So today was my last full day in Germany- and it was very nice. Aside from packing, Oma, Sarah, Susan, and I went and got the honey I wanted to bring back from one of her friend’s named Anita. Her brother apparently has a bee farm. =) And she has great honey.

I never mentioned that it was white honey, did I?... well, it is. It happens when natural honey has sat unused for awhile. It sort of breaks down into sugars after a few months—and it is soooo good. So I’m bringing back a jar of it with my beers. Hopefully they don’t break. =/

I asked Oma in the car why there were so many garden gnomes here in Germany, and she explained that the Germans just liked their little dwarf helpers- their garten zwerge. She also told me a story about their origins. Apparently they symbolize the small boys that used to work in mines- their pointed hats are actually the sacks that they boys wore when they went down into the mineshafts. I think I’ll just prefer to think of them as mystical mischievous fairy creatures. Hehe.

Today was wonderfully relaxing. I mean it. I woke up at 8:30, I snuck out of the room while Jesse and Sarah still slept, and I took a shower. Then I got to eat breakfast with Opa and chat with him, as I already told you.

While they went to mass, I read some of Outlander and then took a nap. It was very nice and warm under my covers. The plans for the day revolved around us going to Jesse’s home, but I wasn’t very eager to go anywhere.

So when the time came, I asked to stay home, expecting to be able to join them later when Susan went over after her walk with Sonya. But they weren’t planning to come back to pick me up, so I just asked for my leave and decided to stay home.

Once I again, I am ready to come home. I don’t know how the time slipped past me last night, but before I knew it, it was 1 in the morning and I hadn’t written anything about my day. So I hope you’ll forgive me again. =)

Anyways, yesterday, due to the strange insistence of everyone that we get out of the house, Sarah and I decided to go to Stuttgart with Jesse. I needed to find another copy of that cookbook for Lissa, since my plan to just buy it in the airport was turned over. Apparently we are leaving the house at 3 or 4 in the morning to catch our flight at 6 into Amsterdam. Ick. I don’t know what time that means I need to get up- or if I should bother to go to sleep at all. Anyways- the bookstore in the airport may not even be open, and I doubt that I would be able to locate the right book in a sleepy stupor.

First off, I will say a quick apology for posting nothing yesterday in my blog. There was simply nothing to say aside from that Jesse, Sarah, and I played Siedler again (Settlers of Cattan). I won, but that’s about it. I read and played on the computer the rest of the day. I am so ready to come home, guys. Really….

But today was actually fun. So I shall tell you about it, yeah? Okay. Here it goes.

Susan came in and woke us up at 8- which was totally uncalled for. To us, there was no reason to be stirred from our slumber- we were only going to a Roman spa today, so why did that mean we had to get up early? She explained that because Sonya was coming with us, we needed to go in between her times to feed baby Phillip. So that meant leaving early.

Well, today was another early day. Sarah and I were both startled from heavy sleep by the chiming of her cell phone alarm—pleasant and annoying at the same time. At least it isn’t that horrible screeching noise like the one back home. I got dressed in the top Lissa gave to me for my birthday, along with the jewelry, and headed downstairs for my normal breakfast of jam, honey, and toast.

Sarah and I returned back upstairs to get ready in a leisurely fashion- turning on our laptops to listen to music as we did each others hair. At one point we were both playing our own songs and turning them up to drown out the other- and finally Fergie, on my laptop, won for the duration of me straightening her hair. I got to impress with my mad white rapping skills. =P

We got on the road soon enough, and I drifted off to sleep with my neck pillow. Sarah was busy reading Harry Potter. I get too carsick when I read in the car, so I had none of that. Sleep was lovely. Unfortunately, by the time I woke up, I was ready to wet myself- and not from the excitement of going to France. I had had a cup of tea at breakfast and a nice glass of water too… and I was feeling it!

So after a delightful breakfast this morning, I was tricked by Opa into accompanying him and Susan on a hike across some of the surrounding hills. I was told that it would be about a 5-7km walk, which isn't too bad by any standards. Nice and leisurely- mostly downhill because Oma would drive us up and we would just walk down. So I agreed, wanting to get some fresh air and let Sarah rest after a night of being sick.

Armed with my camera, I climbed into the car with my hiking companions and Oma. But Opa was driving us up. And up. And up... until Oma was exclaiming that we were 20 km away from the house, and that it would take us four hours to get back home. I began to get nervous. That's a little more than ten miles. Oma kept protesting that Susan and I weren't used to such things (and I know I'm certainly not), and finally, exasperated with arguing, asked if we had a cellphone at the very least- to call when we got tired. We did.

And that eased my worries a little- until Opa said that Oma should call in an hour, because he hadn't loaded any money onto his cellphone to make a call out with it. Oh, Lord! was all I could think. I laughed a little outloud. Nervously. 

Jokingly, Oma asked if I just wanted to ride home with her, but I said no-- kinda wanting to say yes. =P But once I got out of the car, I said I was ready to go home. Hehe.

