Toooo Virginia!!

On the roooaaaddd agaainn!!!!

Heading to Virginia Beach which is about a 4 hour ride from D.C. Sad thing is thunderstorms are in the forecast :( how disappointing! Good thing is we already have a host when we get there!!

Thinking about checking out the aquarium, or doing some shopping. Should be a good day either way. Can't say I've ever been this excited to get outta a host's place before! I hate to say it but our last host had such a strong indian accent, it was exhausting having to concentrate so hard on what he was saying just to understand him. It was worse than living in Europe!

Tom tried really hard to make us feel at home and even took us out in the outer area of DC so we could get a glimpse of another part of the city. VERY NICE!! So I have to give him the thumbs up for being such a nice guy!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Heading out in Georgetown D.C. For some drinks and hooka with our friends from india after a busy day at the national air and space museum and botanical garden

OK so I know it works now! I can send a txt from my phone which will be posted to my blog! Were in DC now exploring the awesome city which is now matze's fav!

TessstinGg

NetherJen Returns!

Well blog lovers, it HAS been quite a while since my last blog entry. Things have changed, but yours truly has not. Still searching the globe for excitement, I have recently embarked on a new adventure.

I can't believe it has already been 11 days since we left! How awesome is this- only our third night staying at a hotel!!! We have 'surfed' all the way to D.C.!! Even more amazing, we've been surviving off of last minute requests. Yes that's right.. we send a request 0-2 days before we arrive to the city, and usually get an acceptance. We've stayed with some great hosts but I think I'll start from the beginning to get everyone caught up.

Our first stop was Toronto and it was a great city. Very big, very clean, tall buildings, busy workers-the city was amazing. We stayed with a family and it was our first time surfing, and their first time hosting! How ironic!

The family consisted of 2 daughters in high school and Paul and Denise (mom and dad). They had just gotten back from extensive travels in Asia 5 days prior. Paul and Denise told us about their trips to Buddhist temples in Thailand, and sushi eating in Tokyo (apparently an extremely expensive city compared to the Asian countryside). Paul is a social worker, and Denise is director of MBA/international studies at the University of Toronto. W. O. W.

We had our own room in the basement- which is normally used as a meditation/dojo room. We also had our own private bath and shower. The family made us a lovely dinner and we even had a lesson on the art of proper cognac tasting! HOW COOL!!! They were so gracious, kind, well-traveled and intelligent. We will never forget them! Thanks to Paul and Denise, we are making an extra stop in Savannah Georgia to taste some delicious fried chicken and enjoy the beautiful city.

Thats it for now- but I promise to get you all caught up soon... Now with mobile blogging I can write while we're on the road!!

Come back to read about our host Nicolas and his friend the French hypnotist in New York;

AND

Big Mike and Chowder in Philly at Geno's!

Until the next adventure!

Jen

This is a great blog title.

Hello Blog reader(s),

So today I took a nice walk along the Necker (pronounced Necka) river here in Eberbach. I took some lovely pictures of the river and some houses and buildings in the neighborhood. It was nice to get some fresh air and exercise! I’ve been a bit cooped up. On the other hand, on Saturday we went out to the city and I actually got my chance to see ‘Fastnacht’ or ‘Fasching’. It’s basically a German tradition that they celebrate every year from sometime in January until Ash Wednesday in February. It began as a religious celebration having to do with good Friday or Ash Wednesday or something like that.. Anyways it’s really cool and people dress up in funny costumes and dance funny dances and of course, drink beer. There are performances and dancers and it seems to get pretty crazy! Its like a really cultural German thing and I’m glad I got a chance to see it.

Other than that I’ve been laying low in Eberbach.. but tomorrow I’ll be headed to some small local towns to meet Matthias’ grandparents on both sides. Not sure how much fun it will really be b/c his grandparents don’t speak any English. Actually it seems that I’m put in that situation quite often. Sometimes I think it’s rude—at others I understand. During dinner here most of the conversations are in German.. and I quietly eat my food and/or stare into space and drift off mentally. When I’m with his friends it can be even worse because we’re hanging out and I feel so BORED! I can’t participate, I can’t understand.. Even when I strike up a conversation in English, if a silent moment comes about, the conversation quickly converts back to German and it’s hard to shift it again. I’m becoming relieved that I did not choose to stay in Germany and study German for 6 months. How I may have lasted.. I have no clue! In the same line of thought, I’m really looking forward to being back in America! I will be able to read everything, understand everything and everyone, and talk to anyone I want! WOOO!!!

