CBYXers '09-'10

6 Months.

Since yesterday, I have been in Germany for 6 months. Technically, I've been on an exchange for 6 months. Today would be my official 6 month of being in Germany, considering my plane didn't arrive into Germany until August 17, 2010. Oh my goodness, isn't that quite a bit of time? I think so. I left everything I knew 6 months ago: my family, my friends, my home, every sense of familiarity I had for something completely new in the sense of adventure... and an "adventure" has it been.

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I must say, I am a member of a cult. This is the most selective cult out there, going worldwide. Truthfully, once you're in, there really is no going back no matter where you go or even if you lose the purpose of the cult. The cult is always still behind you. When it seems like no one really can even begin to understand what you're going through or those things that you just can't seem to get out in the open with anyone else: a member of the cult will always be a great confidant. Although you should be warned, once one person has been told, there has been evidence that the stories tend to spread within the cult quite a bit. Now this cult operates under a couple names, but the most easily identified with is known as CBYXers (for the exchange year of '09-'10).

I have asked my sisters if their years were like this, and I don't think they honestly were. I don't know if they can understand exactly the extent to which our bond is at. Back on the first day of my "adventure," I sat in an airport in Washington DC, meeting these other exchange students from the southwestern part of America for the first time. Even 6 months later, I can tell you exactly who I was sitting next to in the beginning: Jordan, Alan, Lyle, Dylan, Billy, Katelyn, Kate, Nick, and Tiffany. Tiffany, Katelyn, and I had made it through the Washington DC airport together as we had all gotten on the same plane and Dallas and recognized each other as teenagers with tons of suitcases, saying 'goodbye' to family and friends. The story just began... Now (6 months later), I can honestly say that I have gotten crying phone calls from other exchange students about what is going on and the situation, and I can even honestly say that I have called other exchange students bawling about what is going on with me and my situation. I found myself on the phone yesterday afternoon, coming up with bad metaphors about the American government and the new exchange legislation (the exchange students cost school districts money, so they are trying to minimize exchange thus save money) 

"If your arm hurts, do you cut off your leg?" 

"... What?"

 "Okay, let's say the American government has a porn problem, and it is making them broke. They are going to cut their bill $2 every month and stop buying vitamins instead of stopping buying porn, which when they stop buying the vitamins, they might have cost themselves more money because they'll have to go to the doctor later in the end! Exchange is a piece of peace and understanding that will help in the future!"

"... Lissa, how long have you been waiting to use porn problems in a metaphor about our government?"

"I don't know, the inspiration just came to me!"

I know that when I was in Köln once again with all the other exchange students, (although we are missing 6 students now for various reasons!) I felt so entirely comfortable being with them again and hearing about their stories that no one would have been able to guess at something that I had pointed out to a couple exchange students: I had missed them longer than I had known them. After only knowing each other for a month, then going off on our separate ways for 4 months before seeing most of each other again. More proof: In October, me and two other exchange girls living in the area met up and had a slumber party. None of us had been friends in language camp, but after a month apart, we spent the night together happily and talked to each other when things weren't going the way we planned or if the stress felt like a little too much sometimes. Trust circle.

I am sorry that I am not a good person with my blog and don't talk about the German traditions too much or elaborate on the meanings of Karneval and the Karneval celebrations, but these are the thoughts that have been swirling around my head lately: my little exchange cult.

ich habe keine Ahnung...

I really don't know what I am doing right now... but updating didn't seem like such a bad idea. : )

So it is Sunday morning, I heard the birds chirping the other day for the first time in, what felt like, forever. On Monday, we received the most snow that Aachen has gotten in over 25 years! Isn't that insane? I still made my way to Volleyball practice Monday night because I just had to walk, but a lot of people were snowed in... we still had school. Silly, huh? Well, by Wednesday most of the snow had melted away and on Thursday, I was already walking home slowly from my bus stop, holding my huge puffy jacket in my hands and enjoying the nice, warm 48°F. In October, when the weather started turning that cold, I would have protested and been pulling out layers and scarves, now my Texas inner-thermostat has apparently readjusted. Now, the snow lays in little piles, but it melts away slowly...

I read someone else's blog and their description of January and what a hard month it was, which is completely understandable. Now, we are in the beginning of February, and it already holds a little promise as a new beginning of a new month. The days are a little longer: I get an extra 3 minutes of sun every single day. : ) I've been trying to keep extremely busy, this weekend was full of plans: Thursday- Movies with Friends. Friday- Dancing with a group of friends from Dance. Saturday- Café with other Friends. Sunday- Raclette with Friends. Hopefully, everything that is keeping me busy will keep me out of trouble too, but I must say, the past two nights have been relatively disturbing. The past two nights, I have dreamt of home. Of Prosper. Of my family and friends. That really doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is a great day, very happy, and when I dream of my family, I can't sleep. I wake up so many times in the middle of the night that it doesn't really feel like I ever am getting any actual sleep. A part from that, after dreaming in English, my German feels like mush in my mouth when I try to pronounce everything. I am more aware of my errors than anyone else, and it is one of these things like, "Come on, I know this stuff." Bad dreams leads to bad German. : ( I've had so many odd and vivid dreams containing my family: last night, it was me and my sisters and some bad guy was after us and tried to get us, so I turned back the time to when I was 5 but I still had the brain of a 16 year old, so it was really weird. In my dream, I took pictures of a 7 year old Tori, swinging on the back porch, laughing happily... Isn't that odd? I wake up so confused, because I know I am in a completely different place... Hmmm... Thought provoking.

Karneval is next week! It is coming soon! Karneval is the huge German version of Mardis Gras, and it officially started back in November, but it is about to really get under way, starting with "Fettdonnerstag." (Fat Thursday) We get off of school Thursday, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday to celebrate Karneval properly which includes tons of parades, costumes, balls, and traditions that I can't wait to take part in! I guess I can't really describe it until I have tried it. No worries, I'll let you know later what all happens. ; ) For my costume: I am proudly dressing up as a cowgirl! I never got to be a cowgirl in Texas, so why not be a Texan cowgirl in Germany? : ) Kristina was also a cowgirl when she was an exchange student, so that makes me laugh. Okay, well off to go do something... Not sure, but we'll see. There was so much I wanted to say, but it all just slipped through my fingers.