These are a few of my favorite things!

Hi all! I have been wanting to write this post for awhile, but I have been busy and always feel like I should keep you updated on day to day activities. But this week has been relatively uneventful, just going to classes and doing schoolwork, so now is my chance. Can you believe it, I have been here for more than 3 weeks!? Crazy how fast it is going by. But in the mentoring group I do at school, at the beginning of each meeting, we all share our highs and lows for the week. It is a really good way to reflect on what has been going on in your life, and get a sense for how everyone else is going in others. So I thought I would do my highs and lows for the trip so far! Since I am such a positive person, highs first...

Highs

-Wine tasting and the castle visit during Orientation
-Getting my passport stamped when I arrived in Dusseldorf. I was totally exhausted, but it was exciting
-Eating lunch with my family
-Spontaneously eating enormous gelato sundaes for dinner one night in the city with a new friend
-Taking classes in a castle is pretty cool...
-Come to think of it, my classes themselves are pretty cool...favorites so far- Witch Hunts, Hitler, and Museums
-Finding out, after an xray and doctors visit, that I don't have TB and can stay in LUX! (It was a mandatory test)
-Reading a National Geographic - the only magazine in English- in said doctor's office that was literally published in 1980.
-Realizing how much I appreciate various things now that I don't have them- including central heating, my lovely Wedgie roommates, my favorite oatmeal and cereal, Kyle, Bodos and Christians, my family (especially Gabby), texting, and Panera soup. Even though its hard to be away from this stuff- mostly the people- not talking all the time makes it more exciting when we do and I feel like I am so much more aware of how great they are! (sorry to be a sap)
-Feeling like I am getting better at maps, public transportation, and all things direction related.
-Skyping and emailing with people that I miss
-Potentially coming up with a topic for my history thesis...
-The chocolate tour in Bruges, the waffle and beer is Brussels, the frites on the street- basically all the food and drink of Belgium
-Not being rusty while skiing and having the rush feeling when you go down the mountain
-All the traveling already, and all the plans for the future. Making preparations is so exciting...
-Running through my town and Differdange and exploring the area
-Cheap nutella and fruit at the grocery store!
-Buying souvenirs for people at home, and myself too :)
-My french teacher and the two male deans, who are so French its great
-Asking someone in french "where is the war?" instead of "where is the train station?" by accident. They sound the same, but it was an awkward moment!
-Meeting new friends who I already feel comfortable with
-Live music with the locales at the bar in Brussels

Lows
(not trying to be negative, but of course life isn't perfect and some things are tough)

-Not having the most welcoming host family in the world
-Always being cold. Lux is experiencing one of its coldest winters in a long time, and its a little rough. People here keep their houses a lot colder than the US, and its an adjustment.
-Sometimes getting homesick
-The time change making it hard to get in touch with people
-My shower- which is a handheld one where the water is always luke warm or cold...
-Sometimes rude Luxembourgish/French people. Some are super nice, some are not. It just takes awhile to get used to the cultural differences where people aren't friendly. I miss smiling at everyone I pass!
-That everything closes for a long lunch break, early in the evening, and all day Sunday
-Not being in charge of what I eat...the lunch at school is ok but very cafeteria style and breakfast everyday is white bread. Being relatively health conscious, its a little hard to get used to...but Im just trying to go with the flow.
-The Smoke! It is legal everywhere and extremely popular and I have accepted the fact that my clothes will just all reek of cigarette smoke. Still, its gross! I actually went up a ski lift with a women smoking a cig...ick

As you can see, far more highs than lows, so overall life is good! Sorry this is kind of random, I just wanted to write it all down and get it out!

Miss you and happy Wednesday!

Care

PS- feel free to comment on here! I would love it!