Horb/ Ludwigsburg

                                                                    It's true! There is a beer boot!


It may seem difficult to understand how one can live in an environment completely unfamiliar to what they are used to, but it can be done! It’s weird to think that I am living in Germany, far far away from home. I guess it hasn’t hit me yet. It should have, but things don’t seem that different to me. Well, yes maybe, but for the most part, I feel like I am part of the Bok family. Even though we live in worlds divided by language, I understand everything they say to me.  I think we become more aware of our senses and how to tune them in. I understand everything my family is saying to me through their gestures, body language, the tones in their voice, and their animated facial expressions. Yeah, I understand some of the words they are saying, but when you actually take the time to focus on an individual, you may learn more about them than you thought you would. It’s just a matter of engaging yourself to people and your surroundings.  Yes, the architecture and land is completely different, but navigating through the streets, figuring out the public transportation, and conversing with different cultures is quite a unique and easy thing to do.

                                                                 The view from the beer garden

 I started my language program in Horb this past Monday.  Every day I walk with some other students that live in my neighborhood to school. We have two options: walk through the Black Forest or walk along the street. We mix it up from time to time to amuse ourselves. I can take the bus, but it’s more fun walking to school. I feel like a kid again. My host mother prepares all my meals, washes my clothes, takes me on 10 mile bike rides through the country and forest, life it good. Every day I walk around four miles, and sometimes six depending if I go to the beer garden after class. My host mother asked me if I was athletic… I lied, and said I was….. now every other day or so after dinner we take a bike ride through the country.  I pretend like its easy, but I am secretly dying inside. It is very hard, but I am getting a great workout, so I can’t complain. Plus, I am on the all carb diet here in Germany, so a long bike ride from time to time doesn’t hurt.  I like the active lifestyle. I like the simplicity of it all. Sometimes I feel like I am in a movie or stuck in time. The architecture is incredible, and the elder folks dress like they are living straight out of the 40’s. It’s cute.                

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                                                                         This is Horb. I took this picture while walking to class.

I have grown really fond of my host parents. They are so caring and accommodating. Every night Rolf (my host father) and I drink beer together with our meals, and afterwards a shot or two of pear Schnapps. He explains the whole process to me… how to drink it, what it is made from, and the etiquette of drinking. Simone (my host mother) takes me everywhere with her, and introduces me to all of her friends. She is the nicest lady. Whenever I have a problem, she is there to help. And I have had a few problems while living here. Not too big, just inconvenient luggage issues, bank issues, and my camera issues. She has helped throughout this process with a smile on her face. It’s was really nice to have someone help me especially when living abroad. Everything worked out; it just takes time and patience. I thought I could avoid these issues, but sometime in your life, you are bound to have these problems while traveling.

                                                                      Marketplatz

  It is kind of crazy how this program forces you to bond with each other, but it is so easy. I feel like I am part of the family. They only speak German to me, and yet, I understand everything they are saying. I even get the German jokes!

                                                                 Climbing up to church

 Yesterday, I had kind of a rough day. We traveled to Ludwigsburg (look it up, it is amazing) to visit the palace. Life was great. It was a beautiful day until I dropped my camera in water. I thought it was broken forever, but a fellow techie student told me to completely dry it out and dip it in rice. Apparently rice absorbs the moisture. Now, my camera works! So for any of you that are like me, and drop technology in water… dip it in rice. The palace was beautiful, and our tour guide was a lot of fun. She was a German girl from Baden. She had an English accent, mixed with a German flare. I could listen to her all day. After our palace excursion we headed to Stuttgart for shopping. The shopping in Stuttgart was endless. There were like 4 H&M in one street.  I thought the part of Stuttgart where we were at was okay. It was a modern higher pace version of Germany. I think I have fallen in love with the old medieval architecture instead of the modern. With the medieval architecture, everyday is like a fairytale…well only in my mind.

Horb 

The Palace in Ludwigsburg 

I then walked home after our all day excursion and wanted to go to sleep. But there is no time to sleep!! My family is always doing something. My host mother took me to the Beat Parade. Well, we parked and walked around the perimeter of the parade. I am glad we didn’t go inside. It is a rave with thousands of teenagers mixed with weird older middle aged people. The music is techno and the crowd was kinda lame. So we just watched the crowd and made fun of everyone. Again, this was all in German… so I am getting used to the humor of my host mother.  There was an awesome fireworks display from the parade, so it was well worth it in the end. I guess I could say I went to a rave minus the ecstasy and flood pants.

                                                       Simone, my host mother. We go on bike rides through the Black Forest

                                                               Rolf, my host father. German BBQ .

 Today, which is Sunday, are family days. Our schedule is very precise and you have to follow it! Breakfast at 9 a.m. bike ride to the lake at 10, swimming at 11, riding home at 1, lunch,  Fuβball game (soccer) then a Schwäbisch party.  Oh yeah, and I drank with the Nordstetten Fuβball team. Check out the photo below. . . . Mom and dad, this will make you so proud. Wow! I can’t wait to go to the Schwäbisch party. Even though the people speak German it is with a Schwäbisch southern dialect that I can’t understand. It sounds like the words just blend into one another, but the people are so fun and generous. They always want to feed you and give you alcohol. I can’t complain.

 
                               Yeah that's what's up!Rolf and me.Sunday Funday bike rides. Watch out Lance Armstrong!

I definitely think when I return I will be making some changes in my life. Fresh fruit and Veggies every day, more walking, more bike riding to a from the store (I will have to get a good bike with a basket, not a cruiser) air drying my clothes… not machine drying.. it is terrible for the environment.  And eating German chocolate and bread. Germans got those things down. I don’t feel guilty with what I eat or drink, because I eventually burn it off. Body image is another thing here. You accept yourself and who you are. If you are healthy and fit, you are fine. Not everyone has a perfect body, and Germans know that. That’s why people go buck naked at the nude beaches and parks. No biggy if you have stretch marks or cellulite. Germans are very honest, and sometimes blunt. As an American, we sometimes “sugarcoat” things. Both have their pros and cons.  I will also not refrigerate everything. You don’t need to refrigerate everything. Yes, dairy and cold products, but my host mother if there are any leftovers leaves them out. If it won’t parish within the night, then there is no need to refrigerate and reheat. You lose the flavor of the food and nutritional value.

This weekend I will be in Freiburg, so I am sure I will blog about it next week.

 I have an awesome recipe if anyone wants to try it. It might change your life. Whenever you have a BBQ……

1.       Get bread dough and make little one – two inch balls (spheres) and put them on the grill. Let them bake.

2.       Once they have baked, cut a hole in the middle of them and put your favorite candy bar in it. We used a milk chocolate candy bar that had white chocolate in the middle. It melts all over the place and is super delicious and easy.

3.       If you like Nutella and bananas, place bananas on the grill too and wait till they are black. Open them up and smother Nutella all over them  and eat them straight from the peel. If you are not a banana fan, then you probably won’t like that one..because the bananas are kind of mushy. Anywho… these are good simple things to do when having a BBQ.

Well I will keep you posted on my life, and I can’t wait to see your faces either here in Germany or back home. I miss you all and love you very much!

Kisses,

Julie

The Theater

The palace in Ludwigsburg

Drinking at the Sportheim with the Nordstetten Mannschaft