A birthday and a change of address ;)

6/4 & 6/5

Saturday morning started with a long run through the German countryside - forest, wooden bridges, open fields and all green! It was exactly what I needed. For lunch, we had white Bavarian sausages - I'll let the pictures do the talking. 😂

Today is Veronika's birthday - so she picked me up for a bbq party / sleepover with all of her friends. I want to see it all, do it all and live it all!

Marianne and I got everything ready for Veronika's party - food, music, drinks - it was so nice to be able to just hang out and be myself. This program is designed to let you relax and soak up a normal life in a different culture. Today at Vroni's, I feel like I can be my whole self and truly get a glimpse of a normal German weekend. 

Veronika's party and friends were such fun - just like I knew they would be. :) Her friends have traveled all over, were so kind and very interested in the Americans! I got Veronika a teacup for her birthday that said, "Do more of what you love." I have decided to adopt this slogan for the remainder of my time in Germany and bring it back with me to Phoenix. 

On Sunday we went to breakfast with some of Veronika's friends and it was another great experience of German everyday life and culture. After we walked along the Danube with Vroni's friend Julia and her new baby Francisca. In Germany, new moms can take a year off and earn a very high percent of their salary. It's a pretty sweet deal, but they pay for it up front in their taxes - for example - gas is about 4$ a gallon here! 

The initial plan was to head back to for a bike ride through the countryside but a miscommunication between us lead to a change. Instead, Marianne and I went for a run along the Danube, stopping along the way to take a million pics and put our toes in the river! 

That night, Vroni took me back to my host's and we came to the decision that it is better for me to move out and stay on Veronika's couch. Though I am grateful for all of the experiences I was provided the first 2 weeks, we are not a good fit and I must do what is best for me and my time in Germany. Sometimes, things don't work out between 2 people (definitely been there), and it was much better for me to cut ties and truly take advantage of this awesome opportunity I have. I am over the moon excited for the next week and all it will bring!

To kick off my new address, Marianne had pizza and beer waiting for me and my suitcases. This experience has taught me so much already - what I need to be happy (and how it is very different from what I thought on the plane ride over) and to appreciate and notice how great a little act of kindness can truly be. I saw this tonight and won't forget it - this feeling will definitely come back to the US with me.