I have been here for exactly one month. crazy. So much has happened in this month, I have no words to describe. I feel like I am already so different than from when I came. I've learned so much, and have had so much fun. Of course exchange isn't just fun and games. This month has been so tiring and new and tough and aggrivating, but at the same time so amazing. I feel everyday I am growing- it is insane. I can see now that deciding to go on exchange was the best idea/whim I have ever had. It was and is the "thing" that I alway have been looking for. I always felt that something was missing, and that I should be DOING something other than what everyone else was doing in American high school. I am feeling so grateful to rotary for giving me the opportunity to go on exchange without charging insane amounts of money, to my family for allowing me go on exchange and putting their trust in me, to my counselor at school for actually incouraging me to go on exhange and not being a huge "you-know-what" like other exchange student's counselors are, and to my friends back home for just understanding what this means to me.

Well I have a lot of of time of my hands right now because believe it or not I am home from school- SICK! I don't have anything really bad, just my throat is sore, my sinises are a bit inflamed, and my head hurts, but it's nothing serious. I was planning on just missing gym first hour and going to my next class at 11, but my host mom excused me from the whole day. I'm not complaining.

Since I have so much time I'll tell all of you guys about the first inbound orientation we had this weekend (AKA- where I picked up this cold). Here it goes....


This weekend all of the exchange students in distrikt 1940 went to the first inbound orientation in Neuruppin. Neuruppin is a small town of about 30,000 people, and is an hour or so north-west of Berlin. It's a very pretty town, with lots of water, and a lot of history having to do with Prussian kings. I'm not really sure why the orientation takes place there every year... but it was cool nontheless.

-this is kind of how the town looked like-

-The big church in Neuruppin-

On Friday all 40+ of us arrived periodically throughout the afternoon. My host mom drove me, and after I got everything situated I ended up finding some exchange students playing volleyball. It was the most awkward way to meet people because we all made short little greetings and then proceeded to play a really lousy game of volleyball. Things got way better when the last busload of exchange students arrived and we all started to mingle and get to know eachother. We traded pins for our blazers and give eachother our cards. It was really overwhelmeing because there were so many new people and I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. Also, the rotary people were MIA so we all just ended up wandering around for a while until we figured out we were having dinner. After dinner we all just chilled and got to know eachother at the hostel (which was on a lake by the way). It was a bummer though because Kate, the australian exchange student/best friend/sister/mentor/amazing person, only could stay for a few hours because she had to go to London with her school. Sad for me. Exciting for her!

The next day we took a tour of the town and afterwards got to hang out there for basically the entire day. It was a really nice time to just chill and enjoy eachothers company and have some free time. I like free time a lot! I hate having to follow tour guides around and stay in one big group for a long period of time. It gets super old... really fast.

So I ended up walking around with 3 other exchange students and we hung out with one another for a good portion of the orientation. (me, another american, a canadian, and a mexican... THING 1-2-3 and 4! wooo North America) Since there are SO many exchange students... it's a little hard to hang out with EVERYONE all the time... so yeah, the four of us were a good group! It was super chill and it wasn't too loud or crazy. If there's one one thing I hate, it's when there's too big of a group and everyone is competing to get the most attention... I found out that that happens really easily with exchange students because we all talk a lot... well most of us.

So we all got döner (an amazing blend of Turkish and German tastiness), and we got ice cream, and then we got some delicious eclairs, and then we ate lunch. (I'm becoming a pro at eating... prepare for a much bigger Ben when I come back) At lunch we listened to a presentation that was said in German, then translated to English, then translated to Spanish. It was a little boring because It was a bit repetative... but that isn't really something I should be complaining about. We got some basic info about Germany and our exchange here... same-old same-old. The exciting news was about our trips this year! In November it is mandatory that all of us go to the next inbound conference in PARIS! We'll all drive there in a bus and I'm pretty PUMPED! Our rotary clubs here are supposed to help us pay for it and it's cheeper than I thought it would be... (only 250€) In April is oue Euro-tour! Its for about 2 weeks and I really hope that I can go! All of the exchange students who have been on one say it is the best weeks of their life and that even though it is expenisive it is worth every single penny. Speaking of money... I havn't really been spending much of it here. My rotary club hasn't given me any money yet because they are having problems with my bank account. I really should ask to get the money because it's close to the end of the month... but I have like 40€ right now... and the only only time I spend money is when I'm at the movies or eating out with exchange students. I don't have anything I HAVE to buy... havn't bought any clothes, or really anything. I'm really glad I brought a lot of clothes because contrary to what Rotary said... I wear everything I brought! I don't look any different than anyone else here and the clothes I brought are just fine! I will be needing a few things in the next couple of months like a few more jeans and a few winter shirts, but to any outbounds reading this... If you don't spend a ton of money in your home country, chances are you won't have to spend a lot of money in your host country. My host parents cover necessities, and I don't really need anything else.

Back to Saturday... I can't really remember the order that everything happened, but we saw some old German cars, and played some crazy improv games... and yeah it was a good day. For dinner we all went to this cool building that was a cross between a barn, a rec room, a bar, and a meeting center... It was chill. We all ate some barbecue and hung out more- Danced a little bit. The cool thing about exchange students is that just hanging out... doesnt really get old. We all find stuff to do and it doesn't really get boring. Back at the hostel I listened to some crazy improvs people were doing... but I wasn't feeling very well so I couldn't participate. I had an... interesting night sleep, and it was Sunday morning before I knew it.

It was a GREAT weekend as a whole, but it had a very different over-all feeling than the orientations and conferences back home. However, the one paralell I found is that no matter what country you're in, you will feel like shit after a rotary youth exchange conference. You spend a weekend with amazing people that understand you completely, and are going through the same thing as you are, and are feeling the same emotions you are feeling, then afterwards...WHAM... reality hits like a baseball bat.... and you are sleep deprived, which isn't so much fun.

Since it was such a fun and amazing weekend, obviously something BAD had to happen to someone! (That's just how life seems to work hahaha) As fate would have it, the bad thing happened to me :( (Lindsay... prepare yourself... ) My beautiful camera... that has captured SO many moments... is as the German's say... "KAPUT." It was in the inside pocket of my jacket and when we went to get eclairs at the bakery, I took off my jacket and it fell to the cobblestone sidewalk. The screen didn't break, and it charges and transfers my photos to the computer, but it DOESN'T TURN ON! This really is a huge bummer that this happened so early in my exchange, because I really want to capture the moments I have... So I'm going to first talk with my host dad and see If he knows if it can be repaired ( I think he works with the company it is made from )... and If It doesn't get repaired I will scope out where I can buy a new one. I'll be sure to take pictures with a family camera next weekend when I go to München for Oktoberfest.


Thats all I got for now folks... This week we have a short day tomorrow or thursday I can't remember, and we have a "sports day" on Wednesday. I only have to be at school for 2 hours or so to help with one of the events. Overall it should be a pretty low-stress week. I'm really looking forward to München! Should be a lot of fun.



-Candid exchange student moment-

-meet thing 1,2,3... and 4 (thats me)-

-My favorite car at the car show-

-Distrikt 1940-