Yesterday, July 9th 2008 I went on an adventure. This adventure was like many I have had, but is also one that I will remember... probably forever (I have to say probably, who knows... I may get alzheimers or amnesia... you never know, friends). The day started off like most Wednesdays, I woke up, ate a typical German breakfast (amazing bread with hard boiled eggs and cucumbers and tomatos) and went to my elections class, of which we talked about Campaign Financing (luckily I am currently an expert on the topic as I just wrote 12 pages over the matter). The conversation in class turned to advertising and media. I made the following comment, "As silly as it may sound, Americans really love to advertise on T-shirts." Roland, a fellow classmate said in the next few years he sees the same happening in Germany, but you also see parties advertising by handing out condoms. (Germans have low birth rate... I think it is because they practice safe sex... AND they teach children how babies are made when they are in grade 2 again in grade 5). Lena, a good friend of mine made the comment to Roland, "yes, but you cannot wear a condom in public." She was simply trying to make the point that a shirt, or a button allows for MORE advertising for a candidate as one wears the shirt... a condom, does not. Hilarious.

We left the class and went to Sara and Sean's neighborhood. We found ourselves in the middle of a concert.... it was the Gymnasium's (German Equivalent to Highschool and Community College) last day of school. Old women were dancing, as well as 5 year old children. Again, Hilarious.

We ate a bite of lunch at subway (they have free refills) stopped for a coffee at Balzac (German Starbucks Equivalent, with much better drinks and much better whipped cream) and then RAN to our train (okay everyone ran... i walked slowly and enjoyed my coffee.. woops) and sat for 30 minutes until we arrived at Nordstemmen. Today... we were going to see a Castle. This one... to be exact:

After the short train ride, and me telling Maurice about what I had been learning from Christ and from the wonderful (and not so wonderful) situations I am currently finding myself in, we found ourselves standing clueless at the bus station. No busses go to the castle. Do we call a taxi? Do we walk? We begged Maurice to ask the only person nearby (why maurice? He speaks fluent German, as he is half German). The lady told Maurice no busses go to the castle. But we could walk! and it would only take THIRTY MINUTES!! We checked with Sean to see if walking would be alright, as he has a bad knee he had surgery on only a year ago, and lately it has been hurting him moreso than usual. He said it should be fine... we wanted to see the castle and walking was the cheapest way. (free) So we walked.

no. I do not know what is wrong with Maurice in this photo.

We discovered that I am as tall as corn stalks.

Well, we ended up taking a wrong turn. We got lost in the woods for 2 hours... but the big surprise: It was the best time (for me) out of the whole day. I loved it. The weather was nice, the trees were absolutely beautiful, the green of the forest was overwhelming... and I was able to find in me a passion for life that I haven't felt in a long time. Christ taught me and in the midst of all that was going on, he allowed me comfort and allowed me to walk in HIS strength. We made many wrong turns. I traveled through unknown territory and got attacked by plants... but we eventually found the way to the castle. The castle was nice, and quite beautiful... but the walk through the forest was much more so.

my thoughts in this photo: "we will never find the castle, and maurice is always talking about ticks"

"I SEE IT!!!"

The tour of the castle was quite nice, and interesting. I like history. We left the castle, and it took about only 30 minutes to get back to the train station. The evening ended with a nice bowl of Tomatencremesuppe (for me) and an evening story. (You see... our computers caught a virus, and killed themselves. This has left us with no entertainment... so I have been reading Chronicles of Narnia in the evening to Sara, Sean and Maurice. We have changed character names. Therefore.. no longer do we read a story about Lucy, Edmund, Susan and High King Peter... but about Lara, Maurice, Sara and High King Sean...).

I must say, I love my life.