Wordless Wednesday

Let the fun begin!

After a 17 hour travel day(s) and no sleep we have arrived in Soltau. We had quite the welcome at the airport but my first ride with a German driver left me feeling a bit car sick....so I only ate half my schnitzel at lunch and passed on my first German beer offer (shocking, I know). But after a nap and a shower I'm ready to go! Our host family has a bright, cheery house with gorgeous gardens. I figured it was meant to be once I spotted this orange and blue flower. I can't wait to ask her more about her gardens - it appears the growing season has been in full swing for quite some time. Her and her husband are both doctors and have twin 15 year old girls. One is currently studying in South Africa and I'm struck by the other's poise and maturity. She will be heading to Canada to study this fall.

Quote of the day from Horst, who drove us from the airport and took us to lunch: "Are you the roadrunner?"  Struck me as funny - I have a feeling a lot of translations will!  Anyway, he has a route planned for us on Friday morning - I'll be running and he'll be on his bike!

I think my blog updates will have to be on my phone - the iPad won't allow me pictures (that was for you Christy) - so excuse brevity and typos :)

Wheels up on Monday

Monday is departure day and I think my prep work for a 30 day absence is complete.  Of course this is thanks in part to many generous people willing to cover for me personally and professionally while I’m gone.  And speaking of generous, many friends have loaned me their valuable items to borrow for the month including a suitcase, iPad, voltage converter / adapter + powerstrip, travel books, and a few things I’m forgetting.  I am blessed to have kind (and trusting!) friends and family.  Packing shall commence this weekend. 

I’ve already been contacted by one of my host families and they sent links to a couple ag-related places they will be taking me.  They also mentioned a 12km running course around the river Saale – hooray!  I am a bit nervous about 30 days of eating a completely different diet and not knowing if I will have any sort of regular exercise outside of walking.  Luckily one of my travelmates is a Zumba instructor and can whip up a workout anywhere – so a resistance band and my running shoes will hopefully get me through the month nicely!

We have a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam and had thoughts of jumping in a cab for some quick sight-seeing.  We could have driven to Hanover from Amsterdam quicker but the flights were booked through Rotary and we thought it best to stick with what they scheduled.  Once we land in Hanover, we’ll have about an hour (I hope) to get cleaned up before our first Rotary meeting and presentation!  Good thing we can use a long day of travel as an excuse if it doesn’t go smoothly.  And from there….well, I don’t know.  I will just have to let go of my need to plan and organize! 

By the way, I think my German teacher was just being nice in telling me I’m a good student because she wanted to make sure I could correctly say “Sprechen Sie langsam bitte. Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut.“

Prost!    

3 Weeks Out

The countdown is on – 3 weeks from today is our departure.  That has me in a bit of a panic in realizing all I need to do for both work and the trip.  My Foundation runs a 10K race on June 2^nd that I will be missing and this only the second year for it – so the event is not quite running itself yet!  I just have to trust that everything will run smoothly in my absence and let it go.  But, lots to do before I arrive at that stage. 

Our group met a few weeks ago to get our professional photo taken and meet the German group.  They were fantastic!  I couldn’t believe how much energy they still had considering they were heading back to Germany the next day.  They were so excited by everything they had seen and done around Illinois.  They were kind enough to meet with us for an hour or so and give us pointers for our trip.  Some of those tips included:

·         Ice for beverages will not be offered in Germany

·         Schedule group time at the end of each day to circle the wagons

·         Take a power strip for your voltage convertor to charge multiple things at one time

·         Don’t expect to use your credit card at small town shops

·         Items to pack:  a raincoat (the last week of our trip is rainy season), swimsuit (they used one!), and a versatile black dress!

·         Be ready for very direct questions about politics! 

·         And finally – be honest with both your group & your host family if you need some alone or down time (I think that’s probably the best advice they gave…for me anyway!)

Here is our professional photo in our “uniform” – I have a hunch we will want to burn this outfit upon return (if it even makes it back):

Items on my shopping list still to buy include: voltage convertor, travel hairdryer & straightener, journal, water bottle, satchel, swimsuit (see above!), perhaps a German phrase book, and I may need to buy a medium size suitcase.  I had hopes of getting by with a carry-on size suitcase and a backpack, but that might be wishful thinking.  We did already ship our gifts for the host families – I got them little John Deere tractor key chains.  I’m undecided on what device I will be taking.  I can use the WiFi on my phone while there, but that’s it.  Or I may purchase some type of lightweight laptop to use instead, in which case I’ll suspend my Verizon Wireless service for a month.  I’ve already suspended my newspaper, trash, mail, and library holds – maybe I’ll actually make money while gone?!?   

Our last meeting before departure is this Saturday in Champaign.  We will finalize our presentation and tie up any loose ends.  We do have a group blog started that can be found here.  My German teacher says I'm a good student and learning quickly, but I think she's just being nice.  Hopefully I will pick up some things while there, but for now I'm focusing on "Ich renne gern" and "Bier bitte."  

All for now...Auf Wiedersehen!