Everything is going just swimmingly here :)
My brother and his girlfriend (Ryan and Rachel) came to visit over Easter. It was really really good to see both of them again!
We had a lot of fun and now both of them understand exactly what I mean when I say that my parents here are exactly like my parents in the U.S.
They also brought me Clorox Wipes and Purell, both of which I am extremely grateful for. In Germany it is still thought (by almost everyone as far as I can tell) that you get sick from things like it being cold outside, hair being wet, sudden changes in temperature or air conditioning. Most of the people who I know have actually laughed at me when I suggest that using hand sanitizer or anti-bacterial wipes decrease the likely hood of spreading germs, and therefore getting sick.
Anyways, the first night they got here we went to see the castle in Karlsruhe. It was in the dark, which I found very cool, because normally I'm there in the day, or when I see it at night it's from a distance.
I don't feel this is a very good pic, but I love the "ghost people"
We went to visit Heidelberg on Friday and saw the castle which was really quite amazing.
With "flat Austin" and Ryan
With Oda and Tabea
Keg
HUGE Keg
MONSTER Keg
Again not a very good pic, but Ry and Rachel on top of the Monster Keg, because it had a deck.....
SHEEP :P "We should try to catch one" lol
Saturday we went for a walk in Ittersbach, a town at the foot of the Black Forest. Then Ryan, Rachel and I went into Karlsruhe and back to the Palace to see it in the day light. We climbed the tower and looked through the museum. Then we did a little shopping and went to a Cafe.
The fam...
Ry and Rachel
On our way back we stopped at my favorite playgorund. I LOVE the playgrounds in Germany, just fyi :p
Sunday we went to Church for Easter and then drove to Bad Kreuznach to visit Oda's (Oda= my host mom) parents. Oda wanted to go to the Cathedral in Speyer but we decided not to when the car got stuck in 3rd gear. It was very "Little Miss Sunshine". We had a huge lunch followed by an Easter Egg Hunt for all children under 30 as Oda put it. Then we went for a walk on which we found yet another playground. Then we saw an Old American Army Recreation base. Later we had cake and then dinner........
I look like a monkey in this photo hahaha
Ryan has some sliding issues..... (reverse quiznos??)
Some wierd rowing machines....
I like them because you can use them for sweep rowing....hahaa
Old U.S. Army training base
Again the fam :)
Monday Oda and I saw Ryan and Rachel off at the train station :)
We then returned to Karlsruhe where Tabea and I spent pretty much the rest of the day just laying in the sun in the Castle gardens :)
Tuesday I used my freetime to straighten up my room (something I NEVER do). I even folded all my clothes......
Ryan can verify my wardrobe did NOT look like this when he came....The rest of the week has been filled with visits. One of my friends from Stuttgart came Wednesday. Another came Thursday. Thursday we went to Europabad, which is a swimming pool/waterpark. I now have bruises from one of the slides, as it was winding and built out of cement.....
Friday another American exchange student came. We celebrated a friend's birthday. It was, as usual, a good time.
Dance lessons in the Salsa Bar....Today there is nice weather again and we're going to grill!!!!!!! Rebecca and Nehle (school friends) are also coming and I'll get to here there stories from Italy :)
Tomorrow I'm going to Europapark with Tabea (Tabea= host sister). Should make for a super time :) :)
Hope everyone there is doing well.
