My Last E-mail Home
Last night I went to an Austrian folk dance. Dressed in my dirndl you would never tell I wasn’t an Austrian… except for my continuing lack of German language skills. I danced with Austrians, the dancemaster, Frau Thiel, and my roommate. Definitely not the dancing I am used too, but definitely a fun experience. Try to imagine a cross between a waltz, old English dancing, and a weird group dance with plenty of spinning, twirling, dirndls, and lederhosen thrown in. Guess you just had to be there. =)
The Austrian folk dance was probably the highlight of my week. It was another experience provided by Frau Thiel that made Elissa and I feel like we had been put in a time machine instead of a study abroad program. I am quite certain now that we are living in Austria during the Great Depression instead of the 21st century. We have learned what life is like on a farm, even though we live within the city, next to a mall even.
My birthday was last Sunday but since so many people were traveling or writing papers I did not celebrate. I went to lunch with a few girls but there was no proper 21st b-day celebration. Actually Frau Thiel and Elissa both were gone and I was at the house by myself. If you must know what I did for the entire day I will tell you: I watched Grey’s Anatomy. I watched it for hours and hours. I watched season one, part of two, and all of season three I have not seen yet. I am not addicted to the show like some girls here, but it was available and I have nothing else to do. It was a kind of reintroduction to American culture after being tv deprived all semester. It probably was not the best decision because it is emotionally draining and left me a bit depressed.
To be honest the depressed state I hit after my birthday was not induced by Grey’s Anatomy alone. The fact that I am leaving has hit me and I am terribly sad about it. Soon I will leave the 30 people that have been my entire life for the last three months. No longer will I get to grumble with Elissa about Frau Thiel and her crazy meals and even crazier comments. I won’t get to explore new cities with the awesome girls from Ouachita Baptist and bask in the southern accents that I miss from home. My drinking buddy Andy will no longer be around to encourage or help me do the things I really can’t do on my own. Elias, Jeff, Colin, and Noah won’t be part of my life constantly making me think they are slightly deranged or even on drugs. What will happen when I don’t have Alisha and Sam around to shop with and eat lunch with? And can I really do without the Wittenberg girls? Those chicas are the craziest and the best for any occasion. Adam won’t be around anymore to be my kindred spirit always ready with a joke, a laugh, or my stolen thought. And how am I going to survive without Kenny to talk about the dumbest and the smartest things I have ever heard? I am going to miss these people like none other. I love everyone at home so much and I cannot wait to see you, but it is bittersweet to think that I will never see any of these friends again.
I am so very excited to come home and leave Frau Thiel’s European Finishing School for American Girls. I can’t wait to be in Memphis and to do the things and see the places I didn’t know I loved till I left. And I absolutely cannot wait to see all of you! I will be home late on the 5th then on the 6th I will be at church, assuming I can wake myself up. =) On the 7th I am going to come to Union, so if you read this… be ready because I want to see everyone! I will probably stay in Jackson for at least two days. Who is excited besides me?
Also, if anyone is a slacker like me and doesn’t have huge commitments this summer, would anyone like to go on a road trip? Currently my only plans are taking online classes from UofM so I am completely mobile and would really like to visit an amazing friend in Oregon. Since this is such a long journey it would be awesome to have one or two friends come. Anyone interested? (I forget whom all this email goes to… so if you are someone like, oh I don’t know, my mom… you aren’t invited. Haha jk mom!) Seriously though, I will be going at some point in the schedule so I am flexible if anyone would like to join me. I am super fun to travel with! [End pitch.]
Tuesday I will be taking my last excursion to the ice caves. It will be the first day they are open so I am lucky to get the day off from school. Hurray for national holidays!
I hope everyone is well and not breaking under the pressure of jobs and the end of the semester. Speaking of jobs… if anyone knows of one that I can have… let me know that too. I am so needy in this email. Geez. I will end it now before I think of something else to ask for.
Much love.
