Walking With Caroline And The Boy On The Bike.

So I think I might be spoiling you a little with all of these posts, but I have had a lot of opportunities lately to write so I've taken them. Today I didn't have to go to school so long and the other family members are busy or at work so I figured this was a good time as any to write.

After supper on Monday I watched my first soccer game on televsion. My new host brother Johannes is a die hard fan of a team called St. Pauli. They lost so it was a bit sad, but Katrin and I brought him a Nanimo Bar square because after that game I think he needed a bit of sugar and chocolate. His team has been doing really well this year and has won their last 5 games so he was a bit disappointed.

Tuesday I was back to school which was a bit difficult. The day started off on a really positive note. There is a girl who lives in my area who is a few years younger than me, but I know her through Drama and before that I met her through Marie. Anyways, this was the first morning we walked together to school. On Monday's I get to sleep through a class so we don't walk together on Monday's.

Well anyways walking to school with her was one of the highlights of my day. I have to walk 30 minutes to go to school so it's nice to have a companion and I love to walk so I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact the other exchange student in the area said that he had a friend who would drive him to school and I could come with them if I wanted. I said no and he seemed really surprised. I don't think he could comprehend that I actually was happy about walking to school. It was really sweet of him

Anyways, back to Caroline she's the girl I walk to school with. We had little conversations all the way to school. We didn't run out of things to talk about and I smiled and laughed with her the whole way. It was so nice. I think she genuinely likes me and we have things in common. So that was the highest point of my school day. However, I'm not going to dwell on that too much. I'm here in Germany to learn about it's culture, to conquer it's language, and of course make connections and friends, but I would rather make these connections with people who are interested and like me.

I know part of how I'm treated at school is because it's a small town and a bit of it has to do with culture. So I'm not going to take it to seriously and let it weigh down on me too much. After school I made my way home, this time alone. Caroline is younger than me so she has shorter school days. As I walked home I tried to let go of my day.

As I was walking a boy on a bike came up slowly beside me. He said hey (in German) and I immediately knew who he was. He's a guy from my Drama group. He's in my Grade, but we only have one class together. He slowly pedaled beside me and he started up a conversation with me. We talked for awhile about anything and everything and he mentioned that when he was 12 his family immigrated to Germany from another European Country. He said school was a bit difficult because he didn't understand any German. Of course now, his German is perfect. So we continued to talk and we eventually had to part ways. His house was in one direction mine was in another.

I walked the rest of the way home a bit stunned and grateful. He knows what it's like for me and because he knew what it felt like he reached out to me. So far here in Germany it's been guys who have started up a conversation with me or included me in some way. I find this really interesting and I also haven't felt like it's motivated by a romantic interest. Which is relieving because there is no way I would could handle that, not here, not this year.

I was thrilled to come home to the Wagner's. There family is so much like mine and instead of this making me incredibly homesick it is incredibly comforting. I fit in effortlessly. When I came home Katrin had tea waiting for me and we talked. We always have a lot of things to talk about and I'm so happy she has taken an interest in me. I don't need to be lavished in attention but I do need someone I can talk to or just hang out with.

I also recieved my Christmas package from home. It looks like the postal service hasn't slowed down for Christmas yet! I was so excited! Of course everything was wrapped and bagged, and I wanted desperately to open them, BUT I'll resist the urge. Somehow! I also recieved the BUNNYHUG. I completely freaked out and I am currently wearing it.

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about I'll give you a quick explanation. There are a series of books called the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. It's about 4 friends who find a pair of magic pants that fit all of them and they decide to share them. Well that's what my sister and two really good friends of ours do, but with a hoody. Bunnyhug is a Saskatchewan word for hoody. So anyways each of us have it for a week write a journal entry about what happened when we wore it and a letter to the next wearer.

So I feel so close to home and I think Mira (the dog) can smell Bonnie (the Reynold's dog in Canada) because she keeps sniffing it like she sniffed all of my clothes when I first came from the Wildenhayn's. They have a dog too, but you've already heard about him, Anton.

Today I had another wonderful walk with Caroline. As it turns out she also loves Stephenie Meyers books and she told me a lot of German girls do to. So Twilight is officially a global phenomeon. I hope the movie is good, maybe I'll see it here. I'll have to go to Kassel or Bad Hersfeld to see it though, there is no cinema here.

School was short today which I appreciated and when I came home I ate with Katrin and Johannes. Now I'm catching up on some computer stuff. So that's all of the new crazy stuff that is happening in my world. I miss all of you to bits and I just thought I should let you know that the sky is bluer here today than it has been in a long time.