And We are LIVE from Across the Pond!

Hello all,

I write to you all now from Ingolstadt in Bavaria... I've just come from the Oktoberfest! We had a lot of fun. I didn't realize it was a big fair where you could ride rides and stuff, I just thought you went around town drinking beer. So it was neat. Apparently its the biggest of such things around Europe. I was talked into riding some rides, most of which I honestly did not enjoy because I'm getting older and frankly, it's not fun anymore!! I wanted to eat just one Bratwurst but ended up eating two because Tobi is very insistent on eating a LOT all the time. But check out the pictures from the Oktoberfest, they will explain a lot more than I can write here...

Starting with the loooooooong day I had on Monday, it was a craaaaazy day. The flight left on time and although sad, leaving Mom, Pop, and Sissy wasn't all that bad. God was definitely right there with me the whole time, that is one thing for sure. The flight was long but they always had something on the screen playing the whole time instead of the scrolling info about how long there is left, etc. plus they spaced the meals out to where you ate 2 hours after takeoff and 1 hour before landing or so, so it seemed like the meals came fast, but then the flight was over. I was staaarving for dinner though, seriously. I ate just an apple after lunch before the flight; it was 7:15 before I ate dinner. It was good food, though, grilled seafood, rice, and something with Wasabi... tuna? Not sure. The entire plane was full practically, even first class but I asked for a seat in the front row at check in, so there is more leg room in that row. There was a nice non-snoring non-smelly man next to me on the plane, we didn't talk, but he had a Playboy magazine that, although not read on the plane, I saw him put it in his briefcase to take home... so I figured he was a creepy German, ya know? Ha, ha...

So when I got off the plane I had no problems at the Passport check, the cutie there asked me what I was up to and actually seemed interested, I told him I was staying for 10 months even, and didn't even ask if I had a visa already. I suspected it wouldn't be a problem, although many had said it might be... at baggage claim since my bags were so heavy (we/mommy paid $60 to take that giant green one since it was 12 pounds overweight all things said and done!) I asked two young strong looking men to help with my stuff, and they took it right off the belt and put into onto the cart for me... and Kathrin was there waiting when I left baggage claim... and everything fit right into her car. It was great!! And I was just so tired, but we had to go further and further, first to Kerstins to pick up some stuff, then to the school to pick up my key, then to the grocery store since everything was closed Wednesday... the grocery store rocked, though, I can't wait to go back! Everything is dirt cheap and you wouldn't believe the quality... like you can get a bag of organic whole wheat penne pasta for 70 cents! I got a bunch of stuff for $19 (13€). It was just super... mainly else I just got eggs, SPREADABLE CHEESE, bananas, apples, ham, butter, cleaning spray, dish detergent, soup, tomatoes, a thing of juice, 6 pack bottled water, a loaf of bread...... I think thats it? But now since I have a frying pan, microwave, and toaster, the options are wide open.

I slept three hours, woke up, and put all my stuff away... the apartment is just amazing, although it is small there is a ridiculous amount of useful space. So efficient. I have pics but, I got a bunch of new stuff plus we are going to Ikea tomorrow, and so I will post new pics when I am all set. We also gotta get an Ethernet cord for my laptop since I thought there was wireless (which there is, but cord works better, wireless is from the University and I dont have an account yet anyway). So I'll do that tomorrow, too. Here are the pictures I have taken so far in Koblenz.

Wednesday I really did not do much, everything was closed so I just bummed around, but Thursday I went with Sonja to the Ordnungsamt but alas, these people are wildly disorganized and I did not see the checklist until she picked me up, then we realized I only had half of what I needed. That's ok though, I'm in no hurry and we got the stuff filed and went to the Bürgeramt and to sign the lease for the apartment as well. So next week we'll go back to the Ordnungsamt to get the rest of the stuff in order...

Got on the train to Ingolstadt, sat in between three smelly old women who don't yet know of deodorant and probably never will... got off the train in Nürnberg and spent 30 of the 40 minutes of layover time looking for the potty, only to finally find it and see that it cost 1,10€ to PEE... so I waited... Gaby picked me up from the train station and we went "home". We had real schnitzel for dinner, it was awesome!!!!!!!!!! With lemon juice squeezed into the breading, amazing.

