Up in the Sky!

Remember a while back when I spoke dramatically about what would happen on my flight to Germany? Well it seems that I haven’t quite yet honed in on my psychic abilities.

The flight itself was good, but it was just the time leading up to it that was horrible. I was full of nerves and excitement and everything said to me brought me to tears. I had already said goodbye to all my friends before I got to the airport, but I had to call Garrett for the last time just to give her a little cry!

On the airport everything went well, and I confirmed my suspicion that crying helps. I was balling on my way to the trains (and not in an attractive way… I know how impossible that sounds) and everyone was attracted to me to help. Maybe there is an inherent desire to help people in the human psyche… along with things like violence (or as my mom would say it – compassion).

While sitting at the gate waiting for my flight to Frankfurt I met a girl that was on her way to Ukraine after spending a few months in Wyoming, USA. She wasn’t a part of Rotary so I doubt she was as classy and awesome as us Rotary students (a total joke for those of you that don’t knowJ) but she seemed very nice from what I spoke to her.

On the plane I accidently sat in the Business Class, and thank goodness I realized that it wasn’t my seat! I them made my way to the Economy class, and realized that it was nothing compared to Business! On the up side, I had a nice person to speak to! I ended up not getting any sleep, but instead spoke with an English teacher. He teaches in Saudi Arabia and I heard some very interesting stories!

I was very nervous when the plane began to descend because then I had to come to the realization that I was actually in Germany and was going to have to cope in a foreign airport alone! It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected because everything was both in English and in German, and the signs were big and told me where to go. In no time I got to my gate and was through customs and security. And I really appreciated having to unpack my whole hand luggage for Frankfurt security… not.

It was odd to be surrounded my little to no English, and this was the moment that I actually realized that I was in Germany! It was hot and humid, and I was so surprised because I had been bred to expect cold and wet from Germany. Well… it was wet.

I met another friend on the Munich airport, also a foreigner. I must have a taste for foreigners the way I am going! She was on her way home to Romania after she visited her grandmother in Phoenix for a few months. We didn’t get to sit together, but it gave me chance to eaves drop on the Germans sitting next to me.

While awaiting my second and final flight I was more filled with excitement than with nerves. This all changed when I again realized that I had to meet my new family. I landed in Munich and again followed the masses to my next destination. I made a total fool out of myself when I realized that I couldn’t carry all my luggage alone. Thus, I had to go back to get a cart, and in the process was stumbling and falling over things.

I got through everything smoothly, but was worried when I didn’t see Sabine or Moritz outside waiting for me. Turns out that German traffic is a bitch and they were late. In the meantime I had time to fiddle with the German payphone and call my mom to know that we had arrived safely.

So all in all it was a good trip and I am proud of myself for being able to do it. And even though I hate to admit that my parents were right, it was a lot less stressful than I expected it to be!

A Débutante Ball

I feel the obligation to write a blog documenting my feelings and thoughts before I depart to Germany. I have spent the last few days doing anything in my right mind to keep it off of Germany, thus I have neglected to blog. And I shall continue this trend up until I am sitting at the gate waiting for my flight. Well, that is all… I can't overextend this post because all the butterflies are coming back!

Pins! The highlight of my life...

It seems that the things that are not planned, but happen out of spontaneity are revealed to be the most entertaining and resonate more greatly with you. I experienced such a phenomenon today at the Welcoming Barbeque hosted by Rotary International. I was originally not planning on attending, but when I went to have high tea (aren’t I just so sophisticated?) with the Blois family, they invited me to join them. I took this opportunity to practice the “never say no” rule that seems to apply to exchange students, and in the preliminary run it seemed to go well.

 

Those that attended were all shapes and sizes and ethnicities. It was the quintessential example of how diverse and accepting the Rotary Organization truly is. There was not an ounce of prejudice or discrimination in the atmosphere, which doesn’t come by often. In the 21^st century, not many people will vocalize their thoughts on another race, but their aura gives them away as narrow-minded. No such people were present at this occasion.