On another note.. I’ve noticed one really big difference between where I lived in the Netherlands and where I’m at now, in Southern Germany. In the Netherlands, pretty much no one, ever, closes their window shades, or blinds. You can watch people sitting on their couch in the evening.. or eating super.. or playing with the kids etc. But in Germany, every house has external shutters which are closed in the evening. Its like, a prison! Kinda weird really… I think I like the American way best! ;) If you feel like closing the shades you can, or feel free to leave them open! If you shut them, no one can see in- but you can still get a little bit of light!

The other day we went into the city to the local farmers market to get some meats and veggies and what not. I was talking with D’s Mom and she said that when she first moved here, there were 5 butcher shops, now there are 2 after one recently closed. Instead of going to these small family owned businesses, people are now going to the ‘Big supermarket’. It’s such a pity really. Very sad to hear—I mean it seems like such a European thing how they have all of these delicious shops which sell homemade sandwiches and breads and yummy cakes.. and butcher shops with special made sausages and what not… but that culture is dying and its becoming more and more closer to American culture. Where instead of driving your car to the local shopping street, getting out and walking from shop to shop… people drive their cars to the supermarkets and shopping malls.

Just some small things I’ve recently noticed and thought I would share. I mean there are so many small cultural things that are different that you just need to come and experience for yourself.

Got a request to share the NetherJen France link again—perhaps some problems reviewing?

Here it is..Click this.

Also, check out this new slideshow of Eberbach. Where I’ve been spending the last 1.5 weeks. Click right here.

Thanks for reading!

~Jen~

Hanging in Heidelberg

*Yellow part is Baden-Württemberg

So I’m back in Germany! Last minute decision to come hang out here for a couple weeks. Then I’ll be headed to England to roam around Oxford, Newcastle, and London. I’ll arrive back home on the 24th of this month. Just enough time to straighten things out before I jump on a plane headed from Amsterdam to… JFK on the 1st of March! *whew*… then a plane from JFK to Detroit. Yes, that’s right my esteemed blog readers- Mama, I’m comin’ home! It’s going to be a big shock. But I have some tentative plans which I hope will keep me momentarily sane… until of course I can readjust and stabilize myself.

My plans are to get a fly studio in Royal Oak. I’ve found an optimal bachelorette pad on Craig’s list which looks pretty sweet. This of course, is if my plans to con Natalie and Jenny into renting a nice 3 bedroom home don’t pan out :p But I’m still working at that! School you ask…?? I’m thinking perhaps part-time classes online may be most advantageous… not sure if I’m interested in continuing as a full-time student. Anyways, I can’t take classes this semester.. and next semester will be summer :/ Either way, I think I’ll be *hopefully* transferring to another school. I’m really unimpressed with everything that happened at EMU. And if I ever want to take classes there, I’ll have to move to… Ypsilanti??? HAH! As well, they don’t offer my degree online.

So when I return my two top priorities will be to perfect my insanely impressive resume in order to find a seriously pimp job—and to find an eclectic apartment in Royal Oak to match my newly found cosmopolitan life-style. WOOO! *

*Plans are subject to change at a moment’s notice!

Anyway… the above conversation is in regards to my near future, which I assure you consumes a large part of my daily thoughts. At the current moment I am residing in Eberbach Germany- A town minutes from Heidelberg and Mannheim in “the best” state in Germany, Baden-Württemberg. I’m staying with Matthias (my boyfriend) and his family. His Mother and Father are amazing people and are bent on ensuring that I am comfortable and content at every moment. I have my own room and wake up at my leisure to fresh coffee and an assortment of German bread with jams, honey, and fresh fruit. His family considers me a special guest and has decided to make traditional German dishes every day so I have a chance to taste authentic German food. Let me tell you people, this is the life! I give you permission to be jealous! By the way, in Germany people eat hot lunches, and cold dinners! So I eat a hot meal with the family at 1pm! Hehe, strange, yet cool!

While I’m here I’ll make special day trip visits to some German cities- perhaps Freiburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and some others. I leave for England on the 14th. I’ll be in Newcastle for one week, then head to Oxford. In Oxford we will make a trip to visit London! Not to mention we will make a quick stop in Dublin, Ireland. By the time I come home I’ll have visited 10 countries! WOW!

In closing, I’m trying to enjoy myself as I prepare for another big change. Even though I’m really looking forward to seeing my friends and family soon- leaving my life here behind, for good, is going to be tough. But I’ve been trying to tell myself that everything will work out if I can just trust and believe that it will. Instead of fighting against this change and thereby making it more difficult, I’m going to embrace it and look forward to the adventures that lie ahead! YEAH BABE!

See you all soon-

Jen