Hallo von Deutschland

Hello from Germany!  We have made it safe and sound!  While things have been very busy for us, we just wanted to give a quick up date.  Here is my re-cap of the first day from my personal blog, Misplaced Michigander.

Well, I can not begin to try and explain my long absence from my blog other than the fact that life has been super super busy the past year.  As a matter-of-fact, I'm not even writing this from the US, I'm in Germany!  I am here as a part of a Rotary program called Group Study Exchange.  This is a program of the Rotary Foundation that allows folks young in their careers to travel to another country and learn about their profession there.  Pretty incredible, if you ask me!  We arrived in Germany Sunday around noon, and so far everything has been really amazing!  Granted, with this being my first time outside of the United States besides driving through Canada to visit with mom and dad in Michigan I kind of expected everything to make me excited:).  Before you ask, nein, meine Deutsch ist nicht serh gut (aka my German is not very good... I can ask for the bathroom and beer, though, so what more does a girl need?). 

So far each day truly has been an adventure in its own right.  Sunday was a very peaceful and relaxing day, considering the very long flight we had the day before.  For someone not used to flying, like myself, the travel from Manchester to Philly to Munich to Bremen was quite the trek.  I'm traveling with 4 others from the USA, so that was nice to not make such a long flight alone.  We arrived to a rather regal reception (in a good and special way), with our host families and several other key Rotarians from the district meeting us and taking us for kaffee in the airport.  Then it was off to our host homes to get to know the families and become oriented with the city.  Both lunch and supper consisted of asparagus, which for me was fun because that is a staple food for this time of year in Oceana County, where I was born and raised.  Although, here the asparagus is white and at home it is green (white is grown without any sunlight).  Nevertheless, my first German meals were delicious :)  After lunch I went for a bicycle ride with my host family, which was so very incredible.  Here in Oldenberg everyone, and I mean EVERYONE rides bikes.  I've never dreamed of a more eco-friendly community, people even stop their cars when the gate for the train is down!  Something no one in the US I think would ever abide to!  But I digress.  The first stop on our bikes was I think my favorite, we saw the sheep on the dyke.

These were even Suffolk sheep like I used to raise growing up in Michigan!  I also got to see my first public display of Yarn Bombing which to me was so very cool!  I've loved to knit and crochet for a very long time and started to become interested in this idea of knitting as street art.  Check it out!

Needless to say, I've been having an incredible time and am now off to visit an after school program!  Right up my alley!  Tschüss for now, and more of our adventure to come soon! :)

~Jodi