I added an extensive amount of pins to my collection – and betrayed a promise that I had made to myself at the beginning of the summer. I told myself (with a stern voice!) that I wouldn’t add any pins to my blazer until I returned to the United States, because it would make it much easier for me to travel with in on. The temptation was just too great to deny, so I had to put them on. Now I am stuck with a blazer that’s weight will most likely give me a backache, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I had underestimated the effects of pins on an exchange student, and I can’t wait to get many more!

In two hours my host brother (Max) and my host father will be departing Germany to come to the good ol’ United States of America (that is intended to be said with a southern accent). I find it quite sad that my German family has seen more of America than I have… and I am the one that lives in America! They are touring the west coast, and our paths will merge on September 9. So while they have 18 days of pure fun, I have 18 days of stressing out about everything I can find to stress out about. But it also means that I only have 18 days until the greatest thing in my life happens, but also only 18 days to spend with my family. This trip has a lot of blame on its shoulders. It is the reason I am happy, sad, excited, and nervous. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge was graced by my presence a few days ago. The mini-vacation was planned on the spur of the moment, as most of the activities of my summer have been compiled of. Since being accepted into the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme, but parents and I have set out to conquer more of the magnificent beauty that Colorado has to offer. It would be a tragedy if I were to go to Germany as an ambassador of Colorado, when I have yet to see many of the things it has to offer.

This was not my first trip to the Royal Gorge; I went about seven or eight years ago. The attractions that lie around this monumental bridge are ones that you cannot see every year, for it would be a bit of a waste of money. But since my memory had been fading of the instances that happened almost a decade ago, we set off to renew our view of the manmade wonder.

Most of my excitement revolved around my hopes that I would have a summer romance (even though there was barely enough time to meet anyone). My hopes dwindled, of course, when I realized that I was venturing to the resort totally out of season. Not only had most of the schools in Colorado already commenced, but it was in the middle of the week. So after my realization I wasn’t sure what I would do with myself for the three days.

I am a bit embarrassed to say that one of the highlights was the huge jump pillow that was in the resort I was staying at. This pillow resembled a trampoline but was much greater in size. I am sure that it was only intended for young children, but I made a point to spend most of my time on the pillow. I thought nothing of it at the time for the resort was practically deserted. I took this time to explore my ninja moves mid-air, and added some sound effects for dramatization. It was only after I retired from my practice that I realized that I was not alone. Not only were there people in close enough proximity to hear me, but they were boys around my age! Not surprisingly, I dashed back to my cabin and never resurfaced at the pillow.

My pre-exchange diet faltered while on vacation, as I had expected. What was the surprise was how far of the tracks it would stumble. I gouged myself on theme park delicacies such as Funnel Cake and Ice Cream. Just thinking about it makes me feel as if I gained ten pounds! I must say though, it was totally worth it. I am rather glad that Funnel Cakes are only sold at select places, and only during the summer, for if it was a different fate I would be enormous.

Even though I try to cover-up my quintessentially boy crazy mind, it shows through more than I would like. At this moment I would like to say that I was in the presence of some be (dare I say it?) hot guys. It had to come at the most awkward time, of course, because that is just the luck of Shandre. During the latter part of the day I was quite fatigued and it was obvious that I was extremely hot (temperature wise – even though we know both definitions are applicable to me!)  I was shying away from the massive crowds of giddy tourists in a feeble attempt to avoid utter embarrassment. This plan was a total failure as I was forced into propinquity with two attractive people while on the incline coaster. It is quite difficult to enjoy the beauty of the gorge, when the beauty of the men was just slapping me in the face!

It wasn’t until the late evening of the last night that we decided to take our leave from The Royal Gorge. The car ride home was off – probably because I am not used to driving extensive distances in the late evening. I quite enjoyed the trip (more than I had expected with the desertedness of the resort) and I liked spending with my parents before my departure (18 days!!).

