weird. After that I left with Courtney because we both were ready to go and we walked out into the carnival part and got some nuts and saw the rides. After that we headed over to where they were staying and we peed in the bushes lol. Second time that weekend. Then we had some food and headed over to a bar. I was really tired so I was ready to go home and took the train and bus home after they finished their beers. The other girls went to the guys' hostel while I did that. I kind of wish I had been there but that's okay. Saturday we didn't do much. We just met up with Courtney and Katie at a beer garden and I got a pretzel. We stayed there for a little bit and then walked to Marienplatz and got ice cream. We bought some souvenirs and then went back to the hotel to get ready to go to Springfest at night. We were all really drunk and the bus driver didn't let me on the bus with my drink. When we got there it was really fun and we went on a lot of the rides. We went on a spinning one that was the best one I think. Then we went on one that swung back and forth and then the carousal last. We took a picture with some cops and then chilled. The view from the carousal was really beautiful. After that we went to a bar and Ashley and I got a pitcher of cider. We drank way too much that night and I was flirting with some random guy just for fun. Two guys came and sat next to us and we talked to them a little bit. After that we took the train home and I tried to apologize to Sam but it kind of backfired and she yelled at me and it just was dramatic on both of our parts. it was awkward for the rest of the weekend after that. After that we went home and I got sick and don't fully remember that night. I woke up in the morning and was confused about how I got home and didn't even know I was. It was fun though because I was like half asleep while they were talking about Degrassi and how Liberty sucks. It was really fun they were talking about Degrassi for like the longest time. The next morning we just went into town and got some food. I just ate the food I brought and took a nap. I felt really hung over. On the way home it was way more crowded but it was an okay ride, just seemed really long. When we got back it was nice to get back early and actually have people at the train station. We got some food and then got on the train home (where my luggage almost got away from me) and then the bus actually came on time. It was great transportation which was a first for us. I just relaxed when I got home and got ready for school the next day. I really liked Munich and would like to go back for Oktoberfest one day.

Dublin

I'm doing this post about 2 weeks late so I might not remember everything but here it goes:
We left for Dublin on April 19th and stayed until the 21st. We took a Ryanair flight into Dublin which went smoothly. We arrived and found our bus into the city and the people were really nice and helped us find our way. We went to Starbucks and then arrived at our hostel ( Isaac's hostel) which was in a really good location but kind of in an alleyway. It was dark inside but had a cool atmosphere. The receptionist was really funny and made fun of my email address from middle school. We showed us some stuff to do in the city but we couldn't check in right away so we locked up our stuff and then did the hop on hop off bus tour. The tour was cool because we pretty much saw everything that there is to see the first day. We saw the Guiness Factory from the outside, Trinity college, the cathedrals, etc. That day we hopped off at the Kilmainham Jail which was really cool. It was really old and falling apart and our tour guide told us about the history of it, which was interesting. We got hot chocolate there too. After that we went got food and went back to the hostel and got ready for the pub crawl. It was fun but not as good as the London one. We got shots mostly of Bailey's which is really good. This bar crawl was less social and we kind of just hung out with each other. It was such a big group that we split in two groups and then met up at the last bar. I met a guy studying in Spain and his two friends which was fun. I met a guy from France too. I love the pub crawls because you gt to meet a lot of cool people.After that we went home instead of going to the club. I wanted to stay at first but was glad we went home instead after getting some food. The next day we went to the Guiness Factory which was awesome. It had about 7 floors and each floor had a ton of info about Guiness and how it is made and anything else you would want to know. We stopped at the Gravity bar to see what was there and it was a gorgeous view over Dublin. We left soon after that though becayse it was so crowded. We ended up going back down to the floor where you can learn how to pour your own pint of Guiness. That was my favorite part I think. It takes almost 2 minutes for the beer to settle until you can top it off. We chilled there for like 3 hours, and then the other girls went to buy Guiness souvenirs for their family while I waited for them. After the Guiness factory we got some fish and chips but I didnt like it that much.We didn't really have time to do much else. After that we got ready to go out and just went to a bar in Temple Bar. I finally had Irish coffee and it was really good! We chilled there for a while and met a really young couple getting married so it was fun to talk to them. After that we got food and went home. The last day in Dublin we did the walking tour after Kara and I left the hostel to get some breakfast and talk about drama going on in the group. The tour was really good, but really long and a lot of history. We started at the main bar that I cant remember but we had free coffee and tea. We saw the Dublin Castle, Trinity College and pretty much everything there is to see in Dublin. It was cool to walk around and learn about the city, but by the end of it I was ready to go! After that we got some traditional Irish food and then got ready to go to the airport. There was drama that day but once we got to the airport it was fine. We got home really late and had to wait in the train station again. It was freezing but we made it throguh and then went to bed and then class the next day.

