My German classes have been going really well. They are super interactive, so we never get bored. My teacher constantly makes us move and speak to each other. I would have to say pronunciation and figuring out whether to use die, der, or das are the hardest parts of German. This morning I went running with two of my friends, Mikayla and Mira. The running path is supposedly marked with balloons that are stuck to trees. We, however, only saw four balloons. The trail is supposed to be about 15 minutes long, but we ended up running for an hour because we were lost in a German forest. We even saw two wild boars. On the bright side, the views were incredible. It is extremely foggy and rainy here right now, so the temperature is really chilly. We had a workshop about environmental responsibility yesterday, and later today we have another workshop and more games. Tschüss!

I finally have internet!!! Schloss Wittgenstein is extremely beautiful. We live in the boarding school that is located right next to Schloss Wittgenstein, and every morning we go to the castle to eat breakfast. The views are extraordinarily beautiful because we are up on a hillside. Today we played soccer in the rain and played games with our teachers and teamers. Breakfast and dinner are basically the same. We eat bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables, and sometimes yoghurt and granola. Lunch is our hot meal, and it is pretty delicious. The first day here was very difficult. I remember one girl saying, "This must be the elimination round" when the teamers had us carry all of our bags up four flights of stairs. We were really exhausted, but the teamers have been really helpful while we have dealt with jet lag. It still is really weird when I am trying to sleep, and I think about my family eating dinner or watching a movie.  The village at the bottom of the hill, Bad Laasphe, is super nice. It looks like the ideal German town. As we drove to Schloss Wittgenstein, we drove past many really pretty towns and fields. I even saw the U.S.A.'s mark on Germany: a McDonald's sign. It is also really cool here. It gets into the 80s sometimes, but in the mornings and nights it is in the 60s. We also get a lot of breezes. Honestly, it feels a lot like Memphis' fall season (still less humid). I am in a small beginners' German class. There are only ten students, and my teacher is named Tim. We haven't started classes yet, but tomorrow we have two sessions of class with a lunch break in between. My dorm room is also really cool. It has huge windows that open really wide. Because Germany has cooler weather, there aren't as many bugs! I will be posting pictures as soon as I download them from my camera. It's extremely beautiful, and I am really excited to be here and to travel!

Today all the CBYXers were released on Washington, DC. We had meetings with our senators, representatives, and their staff members. I got to meet my representative, Steve Cohen. It was very fun talking to him about where my new home in Germany will be. He has been to Germany, and stressed several times that Berlin was a city that I have to visit. I also got to meet with one of the staff members who works with Senator Lamar Alexander. She was extremely complimentary of studying abroad. Senator Alexander's staff even gave us ice cream while we waited for our meeting. One of the most terrifying yet exhilarating moments of my day (possibly life) was accidentally taking the elevator that was reserved for congress members only. Whoops! They must have video cameras in the elevators because the elevator definitely knew we were not congress members. There was a small flashing light, and the elevator said, "This elevator is reserved for congress members only!" in a very terrifying voice. Several people stared at us as we exited the angry elevator, but I felt slightly proud and rebellious. It will definitely be a story to tell the grandkids. By the way, there isn't much of a difference between the regular elevators and the reserved elevators (in case you were curious). I am flying to Germany tomorrow!!! I'm super tired but super excited. I cannot wait to be on the ground in Frankfurt and heading to language camp. I may not have very good internet for the first few days at language camp. I'll try to update as soon as possible. For now, tschüss! 

Last night my mom and I had dinner with my host sister, Angela. She is living in DC until mid August. It was really fun getting to meet her, and it made me feel even more excited about meeting my host family and getting to know them. This afternoon I will say my last goodbye when my mom drops me off with the whole group for two day orientation. I'm getting more and more excited (and nervous) about leaving for Germany on Saturday, and I am excited to see all the other exchange students later today.

I have finally finished packing! (sort of)  It's been pretty overwhelming deciding what to leave behind, but now that I am finished I feel very relieved. Tonight we had a party for my brother's birthday and my birthday. My sister made an amazing chocolate/strawberry cake, and I spent time with my whole family. This, of course, makes leaving tomorrow so much harder! Although I do not have DC orientation until the 24th of July, my mom, my brother, and I will be driving to Georgia tomorrow in order to say goodbye to my grandmothers, cousins, aunt, and uncle. It feels very weird knowing that this is the last night I will sleep in my own room this year. I am savoring every minute I have with my family, my pets, and my swing set. I have been counting down the days for my trip to start, but now that it has come, I am becoming increasingly nervous. Besides packing, I have been spending most of my time studying German and emailing with my host family. They are extremely nice, and I feel like we are a perfect match. The German language has proved to be pretty difficult. Many times when I try to think in German, my mind starts to switch to Spanish. Once I stop thinking in Spanish, my mind decides to think in English. I have a feeling that the first month or two in Germany will entail a lot of gesturing and miming. I have also had to say goodbye to many beloved friends. I have had to say auf wiedersehen to many classmates that I have gone to school with for almost six years. I stopped in the UPS store to say goodbye to my godfather, Thermon, and I have said goodbye to several teachers whose classes I will not get to take this year. One of the hardest parts of leaving is not being able to take my pets with me. I don't think it is as hard leaving people because you can still talk to them. I know my mom will email me and text me, and I know my whole family wants to come visit as soon as possible. My dogs and horses have no opposable thumbs or frequent flier miles. My dogs, Cleo and Tilda, keep looking at me with sweet, big eyes, and I can't stand the thought of leaving them. Thankfully, my sister has offered to take care of them for me, and I know they are in good hands. Although I am bubbling with excitement, it is hard to leave home, and I know that I will miss my friends, pets, and family members. For now, I will savor every last minute I have at home!