This morning we got up and went to the gym. I have to tell you all something surprising, at least it was for me. I participated in and survived a kickboxing Tai Bo course... it was wild and crazy but a great workout!! We did treadmills for 20 minutes then did a spinning course for another hour. Hardest, longest workout ever!!! But I felt great afterward.

Then we hung out and headed to München around 3, got back at 8:30ish... now I am here. Just wanted to get something posted for everyone and some pictures up. TOMORROW.... we are going to IKEA! I can't wait! I only really need some trash cans, but we will see what else there is.

Ok I'm going downstairs now, last night was the best night's sleep out of all three nights so far, partially because I wasnt freezing... I didn't have a good blanket the last two nights and its coooolllld. But now from Gabymart I have like 20. Ha ha...!

Much love,
Caitlin

Freaking Out

Ok, I'm not freaking out... I'm really excited. I had to leave my friends today and I have several goodbyes scheduled for tomorrow as well, so I'm not looking forward to that, either. But God is calming me! God gets to fly first class for free, so it's cool... I'll leave my mom at the gate tomorrow, but not alone.

I have two biiiig suitcases of my stuff. I can only hope they'll fit in my friend Kathrin's car!! See...!



Well this is a short post because I really have nothing to say... except that if you're reading this, you most likely mean a lot to me! So thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll stay tuned.

Love,
Caitlin

First Week Plans

Hello faithful readership (if you so exist!),

Just a little update on what's going on. I am well into packing my things at this point; even my clothes are packed! I have so many clothes (NOT a good thing!) I can pack all I want to bring and still have plenty to wear for the next two weeks. Passengers in first class are allowed 2 pieces of luggage, each weighing no more than 32kg each... that means I can bring more than my body weight in luggage, ha ha ha!!! I can manage that, I think. Basically, if I have room for it, I am going to pack it...no worries on bringing too much, I'm going to be there quite a while. I don't want to have to go scurrying around town in Germany to find this item or that item if I've already got it at home and have such a large luggage allowance. Might as well just pack it.

My cousin (technically he's my 2nd uncle) Tobias works for Sparkasse, a popular bank with branches at every corner in Germany. Soooo to my luck, he is opening an account for me at Sparkasse before I even get there, saving me the hassle of doing it by myself when I get there. I am going to visit my cousins in Ingolstadt the first weekend I am in Germany.

Last night, I got an excellent deal on a train ticket from Koblenz to Ingolstadt. I was sooo close to buying a railpass, a 4 day one for $202 (w/ shipping) that I wasn't even sure I'd be able to use. I'm sure I'd find some way to use it, but still... so, I went to the Deutsche Bahn website again just to double-check the prices on the ticket I wanted, and lo and behold! For some reason, the special price wasn't listed a few days ago, but it was now... I got my ticket for $43 as opposed to $110! The reason I am going to visit them is because they have things of mine that they brought back when they left last week so I didn't have to pack them, AND...

I'm going to Oktoberfest in Munich! YESSSS! A life goal will be scratched off the list on that very weekend. I am excited already. I can't wait to eat a Bratwurstsemmel (a bratwurst on a crispy roll) with mustard... mmm!!!

Doing a good job packing, though, I think I'm covering all the bases. I looked at the pictures of my friend's apartment again today. She lives in the same building as I'll be in. The apartments are so cute and everything is new. I am very excited about it!!

I can't believe I'm leaving in two weeks!

Keeping you posted,
Caitlin

A Thought on Money + Travel...

Here I am again, worrying about a budget for my stay in Germany. Why? Have I not saved my entire life to do something cool? Isn't that why you save money, so you can eventually spend most, if not all of it? I can't have the same amount of money stashed away forever in my savings account, gathering (albeit interest) dust! I'm mad at myself for worrying about money. Am I going to look back at my year abroad in Germany and say to myself, "You spent way too much money!" or will I say, "That was a hell of a time!"? Which would I rather say...? Stay home and do nothing all weekend or...hop a train to the Black Forest?