April 15-18

This week was the first week of regular classes. I ended up switching classes and dropping the conversation class so my schedule is pretty relaxed. I don't have school Thursday or Friday which is really nice. I like both of my classes but the structure is a lot different here. We had our tutorials and we all commented on what we miss from home and what we don't like here or what the cultural differences are. The people are a lot different, kind of standoffish and don't say excuse me. It sucks that stuff is closed on Sundays, but it is also pretty relaxed here. It is going to be nice going home and hearing English everywhere, but everything also looks so ordinary in California, where everything is so much more beautiful in Europe.
Monday night we went out and pre-gamed in 15 first. We were going to go to the big party for the new students but the wait was like over an hour so we ended up at Sudhaus. I ended up leaving early because I was tired while the others stayed. We also went out Wednesday night. We went bar hopping with Charlie and Han which was actually really fun. It was just a chill night and the weather was perfect. We went to about 4 or 5 bars and then got Doner of course. Drunk food. Always. And we got some really good drinks at Paprica, Plan B and another 2 I cant remember. We went to Sudhaus for like 2 seconds, got food and then called it a night. Tonight we leave for Dublin which I am really excited for. I hope it is more organized because in London we ran out of time to do a lot. Everyone was so nice and helpful in London so I hope that they are the same in Dublin.

Week after London

This week was pretty chill, we needed a full week to recover from London, so we just stayed in Marburg for the weekend. I was really sad because of Beth and the weather and being tired made it a lot worse. I wish that I was home sometimes because I am stressed about Beth. I am just hoping that nothing happens to her while I am here. It was also the last week of our classes which was bittersweet. The final test was really easy but I don't know how I did on the culture one. Anyway, the last day we played a lot of games and had brunch which was chill. We went to Nachstalon last weekend too which was fun. We also went to Hinkeltein this week which was okay. I ended up talking with Ray and then leaving early because it wasn't very fun.

