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

Des Moines and a visit

So it has been a while since i wrote here, but as you all can recognize, you get a life over here, and with a life there is normally a lot of things to do. 

Last weekend we took a trip down to Des Moines. That is the capital of Iowa. The trip was because of Minks birthday, the same as I got a trip to Mall of America. The drive down there took 6 hours, a little getaway. When we went down there, we had no idea, that we where going to a concert. There were 3 bands playing at the concert. First up was Dustin Lynch, a country band, with a big C. Next up was Little Big Town, two men and two ladies also from the country. This band was playning music closer på pop, and it turned out Emilie was a big fan of them. Finally Keith Urban came on. Everybody was so overwhelmed, and I was just standing there with absolutely no idea of who he was. It turned out to be an Australian man with way too long hair. His music was actually okay, and something I recognized. The next day (Sunday) we took out to look at bridges. No it wasn't just bridges, it was covered ones made of wood. Some of them were actually pretty.

Here is Little Big Town:

Keith Urban:

Court house in Des Moines:

This weekend I had the great opportunity to spend with my AFS Liaison. She invited me over to spend the weekend, so I went to her house on Friday, and came home Sunday. Saturday we walked with the dogs, and we went to these little cozy and nice Christmas stores. It was so nice and quiet. Even though I love living with the Pope's, as an only child, I can always use some quietness. It is difficult to get used to all the noise at home. My Liaison (Lisa) likes to cook, and she is great at it, so that certainly made the weekend even better, as a lot of you know, I love good food! Over all it was really a nice visit, but I am also happy to be back with the Popes.

Today basketball practice started, so I will probably be soar tomorrow, but I really enjoy playing, so it will be fine.

- Troldungen

AFS post-arrival camp and my birthday

Last weekend I was on the second AFS-camp. You can't really call the first orientation a camp, because it was only a single day. This time we spent a whole weekend in the camp. This "camp" was a place were people can rent a cabin with a kicthen, a living room, and two big bedrooms with a lot of double beds (køjesenge). We were given a lot of information, and we got a lot of tools to adjust to local conditions and get over homesickness. I think the best part was to meet the other AFS exchange students from this region called North-Central Wisconsin. I really like AFS, because i know there is somebody who cares about me. Once a month you either just talk to your liason or otherwise meet with them. 

So here is some pictures from the good weekend:

The Italian exchange student the ached me this cool trick, to take pictures of eyes, without a micro lens:

You have properbly noticed that I now write in English. That is because even though I had the translate box there, it could lead to misunderstandings. Automatic translations doesn't always get the right twist.

This weekend it was my birthday. Sweet sixteen. We went to Mall of America Friday. That was a really good day. We spent the first half of the day going on rides and the second shopping. When we are talking about Mall of America, it is the biggest mall in US and there must be rides. You could say it has a built-in "Tivoli". Some of them was a lot of fun, and some a little too scary for me. I have figured out that the rides, that are not roller coasters, makes me motion sick. And we did shopping. Lots of shopping. And I still don't seem to get enough. I really needed some stuff, so it was good to get that off my shoulders, but because of my birthday, there were some things, that I wrote on my birthday list. 

Saturday we had a gun shoot here at our house, and I got to shoot my first shoot with gunpowder style. That was cool (and a little scary). Saturday evening I got an ice cream cake, and it tasted so good. I also got my presents from my host parents. A big world map to pin all the places I've been, and a really nice pair of leather boots. I couldn't have wished for more. Church was on the plan for sunday, and I wore my Lady-vintage dress, that I love. On our way home we ended up in a very little blizzard. First snow of the year on my birthday! Does that mean that I have been a bad kid? Anyway it was a really nice weekend, and thanks to all of you, who sent me a present and some thoughts.

- Troldungen