Just something that's been on my mind lately.


Caitlin

A Little Reflection...

The time is already ticking, I can't believe it! In less than a single month, I will be gone from this tropical/sub-tropical climate to spend the fall and winter months in Germany. Wild. Mom and I have been thinking out loud a lot about stuff, what to pack/not to pack, etc. I got a new suitcase, even. It's huge! 34" tall and its 2" expandable!

Right now my mind is kind of blank. I feel like there's something on my mind but I can't remember what it is. I'm really looking forward to a drastic lifestyle-change. Firstly, I want to work on my relationship with Jesus. It definitely needs work (as it should) and I think going off on my own (technically) away from home is the best way to work on it. Then it's just me and Him. I got a taste of it over the summer and I've noticed since I got back I've drifted a bit. Here I feel more comfortable, less dependent on God. I guess it's because after living here in the same place for 19 years, I feel like I have it all down pat, all figured out. On my own in a foreign country, it's different. Obviously I don't have it all figured out either way.

Secondly, I want to change my eating habits. NO MICROWAVE!! NO OVEN!! Hence, no frozen foods = less preservatives and sodium (a preservative, ha ha). I just have a tiny little stove and a tiny little refrigerator. We'll see what happens with that!

Thirdly, I'm going to stick to my fitness goals for once. I have no excuse not to anymore. I won't be working, I won't have very many classes... I want to work out and LIKE it. I LOVE the way I feel during and after a workout, I have soooo much more energy and I feel great. It's a great encouragement to do it again the next day. So that's the third thing I want to change.

"Sticking to it"... this next year for me is going to be a real test of that. I have a problem with it. Whether its fitness, eating right, prayer, whatever it is, it is very hard for me to develop new habits. It's time to make these goals of mine very well organized and thought-out. I need to plan it, there's nothing wrong with that. Self-discipline, I think they call it. God gave me a heart for organizing, thinking, and planning... hopefully I can glorify Him, at least a little bit, by using it.

Until next time,
Caitlin

A Slight Change of Plans...

Hello, folks!

I figured since it had been about two weeks since I posted last, and stuff had happened, but I hadn't written about it...well, I'll just tell you.

I changed my flight from Wednesday, Sept. 26 to Monday, Oct. 1. That means I have one more weekend with you guys. I'm probably not going to have everyone over that Saturday as I'd planned. Maybe I'll just hang out with everyone individually since I'll have so much time off before I leave anyway (three whole weeks!). I changed my flight to avoid flying at 10pm... I'd get to Germany at 1:30pm their time, 7:30am our time... I'd rather fly on the 1st at 4:30pm and get to Germany feeling like its 1:00am our time instead... since I'll have things to do once I get there, obviously.

That's the worst part of travel, though... getting there. Then comes getting settled, I suppose, if you're going to be there for a while. My friend Kathrin is picking me up in Frankfurt, which I am sooo sooo soooooo thrilled about, because Frankfurt is (so I've heard) gigantic, and there are TWO train stations... not that I couldn't figure it out, but I'd rather not carry all that stuff around, frankly... I'm bringing two large rolly-suitcases and my little blue Samsonite from last time. One suitcase is gonna have just clothing in it, and the other will hold everything else.

I did end up buying an upgrade for this flight, too... which now I am relieved that I just did it instead of continuing to wonder whether or not I should do it... I am actually looking forward to the flight now! I was a little mad that my credit card charged me 2% for a foreign country fee because the transaction was processed outside of the US...even though I dialed a US number, they transfer you to Germany with the airline I'm flying. Whatever, you live and learn. I just knew if I didn't upgrade, I would be dreading the flight and then regret not upgrading the entire time I was sitting in economy! I did find out that you can pay $75 extra each way for long-haul flights to get economy in the exit rows and first rows, which have more leg room...I might do that on the way back to the States, but I think each time I go from here to Germany I will try to fly first class. Time always goes faster on the way home for some reason...