London aka the craziest weekend

London was the craziest weekend on so many levels. We left after our presentation for our culture class which went well. We made it to the train with no problems and we were stoked to be on our way to London. While on the train we heard an announcement over the PA saying something in German that we of course did not understand. The girl next to us understood and explained to us that someone had jumped in front of the train, so we were really stressed out and thought we were going to miss our flight. We spent the next 30 minutes trying to find a way to the next station along with the other IUSP people going too. It was really scary but we finally hitchhiked our way to the nearest train station and took a bus to Frankfurt from there. There were no buses so we ended up taking a cab all the way to the Frankfurt Hahn airport. We got there and met up with everyone; it was a miracle that we made it. Lexi and Alec did not make it on the delayed plane because of Dixie which I felt really bad about. When we got to London we were at the Liverpool Station and there was an announcement saying that there was an emergency in the station and that we had to evacuate. It was a crazy night, we thought it was a joke. We finally took a cab to our hostel which was really nice and just all crashed. The next day we spent a while looking for the bank for Ashley's card and then explored the city by walking. We went to King's Cross station and took pictures in front of Platform 9 3/4. Later that day we saw the London eye which was really cool. We were going to go to the Windsor Castle but it didnt work out, as well as the Sherlock Holmes museum.  After that we went back to the hostel and pre-gamed for Fabric, which was not really fun. We hung out with some London guys and then went home. The next morning we got a late start but ended up going to the Tower of London which was cool even though I remembered that I had gone before. After that we went to get some fish and chips and then went back to the hostel to chill before the pub crawl. The pub crawl was really fun. We met a lot of people and went to about 4 bars. We drank a lot of good drinks and got some free shots. We also did karaoke which was pretty fun. The next morning was our last so we just did the walking tour and then went back to the hostel for our stuff and then went to the airport. It was a really long trip because we got to the airport fine but then we missed the bus and there were no more trains so we had to sleep in the airport for like 3 hours before we could catch the morning train. It was exhausting but actually really fun. We were all deliriously tired and stayed in McDonald's for the night and stood in front of their door until they opened. There were some sketch people in the station but we finally made it back to Marburg. We had school the next morning and it was crazy that we all made it to class. I ended up going late though. It was overall a fun weekend even though there was a lot of craziness and drama. We saw a lot of the main sights and took a lot of pictures so it was a nice weekend. It was really nice to be back home though after.

King Ray
Squeegee kids

Berlin

Last weekend we all went to Berlin. The train ride was about 7 hours, which was long but not too bad. We got to the 3 Little Pigs hostel which was really nice. That night we got some food at a really cheap place down the street from the hostel and drank a lot. Later we got ready and went to Club Fritz. Ashley and Kara were really drunk so they didn't get in which was sucky but funny at the same time. It was a fun night and kind of a shit show. I lost one of my flats which was a fail. The next day we had a tour in the morning of the Berlin parliament, saw the Brandenburger Tor and walked around a little bit and got food. When we got back we pre-gamed and then went to another club. It took a really long time to get there so we didn't really have a lot of time there. It was still a fun night but Elizabeth got her wallet stolen. After that we went to bed. Sunday morning we had a tour of Potsdam and I wish I could have enjoyed it more but it was freezing and snowing the majority of the day. After that we went to see the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall which was pretty cool. After that we got on the train to go home and the ticket people asked us for our tickets which we didn't have so we had to pay a 40 Euro fine, which sucked a lot and was really stressful. I got really upset but felt better later that day. We didn't get to see the Holocaust museum but after that we didn't really want to anyway. We went back to the hostel and I Skyped with my dad before dinner. That night we pre-gamed and we were going to go to a club but we ended up going to a bar instead which was better. I was really drunk that night and asked people to many questions. It was really fun though. Monday morning we left and I basically slept for the whole bus ride back. It was a fun weekend but I was ready to be back in Marburg by the time we had to go.

Last night I got really bad news about Beth, so I am really scared and don't know what to think.
I think that a weekend out of Germany will be really fun, so I cant wait for London this weekend!

Last week was pretty much just the usual routine. Friday night we were going to go out but we ended up just pre-gaming in the kitchen of Wehrda instead of going out. It was a chill night. We ate way too much though...crackers, pizza...you name it. We played never have i ever which was fun.

Saturday we left to go to Heidelberg. The hostel was really nice and close to the train station so it was really convenient. We checked in and then took the bus to the University sqaure and then walked from there to the castle. There was Starbucks in Heidelberg which of course made the trip that much better :) The castle was really beautiful and really old. It was pretty much falling apart and it was unlike anything i'd seen before. There was a room there where you could get warm wine. It was actually really good. After the castle we went to get food because we were starving. I got a flatbread type of pizza which was really good. We met up with a few of the IUSP people and went to an Irish pub for drinks. I had my first Long Island Iced tea which was good. After that we went to buy alcohol to pre-game before going out. Nothing was really open so we had to run to the pharmacy to get it. We went back to the dorm and pre-gamed and then went out to a club which was kind of a lame club but we had a lot of fun. We danced and had drinks and some guy spilled my drink so I told him he had to buy me a new one. We met some Americans in the army there and they all were really chill. It was a really fun night but we didn't get home until like 6 in the morning. We could hear the birds chirping by the time we got home. 