To a Genius

Three weeks from today I will be entering the void of exchange students. Not that I am using void in a negative fashion, because that would be beyond preposterous! Not much excitement has occurred over the last couple of weeks, and it troubles me that I have no new data to inscribe on the face of the World Wide Web. It is as if I am frightened that if I neglect to explore my writing expertise, all that I have so far conquered will be annulled. I cannot yet say that this fear is unreasonable, because at the moment it seems quite plausible to me.

Tonight I would like to pay gratitude to the genius that has inspired my continuing of my passion. Sir William Shakespeare. I was once again reminded of his brilliance while investigating a few more documentaries and such. He was truly a man that knew how to plaster words together to make men weep, or cry tears of joy. I can only hope that one day his spirit will have some influence on me so that I may create such beauties.

The purpose of this post was not praise Shakespeare, nor to seemingly boast my own writing skill. In fact, I wished to share all my preparations that have taken place to far into my journey. As stated in my previous announcement, there isn’t much to do now that all my Rotary engagements are finished. This seems to have been and accurate assumption, because I have yet to do anything great in regards to my trip abroad. The closest thing that has happened was my preliminary packing, but I have already shared that with everyone. Now that I think back onto the purpose of this post, I did not have an idea going into this. Maybe it’s best that I just move on and commence with the rest of my summer – that has mostly consisted of watching Doctor Who or Big Brother (I am greatly ashamed to say that those are my guilty pleasures).

I feel that and epiphany has just come my way, and I think that I am going to pursue it. But its matters are of no relation to the one I am currently noting, thus I will be dedicating a whole post towards it (if it ever materializes to the standard of which I would not be ashamed to share it with my loyal companions). As it appears, I don’t like to deviate to far from the main focus of my postings, which may result in multiple per day. I infer that this will occur often in Germany for I will have so much to relay to those still in the United States. I sense that a great deal of my excitement for Germany directly correlates with the hordes of ideas that will be flowing through my mind that I can scribble down and quench my desires for writing.

And on that note:  Au Revoir!

A Traveler's Choice

It pains me to say that I have no Rotary engagements until I leave for Germany, nor do am I awaiting any further information about my exchange. For the past week or so I was a ship being propelled forward by the strong forces of a current, but now I sit in a windless sea, unable to move forward. Thus there will be a lack of posting for the next month or so. But today I finally came to the realization that I will have to fit a year of my life into two suitcases and a carry-on.  It’s quite a daunting task, but with my knowledge and perseverance (in actuality my mother’s) I am confident that I will be able to do so without my worry.

The Du Toit family went on an impulse shopping spree today to buy me some new luggage. It wasn’t an easy task to find the correct combination of style and practicality, but after an hour of scanning the same luggage we finally completed our task. I am happy with my choice in luggage for it encompasses a perfect balance of femininity and professionalism.

There are so many things to take into consideration when packing for exchange – and most of my ideas stem from the internet. I think that I have a bad case of searching things on the internet that end up making me more stressed out. Thus my solution is to turn off my internet until I go to Germany (that was a funny joke, wasn’t it?) I am tempted just to follow my own instincts when packing, and if I make a mistake then at least I know that it was my mistake.

Rotary Presentation

If you had asked me what I would have said two days ago: Am I ready to embarrass myself in two days? No. But luckily I have two days to prepare for such an embarrassment.

Typical Shandre, always overreacting! Things always work out better than I expect them too. This can be both good and bad though I guess. If I expect things to go badly then everything will seem to be great and fabulous, but this in itself causes me much stress. I think I am just a naturally stressed out person. I stress about the little things and the big things and all things in between. And what happens when I stress? I get sick and then stress more because I am too sick to do the things that I need to be doing. So my new life purpose is escaping this continuous paradox I am trapped in.

