Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Now That I'm Home... It's TIME to Get Caught Up!

Well.. the last post I had was about May.. so I know there is a bit of work for me to do! Yikes! I am now realizing that it is really important for me to follow through and reflect on everything that happened because- to be honest- the return home hasn't been the easiest for me. I've been extremely emotional and have been feeling really out of place in my own skin, but more about that later!

Now for 3 of the items to Update...

First up: Blast From the Past
Being an exchange student in 2006 to 2007 forever changed my life. I knew it then, but it keeps having its effect still, 7 years later! One of the latest doors to open up for me was to be a Teamer with YFU during their Berlin Seminar for the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange students, the program I was with while in high school. I was able to help the students talk through their feelings, reflect on their experiences, and look forward to what's coming up in their futures. The "kids" were great- between the ages of 16 and 19, and they had learned so many different things during their stay in Germany. So many of them reminded me of many of the members from my own group, which only made me want to get back in touch with them! (Thanks to Facebook and other social media, I have been able to find some of the people, with whom I've lost touch!)

BUT- beyond the reminders of my own exchange year, I was able to network a bit and even attended a party with the students at the Embassy. This opened up the opportunity to see President Obama's speech in Berlin in June- an experience that is beyond words!

Being there with the students really helped me to stay grounded and focused. I realized how much work I've put into everything that I've accomplished this far and how important it is to never settle and to keep reaching for my dreams. It was a great opportunity to inspire the next "generation" of students to go out there and make the changes they want to see- no matter how big or small they seem to be!

2nd: Adventures in Hamburg with Dan
This Hamburg trip was full of mini adventures! I was able to see The Lion King- a show that has been playing Broadway style in Hamburg for over a decade, which I had seen in 2006. I went with a friend of mine from the program, Molly. The two of us could not have been more excited, we were literally sitting on the edge of our seats. It was such a great show: the costumes are amazing, the acting is top notch, the music is beautiful, and the overall mood is just incredible.

We spent our Saturday exploring bits of Hamburg, a place Molly had never been. I took two spills, the 2nd really cutting my foot open, which only led us on another adventure of finding a pharmacy to get bandages and cream to help my aching toe. (It could have been much worse!) Sunday was spent very relaxed, we took Molly back to the train station and met up with some friends of mine for a vegan breakfast that is put on by a group of people once a month. It's a very relaxed and open community- you pay through donation and are allowed to eat as little or much as you'd like. Everyone was very friendly and we ate some really yummy vegan food! Dan and I ended our day watching a movie and relaxing because on Monday was his 2nd to last play. It was a great show that he directed called The Shape of Things. I got to see the backstage and meet the actors, which was super fun too.

3rd: The President of the United States of America and The HOTTEST Day of the Year.
Check out this video at 24.07 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeA0BA_7Qlg
Need I say more!? It was an extremely hot day and such an amazing opportunity! I was able to see some of the students that I was able to meet a couple of weeks before that at their Berlin seminar. The weather was not in our favor, but the experience was beyond this world!