Sunday we checked out of the hostel and got some Starbucks. After that we tried to find the Schnitzel house that everyone had gone to the day before. We finally found it and it was a really cute place (with an English menu!) The Schnitzel was really good! After that we went to the train station to leave to go back to MArburg which was a struggle because we had to go to Frankfurt and then our train broke down so we had to get on another one. 

It was a really fun weekend and I am really excited for this weekend in Berlin for Easter!

Quotes: "did you get it in?"

Wanna dance? 

In America we only dance from the waist up.

Do you have all of your limbs?

Wednesday, March 13, we went to Sudhaus to watch another game and then to Hinkelstein. It was a fun night with drinks and good food. I still  had the glass in my foot! It was funny at the end of the night because joey threw up at the table and then everybody left. The bus ride home was interesting because I sat accross from him.

That Friday was the beer Olympics which was really fun. I just watched other people play and drank a bottle of wine. After that we went into town to go to Nachstalon but it was too expensive so we ended up just going to Fiona's for some fries.

Saturday we left to go to Frankfurt. The train ride was not bad at all but the weather was sucky. When we got there we checked into our hostel which was pretty nice, but I liked the first one better. We were just happy to have Starbucks! We ended up going to the mall there to buy some stuff for Saint Patrick's Day and then went to Rewe to get Crackers of course and some alcohol for the night. We pre-gamed and played card games until we left for the Club. It was actually pretty fun. We danced a lot and I danced with Ray until I knew it was him and a few other guys. We left around 4 in the morning and then got some doner.
In the morning we had breakfast and checked out of the hostel and then went to the train station to drink our champagne. We played a rule game and then Green Glass door. After that we went to an Irish pub because O'Reily's was really crowded, but it was the most sketchy bar I have ever been in and I could not wait to get out. I was beyond uncomfortable but once we got back to O'Reily;s it was really fun. The other IUSP people joined us. We got a huge tower of beer to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We ended up leaving around 7 which was nice because I didn't want to get back too late. We found a wallet and everybody took a ton of stuff from the restaurant. It was hilarious. The train ride home sucked because people were so loud and I was exhausted. Overall it was a fun weekend!

Cologne

Last weekend Kara, Samantha, Ashley, and I went to Cologne for a few days. It was a really beautiful city and the cathedral there was overwhelmingly beautiful. As soon as we walked out of the train station we were blown away by how enormous it was. The inside was even more amazing with stained glass and everything else that comes with a really old church. It was a nice trip and getting there was kind of a pain, but we managed well. We stayed in a hostel a little outside of downtown, and it was pretty nice. We pre-gamed there at our little table and ate the most amazing crackers that we are all addicted to now. We went downtown to meet up with another group, but ended up at McDonald's because they left. The manager there was really annoying. The next day we went to the Schokoladen Museum which was cool and we got free chocolate. After that we went shopping around the mall there. There were so many shops and we all want to go back. We went to Starbucks so many times because there is none in Marburg. Saturday night we went to Club Cent which was fun but I stepped in glass and had to take a cab home which was really expensive. Sunday everything was pretty much closed so we just had breakfast at the hostel and then walked around the city. We spent a lot of time inside because it was freezing and raining the whole day pretty much. On our way back to Werhda we went to Fiona's for dinner and then went back to our dorms.

Monday we started our culture class which is pretty much a joke. Nobody takes it seriously and it is so boring. We will see how the rest of the week goes. This week is pretty much just the same routine, so not much to write about now, but I am excited for the weekend ahead in Frankfurt!

This week

This week has been pretty low key, so I'll just write down the key things we did.