It seems that I have forgotten to mention that which was the cause of my stress! Mr. DiLorenzo – the Rotarian that had first inspired me to become an exchange student – had asked me to present to the Highlands Ranch Rotary Club about my exchange. It seemed simple enough, but that didn’t stop me from worrying. At first I thought his request meant that the other members of the club wanted to know a bit more about Regensburg, but in fact he wanted me to talk about my experience thus far. It really wasn’t a daunting task, but the thought of talking in front of people was intimidating.

The meeting was conducted at Lone Tree Country Club. I was dressed so prim and proper that I practically felt like a different person. I will now take this time to thank my mom for reminding me that I can’t wear jeans to every engagement I have!

Once we arrived, we sat down to a wonderful lunch. Because I am sure you want to know exactly what I ate, I shall oblige. I devoured the macaroni and cheese, bread, and cookies that I piled onto my plate. Thinking back on it now, I am quite glad that I ate before the presentation because it calmed my nerves a bit. Good thing my lunch didn’t decide to revisit me during my speech!

While lunch was in its closing stages, the president of the club initiated the announcements. I felt a bit out of place during all of this because all the topics were foreign to me. There was an awfully nice lady that stood up to talk about the cause she was advocating, and it struck a chord with me. She was lobbying for kids that were so negatively affected by the economic recession that they are unable to acquire the bare necessities that they need to succeed in the school year. What made her petition so strong and moving was that she extrapolated the future benefits of the project. If children are unable to succeed in the upcoming year, then the next year they will have a lesser chance of accomplishing. This snowball effect will eventually lead to more teenagers dropping out of high school, which is a fate that I wish to prevent. Unfortunately I was unprepared for donating money, so I neglected to bring with my wallet. It was to my dismay that I couldn’t help out a bit.

Once the announcements had concluded, it was time for me to get up in front of at least twenty people and tell them about my exchange. By now I had already met most of the people in the room so my nerves were at ease (well as relaxed as they could have been in that situation). But I had to embarrass myself just a bit (because that is just something I always seem to get right). I didn’t have a clue how to set up the projector to display my PowerPoint, but luckily there was a technical man in the vicinity that was able to come to my rescue! Just another prime example of how splendid the members of Rotary truly are!  Once I had gotten a few words into my speech, it felt as if I were talking to some of my good friends.

I opened my PowerPoint with “About Me”. This was by far the most exciting part of the presentation because I am just an exciting and interesting person! (Maybe my mum was right when she said I needed to show a bit more humility :D) I then went on to explain why I wanted to be an exchange student (maybe a future blog?) and what I had gone through so far. And then there was some blah about challenges and finally some things about Regensburg, my host family, and my school. I thought about typing out my whole presentation for you to read, but then I realized it would be a bazillion (yes that is a word) pages, and it would take me forever!

When all was said and done the kind hearted members of Rotary gave me a pin and a pen, and there were many handshakes and smiles. But I have saved the best for last.

Each week the Highlands Ranch Rotary holds a raffle in which the winner receives the sum of money collected from those that bought a ticket. It was my duty as the guest speaker to draw the winning ticket, and with my psychic awesomeness I pulled the same member that had won last week. He thought it would only be fair to give me the money. But what did I do with the money? I gave it to the lady who had inspired me so by her oration of the kids in need. It really makes me feel good to help people!

It took all my will power not to construct this paragraph, but the scientist in my ignored my pleas, and so here I am… writing this paragraph. I once read a journal of Richard Dawkins called The Selfish Gene. He proposed the idea that there is no selfless act in human nature. No one does something without getting something in return. I think that this may be a very viable statement. If one does something with no tangible reward, they still feel an emotional reward. The reward is a sense of good doing and accomplishment. This is not to say that doing things for other people without material reward has less meaning or importance, but it brings a new definition to the word: selfless.

So the moral of the story is that I shouldn’t worry about things as silly as a presentation. And more importantly I shouldn’t stress things that are out of my control. But what are the chances that I am going to take my advice?