What's happening?

Hey y'all,
I haven't blogged for a long time, srry for that!
I'm kinda emotional right now and that's why I need to write down my thoughts somewhere because it feels like no one will understand it anyways when I try to talk to them about it.
It's a kinda rough time for me right now. You know I had some troubles with my friends when I came back from the USA and I'm more than happy that I also found new ones, which are totally different from the old ones. I don't know how to describe it but it feels like my old friends went on with their lives and got used to the fact that I haven't been there for almost a year. Now, everyone is doing something seperately on the weekend, I'm always the one asking them if they want to do something and most of the time they say no. It seems like they got comfortable and it's killing me. With my new friends a new chapter began and with them everything is fine, but with the old ones it's still sooooo different and I want to go back to the way I used to know them, but I know it's not gonna happen. I have trouble accepting that for a long time now and it will still take while for me to learn how to work with that, I guess...
See ya.
Luisa

2015 begins...

Hey y'all!
I hope you had a great new years eve! My year started quite nice, everything seems fine except that I don't have that much contact right now to my American friends. I don't know why, though. Maybe it's because it has been a very busy time, lately, I really don't know. But hopefully, it will get better soon and I can facetime with some of them again! :)
Two months ago this might have caused me depressions but right now I'm happy and it doesn't bother me that much because I'm busy as well. 
Four more weeks to go and then there is winter break! Two more exams and the first semester is done!!! Finally!!!
Also something I am looking forward is my USA trip in the summer!!!! Finally, I'm done planning my "Comeback" and booked the trip. First of all I will visit friends and hostfamily in Charlottesville and after that I will travel to D.C, Philadelphia, NYC, LA, Las Vegas etc. I can't wait, I am so excited! :)
I hope, you are doing fine.

Love, Luisa

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to y'all!!!

I know it's not quite Christmas yet but I know that I won't have any time for writing my blog during the holidays. 

Today a package from my hostfamily arrived and it, literally, made my day!!! I was so happy! I got a little book with pictures of them in it, a T-shirt ( American size) and a CD. I could have just started crying when I was listening to the CD. On it there are songs we were singing at church and for one moment I was back in the USA. It was so thoughtful and sweet of them and it made me feel a lil homesick again. I guess, this package was one of the best Christmas presents this year :)
I have sent a package to my hostfamily, as well and it already arrived. I'm glad it arrived in time. Now the holiday with a lot of food is coming up and I still can't believe one year is already over since I was celebrating Christmas ( in a different way) with my hostfamily. CRAZY! 

Well, I hope all of you will have an awesome Christmas and a happy new year!
Love, Luisa

Busy, busy, busy

Hi y'all,
I'm so srry I didn't post anything the last couple of weeks, but school keeps me busy. So, I had fall break two weeks ago and I can't believe it went by that fast! It's already November and it kinda makes me cry because I arrived in Germany almost 6 months ago, which ist CRAZY!!!
Gosh, how I miss it. I'm getting a little bit jealous when I see what the new exchange student is doing and I do really, really, really miss talking in English all the time..
I'm so glad I have the opportunity to talk about the exchange year in my German class because we have to prepare a speech about a specific topic ( one of it is a goodbye- speech for the hostfamily)

Life is still not the same, but I just learned to live with it and to make the best out it. I have to be thankful for the things I have and not to worry about the things I don't have..that's how I live my life right now. ;)

Anyways, I started thinking about life after the A-levels and I have three to four fav's: first: studying medicine, 2nd: business and economic law, 3rd English teacher or 4th Hotelmanagement... I can't quite decide which one it's gonna be. But I'll try out for all of them, I guess. 

Half of November is gone and  the temperatures 1 1/2 weeks ago were in the 70s!!! Everything is just going crazy :D

C ya,
Luisa

School has started

Hey there!
My second week of school is over. My new school I go to is great. I already found some friends and I feel welcome there. A day of school goes by very fast, it's crazy. My schedule is fine and riding the bus is fine as well ( but I'm glad when I'll get a car). But it's already more stressful than at an American High School, I tell you! :D

I was really worried last week. There has been a lock down at my old American school. A former student wanted to visit a teacher and he had on a tarn suit, a knife and probably a gun on him. It's crazy if I think about it. I have been at this school a couple months ago and now this was happening. But thanks to the good preparation American schools are always doing nobody got hurt.. I don't know what would have happened at a German school...
At school, I've found two other exchange students and it feels nice to talk to them about the year because they can understand me like no one else. But still, I think about this year every day and it feels like it's a different life! Sometimes I have to ask myself: Was it only a dream? Or did it really happen? 
And now, my life has changed again: new school- new people. It's not like before and I don't want it like before. But it would be nice if some things could still be the same... Sounds crazy but the life before the exchange year, the exchange year and my life now are three completely different lives.. :D

Hope, everything is alright

Love, Luisa

Confusion...

Hey y'all,
I know it's a while ago since I've written something in here.. But..well. My IEC (International Exchange Coordinator) told me it might be hard to go back, it might be one of the hardest things about the exchange year. I tell ya, it's true! :-D
I have/ had a small depression. You miss to speak English all the time, when you go back you think, naively, everything will go back to as it was before you've left, but that's not the case. My friends changed over the year as well as I did. It feels like almost all of them can't understand me. Well, of course they can't because they haven't been through all of these things over the last year. If I tell them I feel depressed they look puzzled and it looks like they are thinking: "Why should she be depressed she just lived her dream and now she is back at home with her friends and family" Of course that's true but it's only half of the story.. Some of them don't even want to stay in touch with me eventhough I'm back now and we could do things together again.. at least that's how it feels like... with others I don't want any contact anymore because how they live is not the way I want to live... I feel lonely and misunderstood a lot and it makes me so sad. I'm afraid I'll lose what I've learned over the last year so I'm trying to watch as many movies and read as many in English as I can but it feels like it's not enough. If I skype with my hostfamily etc it feels so good to talk in English again.. but after this hour it's over again.. and I recognize how much I miss it. 
Well.. that's, basically, how I felt/ feel the last couple of weeks..
But it can only get better, can't it? ;)

Love, Luisa

Welcome back!

Hey y'all,
I'm back in Germany. I decided to  write in English, means: there won't be any more posts in German, srry.
Anyways, to be back in Germany feels sooooo weird! It feels like I'm back in the past, like time travelling. First of all: I have to speak in German again ( sometimes I still can't remember the German word for sth), second of all: 10 1/2 months is a long time that I've missed here in Germany, things aren't there anymore where they are supposed to be, people have changed etc. I know now, what they mean with "reversed culture shock". It's crazy!
But it's great as well. To see all my friends and family members again after such a long time feels so good. I also miss my life in the USA, it's just so different. I wish I could live both at the same time..
Time flies now even faster than in the USA, the days are too short for what I've planned, it's a little bit disappointing. 
I signed up as an ambassador of EF, means I can be part of orientation meetings, interviews or whatever and I get points for it to re-change it into a present, but more information in one of the upcoming posts ;)

I don't know when I'll post another one because, right now, I don't have much time but I'll try very hard, promise. It's just too much right now, I'm still in the culture shock and I can't describe everything for now, but let me tell you that: it's a great feeling to be back, eventhough, I miss the friendly people (that was one of the first thing I noticed about Germany when I came back..) , and just the American culture

I hope, u r alright.
Love,
Luisa