Monday
-we had class
-Monday night we went to Wehrda 15 to have dinner with Lea and other people

Tuesday
-had class and styaed in the Mensa for a few hours and then took the wrong bus back to Wehrda.
-went to Sudhaus to watch the game but it was not as fun as last time at all, in fact it was pretty lame
-booked our first trip out of Marburg! We're going to Cologne which I am really excited for since Amsterdam was way too last minute
-Skyped with Mary

Wednesday
-had class and got coffee and a German pastry
-went to the Mensa for lunch which was not very good
-thought I lost my ticket for the train we booked so we took care of that!

Funny moments: opened door on a guy which was really awkward

Sunday, March 3

Today I got up really late again and then Sam, Ashley, Kara, and I went into town to get some food and see the castle. The bus ride is kind of annoying now and waiting for it in the cold kind of sucks. When we got into town we walked to the castle, where there so many stairs! It was so beautiful though. All along the way there are Brothers Grimm sculptures and we saw the Hansel and Gretel house. There was a church close to the castle that was gorgeous. It was really old and the original painting on the church walls is really faded. We eventually made it to the castle, which wasn't open because it was Sunday, but we walked around the grounds and took pictures of the view. We are going to go back again when it is open when we can see the museum and eat at the restaurant there. When we were done there we went back down to find some food. We ended up going back to Fiona;s and got burgers. We saw a lot of the city and walked a lot which was good because I felt that I needed to feel more comfortable around the city. I was so exhausted after that so I did not do anything else really. The cigarette smoke smell is getting really bad, so all my clothes smell really bad. I've got to do some laundry soon.

I am really excited for the weather to warm up and for Amsterdam this weekend.

Saturday, March 2

Today we all got up really late and then headed into town to go shopping at H&M. After that we met up with Craig and got some doner. We went to the grocery store and Media Markt to get more minutes on our phones and some more drinks. After that we went back to the dorms and then went to Wehrda 15 to pregame. We played Kings cup with all the girls while the guys played quarters. We ended up at Molly Malone's which is an Irish pub. We all felt like going somewhere else so we ended up going to Hinkelftein again. We met these German guys and played a dice game with them. I still am not sure if I really understand how to play. It was a really fun night. I had Apfelwein to drink. We talked about going to Amsterdam for the weekend so I think a group of us are going to do that. We left the bar around 3:30 and then went to Mr. Kings to get doner. Sam, Kara, Ashley, and I call ourselves the quartet and the other group of guys the bros.

Friday, March 1

Today we started our first day of our German language class. I am excited to learn some German, but I know I have a lot to learn. It was a fun class and we learned how to introduce ourselves and the alphabet. I know how to say my name is Hannah. Ich bin Hannah. I am from California is Ich komme aus California. It is fun to learn a new language  I really want to learn how to order food because I can never read the menu when we go out. During our class break we went to Cafe Arnold and got some coffee. After class we went to the Mensa to get lunch and to the grocery store and then went back to the dorm and I took a nap. That night we went to Wehrda 15 to pregame. Everyone was so drunk it was crazy. Katie bought a huge glass cup that she put alcohol in for all of us and then stirred it with her hands. It was so funny to watch her. We took a lot of pictures and then headed out to Nachtsalon. It was really fun but we all spent way too much money on alcohol. After that we went to Fiona's to get some french fries and then left to go home. I didn't go to bed until around 4 in the morning, which sucks because the hot water is shut off at that point.

First few days in Marburg

I finally have some time to write about the first few days here. I arrived in Marburg February 25th, 2013. The flight was good, but long, and navigating around the airport was pretty easy. From the Frankfurt airport I   took a train into Marburg with another student in the IUSP program. It was interesting getting our luggage around the train stations; it was almost funny. People were very helpful though, which was really nice. Once we got to the Marburg train station we met up with other students in the program and took a bus to where we were supposed to register. The town is a little different from what I expected, but it is so beautiful. There is a gorgeous church right next to where we have some of our classes. I really want to go inside of it one of these days. The first day was just paperwork and getting our dorm assignments and we took a small tour of the places we need to be familiar with throughout our time here. On the tour our guide showed us the tower that was the inspiration for Rapunzel, and there is another castle on a hill we can see. We also saw the Oberstadt which is just a higher level of the city where there are a bunch of restaurants, bars, and little shops where most of the students go out at night. The view from up there is so pretty. After the tour I got settled into my room and unpacked. I have my own room with plenty of storage and my own sink, and then there is a shared wash room and a separate shower. The building I live in is Wehrda. It is about a half hour bus ride from where our classes are. The first night I was really tired so I didn't go out.