This morning when I woke up I was so exhausted from yesterday that I hardly felt ready or able to go to Munich, but I knew that it was an opportunity that really couldn’t be missed. So I forced myself up out of bed before I had to get up, knowing full and well that I needed to iron a shirt and my hair before our excursion today. A large group of us was going again- Sonya, Florian, and their children (Elizabeth and Philip), Katharina, Susan, myself, Sarah, Walter and Sylvia. I didn’t expect us to last much more than six hours in the city before we called it quits- so I expected a good day of it and then we’d be home…

Before I start anything, I just want to give a big virtual shout out to Chelsea-- Happy 20th!!!! I hope today was good for you. I wish I had been there to celebrate, but we will totally do something when I get home. Like ice cream cake. ^^

Okay, so now for the trip update. This morning I had to get up at seven something to get ready for the trip to Heidelberg. I was exhausted and moving very slowly-- it wa so cold. I wish I could turn a heater on somewhere in the mornings, just so I can warm up a little. I had more bread, butter, and honey this morning. Drank some water... Had Sarah loan me out some of the money she accidentallly withdrew when we got here. I now owe her 100 euro, or the american dollar equivalent. =)

Opa drove us to the train station in Sussen, and we went to our platform to wait for our train to arrive. And once again I was amazed to see an advertisement that I was going to keep quiet about--- all over Germany there are these billboards displaying vegetables with condoms on them. It's very odd- and something that you definitely would not see in America-- but they are part of a national campaign to get the message out about safe sex and AIDS prevention. It's rather comical to see, but the first day I saw them I was very weirded out. I just wanted to mention that... even if it is somewhat unappropriate. The level of censhorship is very low here. It's kind of funny that way.

I woke up with a start this morning, which was appropriate due to the sudden appearance of a storm. The thunder clapped maliciously- and I had no choice but to open my weary eyes- a headache throbbing in my temple from the alcohol last night. Man I was nearly (hehe) wasted. I hardly know what I wrote in my blog!

It is near midnight right now, and I need to hurry so that I can get to bed. We are getting up early tomorrow morning to travel to Heidelberg. We will be meeting Sarah’s friend Ben at the train station. I also wanted to tip you all off that I updated my Ulm post with pictures finally. By Saturday I should have everything caught up again. It’s just been sort of hectic trying to play catch up- So many things have been happening! But there will be pictures soon. =)

This morning I decided to get up, but then I went back to bed for an hour-- which confused the girls, I think. So, after another hour of snoozing, I got up and joined my friends downstairs for breakfast- a roll with butter and honey. Today was Walter's birthday, so I was trying to think of what to do for him, even though I havent known him for very long. Luckily an opportunity presented itself.

Well, there has been no luck in fixing my laptop situation. The power cord is no longer charging the batteries, and so I am without a laptop...which means no pictures for awhile. Tomorrow Peter (Sarah's uncle) is going to bring his two power chargers though, and one of them should work. Maybe he'll leave us one, and then we can continue with the pictures. As it is, I am on Opa's computer, and it is very hard to type on. The letters are all mixed up, and the punctuation is a bit strange, so forgive me if this seems a little off.  I am so wanting a Mac right now.

This morning I had toast with honey and butter for breakfast. I am ashamed to say that I have never tried this at home, but it has quickly become a new favorite. Katharina (revised spelling today) and Sharon had honey nut cherios. Mexican dominos last night was a lot of fun, but it really put me behind in my blogging. It takes me a couple of hours to do all of this, you know =P. I ended up awake until 1:30 in the morning. Luckily, during the game, I was able to ask about the fairy tale character in the woods, and actually found out it’s the figure of a local ghost story. Oma told me all about it, as well as some other interesting things about the mountain. I will retell both tales probably on Wednesday- when I have time. I want to actually make the ghost story into a story… so it may take some time =). It’s been getting a little busy here… and I’ve been taking a lot of pictures.

This morning I slept in while Oma, Opa, Sarah, and Susan went to attend mass. I didn’t feel comfortable with tagging along to a church where I couldn’t understand the language, or to attend a ceremony that is not part of my own faith. I am trying to understand a little about Catholicism, though. Anyways, I slept reasonably well. For a long time… and then I snuck past the little ones’ door downstairs to go and take a shower. I didn’t want to be caught and asked to draw more pictures for them.

So I survived my first night! I slept very soundly, despite the random fireworks being set off in the street, and I don’t remember dreaming at all. I finally got what I’ve been waiting for these past three weeks, so I no longer have to stress about that issue. =) And I’m happy about it, as long as my cramping doesn’t start up too bad—but I have hydrocodone. Hehe. Thank you everyone at the office =D

We arrived in Germany at 2:00 local time, and I must say that the weather and scenery are gorgeous (unlike soggy texas!). I met Sarah's grandparents and her aunt and cousins at the airport, and I like them very much. They are a very nice family, and I couldn't have hoped for better hosts here. The food is amazing-