A summation

So the days are running out, and even though I am excited to go home, I still don't really want to leave. Now is the time to sum up my year, and I am going to do it out from my beautiful present I got from my host family. My host family has reached me so much, and my year wouldn't have been the same without them. They gave Mink and me each a special designed pandora bracelet. All the charms each represented something from our year. 

The empire state building stands for America, since it is here I had my exchange. The snowflake stands for all the snow we got this winter. And that was a LOT!

The heart says Mom on the side, which is specifically from my wonderful host Mom. The cheese says Wisconsin on the side. Wisconsin is very well known for their cheese, so that is why it is a cheese.

The fish is because I leaned how to fish this year, and I love it! The music nodes are for my love for choir. I have done so many amazing things with choir this year. It was one of my best classes.

The heart says family, because I have a lot of that now. 2 full sets of grandparents, 10 siblings, 1 niece and 1 nephew. The 16 says sweet on. I had my sweet 16 here and it was a lot of fun. We went to Mall of America right before my birthday. 

Ice cream!!!! I love Ice cream, and of course I have aeten a lot of that here. And I do love bags too! Therefore a bag.

Around christmas I got that funny idea that of course I wanted a dog. I didn't get it though, but I do still love dogs. Here lately I have had a love for old keys, and I have made a lot of fun with them. Therefore a key and its lock.

The basket ball is because I played basketball all winter, and I loved it! It is the only sport so far I don't absolutely stink at. Perhaps it is my tallness. The plane is because I took some trips this spring. First I was a week in Hawaii, and then 10 days in Florida. I do love to travel too. 

It has been an absolutely an amazing year! With ups and downs of course, but overall it has been a lot of fun!

- Troldungen

Prom and a little yard work

So i just realized I never had posted pictures of Prom, or other things, so here is a bunch of the pictures:

Prom:

Me and Marie:

Yard work: (now there is a little more leafs on the trees)

We got cows:

Mink is workig hard:

One of my host dad's work trucks....

AFS pre-departure:

May 5th:

Me and my american friend Sadie:

Having fun at Walmart:

-Troldungen

February fun

Now almost half of February has past, and yesterday we had another little snowfall. Winter is not giving any signs of being over soon, and the birds has not yet returned from the south. The snow yesterday came though in the evening, and before that the sun was out and it was very nice. Me, my liasion and my sister Mink therefore went out tubing. It is a lot like water sliding with a big round ring that you rite on. Here the water was just replaced by snow. It was a lot of fun! 

Last week was Snowball week, and you can say it is kind of Homecoming. Everyday is a speciel dressup day, og it ends Friday, with a dance. Unlike homecoming, Mink and I actually went to the dance. It was really fun, and I wore my new dress, so I am not complaining. Here is a picture of the new dress. 

The AFS kids form Webster excluded a german boy. It was really fun.

So we got basketball pictures taken the other week, and they arrived... I am so proud! A sport I actually thinks is fun, and I might have a little bit of talent for!!! (I know, who would have thought of that?) And now I even have documentation for it:

I found this funny picture on Facebook. Yes, this is exactly how much snow we have got...

A couple of weeks ago I got my first black eye! It was actually pretty cool, it didn't hurt for that long. Even though the next morning I had a little trouble opening the eye. The first picture is from the night I got the black eye, and the next 2 are from the next day. 

The date has finally arrived! We won a basketball game! And then we won the next one! Our last 2 games have been outstanding, just look at the scores! We are getting better!

Yes I know it is a long time since I last wrote, but everything is just normal for me now. Besides what I already mentioned, there really hasn't happened something really interesting the last couple of weeks. 

On Facebook there are all these groups about being an exchange student, and sometimes I love the pictures they post. They just hid the nail right on. Here are 2 examples:

- Troldungen

Hello January... Goodbye?

Wow I just thought we said hello to the new year, and suddenly the time is gone with the wind. In a couple of days it is already February, and I am starting to recognize what people were saying about the time after New Year. Now you have settled completely, and the time flies away with your daily activities. Day after day. Almost week after week. The weird part is that I love doing the daily activities even though there isn't anything really exciting about it. I really love school (weird right?), I LOVE basketball (Even though I kind of stink at it), and best of all: I have found some really good friends. Yes I had some problems before Christmas, but that's a part of being on an exchange. You have to deal with stuff, that I personally would rather avoid. I know this might sound a little cheesy, but i really understand now what Kelly Clarkson meant with her song:" What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". Well it is true. If somebody stamped on you, don't take revenge or cry about it. Learn how it can make you stronger. I have heard a lot of other people say this, and it haven't ever really sunk in. For a lot of people, they need to experience it for themselves. I have now. And if you are a really nice and forgiving person, you can almost thank the other person for making you stronger. I haven't reached that point in my development of my thoughts, but one day perhaps. 

So as I mentioned earlier, there hasn't really happened that much. Last Tuesday though, one of my american friends invited me to the movie theater to watch Frozen. Even though I have seen it before it is a great movie, and I thought why not. We went after basketball practice, and it was almost funnier the second time. And then after the basketball game Friday (WE WON a c-scuad game! 24-23. I made 2 baskets.) I then went to the same persons house and spent the night. Saturday was spent with Pretty Little Liars all day, and then I returned home. We had a great time, and it is nice to have such great friends. It is also worth mentioning that I am the only person in this house, except for my host-parents, that haven't gotten the really nasty flu. Friday I was the only one of the 6 kids going to school. It was very scary standing out in the dark and the cold, waiting for the bus alone. Well I survived, and I still haven't gotten sick. 

Yesterday and today the school was closed because of the cold... AGAIN! Not that I'm complaining, but as I stated earlier, I like school, and I get a little restless. Everybody says there is school tomorrow, and then the 2. semester is starting. I then exchange debate with anthropology and anatomy with sociology. So I should have a lot to do tomorrow. 

- Troldungen

New years! and a perfect definition of exchange students

A new year, a new start. Well that is anyway what everybody says. I, on the other hand, don't believe in a new start and in the new years resolutions. Why is it a new start just because you had a holiday break and it changed year? You are still in the same school/work, and you still have the same friends. The only time I believe in a new start is when something has changed. Like when you start in a new school, or in a new job. I don't believe in new years resolutions, because nobody ever achieves them. Everybody is like: This and this will I do better this year, but when February arrives, everybody has forgotten the things they promised themselves. The worse thing is then, they don't really care, so they let themselves down even without thinking it over. 

I had a nice quiet new years evening. We were celebrating it at home with some guys over from the church. It was nice, and a lot of board games was played. I love board games. Over here fireworks, jumping into the new year, and toasting the new year isn't a tradition. At midnight we saw the ball drop on Times Square, and I went to bed at about 2, so nice and quiet. 

Yesterday we had a basketball game. We lost again, not a big surprise. Even though the score was not something we had hoped for: 6 to 53! The worst so far. We can hardly be any worse, but it is still fun to play.

Over here January, the coldest month of the year, has started, and they have already cancelled school on Monday because it is apparently going to be the coldest day they have had for over 20 years! We are keeping warm, hope you guys are doing the same! Happy new year!!!

Found this amazing picture. It describes us exchange students quite well!

- Troldungen