Trips. I am planning trips to distract me from the home sickness I feel. My brain is foggy. I would love to be at home right now. Helping out while my Mom is out of commission for a while. Comforting everyone as Gramma goes through Chemo. Alas, I am here and can not be of too much help and that is hard. To distract myself I have been planning trips.
Skiing in the Black Forest
Köln for Fasching
Zurich - skiing and sight seeing
Luxembourg
Eichstätt for Easter
Rhodes, one of the larger Greek Islands
London (still in the process)
Barcelona/Madrid in the Fall
And a few three day weekends open for more traveling experiences to be planned.
What have I been doing? Besides working with a staff I am so grateful for, being with this German family I love, and seeing cute little kids that I adore everyday, I have been making Paleo-ish treats (i.e. trying to avoid eating things I shouldn't), reading books (surprisingly devoured The Host), working on my crafty side (making cards, knitting, cutting and pasteing), and hanging out with friends. Sunday nights have become game night at my friend's. Had parent teach night for Reception this week and for the 2nd grade this coming week. Some people shouldn't have kids. Thank goodness for some parents and their willingness to step up with other parents are acting crazy.
There are plenty of people I would love to skype with. I find myself disappointed in friends, but I just need to learn not to expect as much. Always difficult for me.
I am thankful.
Went skiing this weekend with friends in the Schwarzwald! We were on Feldberg, which had some nice hills - blue, red, and black slopes. Susanna and I stuck to the blue and red. :) It was SO cold - 10 degrees plus wind chill. My scarf was frozen solid and hitting me in the face by the end. The sun was shining though and besides the freezing wind there was very little to complain about. Although I did complain about the loss of feeling/pain in my toes from the uncomfortable ski boots about 100 times. Took one boot off at a ski break to see if I could loosed up the toes. I couldn't even feel them! Creepy. Then I couldn't get my darn boot back on. Thankfully Susanna was able to help me finally shove it in. The Grog (Swedish Glühwein) that ended up being just hot rum helped my toes get through the next few hours. :) It was only a 3 hr drive there so in retrospect we could have driven down just for the day, but we ended up staying the night in a little town nearby. Cleanest place I've ever seen! Went to dinner in a nearby village and after waiting an hour and a half and then being delivered over cooked Schweinshaxe the boys were pretty pissed so I got to "talk" very angrily to the waiter. In Germany you don't complain about your food. Or if you want to return something you don't think tastes good you can do that, but then you pay for both meals. Basically, you eat what you are given and too bad if you don't like it. I told the waiter it was the worst tasting Schweinshaxe that we have ever had and that he should go try it himself to see how dry and over cooked it was. In the end, the expensive piece of meat was removed from both the bills. Granny would be proud. :) And yes Dad, the conversation was all in German.