The second day in Marburg we took our Language Placement Test for our language class. I only did the oral exam which made me realize how little German I know. I am obviously in the beginner course, but there are other people here who don't know German either. I know I will learn. We then took a tour of the Mensa, or the cafeteria, where we then had lunch. We had a break before our next thing to do, so a few of us went to get some coffee at a place called Paprica in the Oberstadt. The service here is so different from in California. The waitress didn't pay much attention to us and just let us stay there for a while until we asked to pay. After coffee we did some more paperwork, toured the city again, and then took our Visa pictures. After that we got some pizza and went to Kik (kind of a dollar store with random stuff) to get things that we needed. That night we had our welcome dinner with all of the students and administrators, and introduced ourselves to everyone. After that we went to a small bar called Sudhaus. We got some drinks and relaxed until we went to another bar close by called Hinkelstein. The smell when you walk in smells so strong of cigarette smoke. I'll have to get used to that. People call it the dungeon because it is underground and small. We met up with most of the other IUSP students. It was nice to get to know everyone and have some drinks. The service there is so different because they write down what you get on a coaster and then you bring it to the bartender at the end, which makes it so easy for people to just not pay. I tried my first Absinthe there. 

On February 27th we did some more paperwork to take care of our Visa. After that we got food in the Mensa and then went shopping for stuff we needed again. We went back to our dorms after that and I cleaned up my room a little bit. That night we went back to Sudhaus to watch a soccer game between two German teams. A whole bunch of us went which was really fun. I got my first real German meal, Bratwurst and Pomme Frites, and I was given a Beer and Coca-Cola which I would have never thought to order, but it was actually good. They also have banana juice here which sounds really weird but it is good! We stayed there for a while and then went to another bar and got a couple of drinks. Someone ordered us all a Rusty Nail which is the most disgusting drink ever. It has Tabasco in it, which made it really hard to drink. We all hated it. We went home early because we had to wake up really early for the next morning. 

Today we woke up early to go to turn in our paperwork to get our Visas. Everyone was exhausted, so we all ate and then went back to the dorms to nap. So not much has happened today. I have just been having a relaxed day so far. Tonight we went to dinner at the Mensa and then back to the dorms. We ended up going to Wehrda 15 to have dinner and then we all left to go to ESG which is a bar underneath a church that has 1 euro beer nights. After that we went to Trauma to dance. It had interesting music and two people were interpretive dancing when we got there. By the end of the night I had drank too much and felt sick. Classes start tomorrow, which I am looking forward to. 

Random notes:

-The weather here is really cold and there is snow on the ground. (Glad I brought my Northface jacket!)

-Learned the hard way to never again buy a phone at the airport. It is a rip-off.

-I don't have wifi in my room, so my phone apps don't work unless I am in the Mensa or another school building, but I have internet in my room.

-The food is pretty good. I haven't eaten a lot since I have been here though.

-Pandora and other websites don't work here, which sucks. 

-Everyone here is so nice and we all get along really well. There are people here from all over the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and China.

-Learned that you can walk around drinking beer around the city and not get in trouble, and they have beer sold in the Mensa. 

-I have a lot of work to do with my German language skills. 

-I am still getting used to the time difference too. I am 9 hours ahead of California.
-The smoke in the bars is making my clothes smell really bad. 

That was a really long entry, but I wanted to give you all an update, even if it's just random stuff I did!

Miss you all. Pictures to come!