first day - a success I think :)

I think I really don't have to be worried that much about school. Except that I have to study a lot but who doesn't have to do that?? The problem is that I had a really lazy year because I had easy classes and you can't compare the tests and exams in the US with ours... Ours are way harder. So I didn't really have to study at all for my exams and tests in the US and now I have to sit down and study and  I don't really like studying (but who likes it??)

Anyways.... My schedule is pretty good. I can take Latin instead of Spanish which is way easier for me since my Spanish class is so much ahead of me that I couldn't catch up with them and I was going to take Latin anyways so everything worked out. :)

In Germany we don't have one school for all kids but different levels. I go to the "Gymnasium" (funny huh?! :D). That's the best level. After 10th grade you have a degree with which you can go to Trade School (or whatever that's called) and learn a job and work. But you can also do three more years to get a higher degree with which you can go to university but you can only do these three "extra" years at the Gymnasium. You have to have a certain average to be able to come from a lower level school (there are 4 different levels of schools here), to do these 3 years but it's possible. So to get to the point: there are like 50 new students at my school. All my "old" classmates already know them but I don't really because I wasn't there last year.
That was another point I was really worried about but after today I know that those kids are sooooooo nice!!! I get along with them so well! Actually better than with my "old" classmates. We are all devided up into groups or cliques and there were arguments and fights in the past and you just didn't get a long so there is a lot of prejudice. But with the new kids it's different. Everyone is kind of grown up and you don't have a real "history" or "past" together. I guess that's why you can get along a lot better.

It was so nice today because when I was waiting in line to talk to my teacher about my schedule Me and a few girls and guys just started talking although we actually didn't even know each other! It reminded me so much of the Americans cause you could start a conversation with them and they'll always say HI to you in the hallways and talk to you like you've always been there. Making real good friends WAS hard but it was good that everyone was so open minded! And that's what I experienced today. So I kinda feel at home :)

So I think I'd better go to bed and read a little because I have to get up early tomorrow for my first real day of school. First two periods are English!! YAY! :)

Have a Good Day and a Good Night!! :)
Eileen

the fairytale is really over... but another one is going to begin

So this is my very first blog. I'm actually not really good at writing and I have to figure out how to write best, etc. but I hope you read it anyways ;)
It's the day before my old/new school starts after my exchange year at Kamiakin. I wanted to  have a blog last year already but I didn't so now I want to write about my life back in Germany. First to let friends and family in the US know what's going on in my life and secondly to let people (other exchange students) know how life back at home is going to be and that you can survive anything (well... I hope I'm gonna survive it ;) ) and to keep my by now good English because you forget so much so quickly...

So let's get started then!
It's Sunday evening (7:10 pm here) and school starts tomorrow. I am kind of scared because I changed so much during this last year; my friends and classmates changed; there are tons of new (at least for me new) people in my class now (I'm going to explain that later); I am way behind my class because I had really easy classes back in the US and don't really know what they learned here; and because I have to get adjusted to a different system at my school (more about that later).

But I think about two weeks or so ago I found that book in a bookstore. It's called Eat Pray Love (you might know it) and they're making a movie out of it now with Julia Roberts. This book is AMAZING!!
It's about this woman, Liz Gilbert (it's actually autobiographic; I don't even know if this word excists :D) who takes off a year to travel. She had a really bad divorce which took two years and couldn't really break up with her new boyfriend because they can't live without each other but also not with each other so she had a really bad 2 or 3 years. So now she takes off for Italy, India and Indonesia each for four months.
In Italy she wants to experience true pleasure (by eating tons of good food and learning the language); in India she wants to experience true devotion (by living in an ashram) and in Indonesia she wants to balance pleasure and devotion.
I truely love this book because Elizabeth Gilbert finds her way back into life after such a bad experience. This book just gives you hope.
I think it was God who made sure that I find and read this book and it's definitely not just coincidental that I finished this book this morning before I have to make another big step and go back into my "old" life.
This book gives me strength that I can do it and I am going to do it.
This last year was filled with homesickness, new friends and family, hard times, good times, learning, understanding, and growing up. It was a very huge step in my life (and the craziest! ;)).
This next year is going to be similar, maybe even the same just different. So it was good to have read about someone who also went through a hard time and ended up being the happiest and most joyful person on earth. As I said before: It gives you hope.

I was so afraid last week and now I'm at a peace with myself and school and the world or whatever :D

I don't really want this blog so much to be about God and my relationship with Him and everything that comes with it but I have to say that He gave and gives me strength too. He reminds me all the time that I already managed this kind of situation and that I can do it again and that it's going to make me stronger.

I don't really know what else to write anymore :D Maybe that I'm also excited for tomorrow because me and my friends are going to have breakfast together before school, since we have to be there at 11:30 ish or so. Everyone's going to  bring something so it's kind of like a potluck which I love :D I made Banana Bread and Rhubarb Bread (recipes from my host mom). I hope they like them because I LOVE them !! :D

Well, Have a good day and a good night guys :)