Mom and Pop added me to their credit card account with Capital One, which is the only credit card company with NO fees whatsoever, not even the 1% Mastercard and Visa fee. So if I need to use a Visa for anything, I'll use that card and pay them somehow... I think I'm going to make out and sign a bunch of checks before I leave and leave them with my mom so she can write the amounts in. I also renewed my health insurance for another year and so I'm all covered, even overseas.

Well I'm just thinking out loud here, folks, but thanks for listening and I will continue to post as interesting (or not) stuff happens!

Caitlin

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

Hi,

Well as you all know already, I made it home. My flight had over a three hour delay leaving Düsseldorf. Instead of leaving at 10:40am (4:40am Saturday, Florida time) we left at 2:00pm (8am Florida time). Apparently something delayed the plane in Vancouver or New York or something, so it passed on to us.

I had the worst night's sleep ever in the hostel on Friday night. The guys in our room wanted to stay up and read a book or write, and it was like 11:30... then the old guy who got his car stolen came in late, then started snoring. And I didn't like the sheets and pillow cases there, either. But it was fine, I only slept for like 4 hours and then it was time to get up again.

We got our stuff out to the front of the building by 6:50am and the taxi driver came, as promised, on time. We got to the airport by 7:20 and found the check-in counter. I was first in line for business class :-). My suitcase weighed 32.5 kg (71.65 pounds), it was soooo heavy! So I checked in and then we went through security. I went to the business lounge for a bit, got some free magazines and some yummy breakfast, it was really nice in there! We waited and waited and waited... security at Duesseldorf is a lot stricter than at Ft Myers, they dumped out my entire purse and actually asked for my liquids. I got patted down, too, weeeiiird.

The flight was very comfortable! I decided that it definitely IS worth it to fly business when you can, it really is a lot better. Better food, better movies, HUGE blankets, more drinks, free booze (ha ha ha, its true, if you want it, that is) you can bring more luggage, the lounge was great, your own TV, more room in your seat--I got two seats all to myself-- one for me, and one for all my stuff, ha ha. They give you a nice little bag of goodies in first class-- little mints, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, kleenex, a massage thingy, a pen, socks, an eyemask, etc. I watched three movies on the flight-- Disturbia, I Think I Love my Wife, and A Painted Veil. They were all really good. I decided that next time I am going to definitely watch as many movies as I can because the time goes by sooo much faster. The airline I'm flying with in September has their own DVD players in first class, so I can bring my own movies! However, my flight in September is at 9:45pm at night... looooooovely. I just might be tired enough to sleep though, so we will see. And at least I am getting picked up at the airport this time so I don't have to lug my stuff through the airport.

I am already getting excited about going back in the fall, I will be honest... now that I know some people and don't have to dread the flight anymore (it pays, I mean it!), I am really looking forward to it. And driving yesterday was really annoying. I miss riding the bus everywhere! I miss Germany! I was really happy to be home, and I still am, but I think its the length of the flight that makes you want to be home really bad... I think knowing that the trip was only 5 weeks made me want to come home at the end of 5 weeks, it was all mental. The hardest part is always just getting there... leaving everyone, surviving an eternal flight, getting to where you are supposed to be... etc. But I am really looking forward to meeting new people, learning German, seeing the country some more... I really can't wait!

Anyway, I fiiiinally got off the plane, got through Customs... I was very happy to see that there were separate lines for US Citizens, and it was a LOT shorter! So I got through that, got my stuff, gave my declaration form and went to see MOMMY! Then we drove the 3.5 hours to Orlando and I finally got home at around 10:30pm. Except for me, it was about 4:30 in the morning. I was excited all the way home and we just chatted about everything, Mom and I. I gave Dizzle her presents at home and took a shower, a much needed one... then I slept until 8:45! I really thought I'd sleep longer, but I think I did myself a favor by not sleeping, because I don't feel any affects of this so-called jet lag at all! I think it was a lot worse going over.

Well, that is it for now, I will continue posting as preparations for the next trip start happening :-)

Love and hugs,
Caitlin