Whoop for the Wall!!!!

Ok, so the Berlin Wall is amazing.....and I've finally started to get used to these computer's key locations....or I've just gotten used to the backspace...haha!!! The train to Berlin was really sweet. I tried to take pictures through the window....but that didn't work out so well. We got to the hotel, and there was a mix up with our rooms.....our room is really...um......cozy. I'm trying, as Chyng pointed out, to be as complient with everything as I can be...just becaue I dont feel like being anything more than passive. I'll blog more I'm sure through the trip...so guten tag for now. ;)

Berlin

Well, we are in Berlin and its a blast!!! Of course there is more graffity in the city than the entire Northeast combined. Yet that does not ruin the fun for the trip, Im extremely excited for New Year's eve. Last night we went to a local Jazz club which is alot of fun, but a girl with a funky haircut kept trying to stare down the group, in particular the girls. Needless to say there didnt seem to be much upstairs in that blonde head of hers. We also toured the Berlin wall, which over time has become a solid mass of graffity, but it was still moving to know that it was once a sinister symbol of the cold war. Tonight we are looking forward to celebrate New Year's at Brandenburg gate.

Original Second Post

sorry once again heres post 2

12-29-30 Lacie Kilsby 16:23

The trip so far has been more than I could expected. I really enjoy the town of dusseldorf and the hotel is more than great. Yesterday we celebrated my 20th birthday. We first got to journey into cologne. My favorite part of the day was the elephant house. Getting to go behind the scenes like that was something you expierience only once in a life time. Seeing the Dome was also an experience I am not likely to forget. The night was exciting as we first started out on our own to find a restaurant to fit 12 people that everyone would like. That in it self was a task. Over all it has been amazing and I wish I could celebrate every year in Germany!

My original first post

sorry these all have to come together but i had some tech difficulties. so here is post 1


I got really nervous today as I was putting the final touches in my suitcase. Do I have enough of everything…do I have too much? This will be my first time in Europe and I am really excited. Though we have been thoroughly prepared, I still know nothing will be as I expect. It is odd spending Christmas with my family all cozy in the house while I kept thinking of how in 24 hours I will be on a plane miles away from the familiar. This is the beginning of a great adventure!

New Years Eve in Berlin Tonight

Woo wee! So we are in Berlin right now in an internet cafe. Last night we went and saw the Berlin wall for a second and then wandered around the mall for awhile. After that we went to a jazz cafe and listened to music for a little bit. I must say that i think that was exactly what i needed. Just a nice relaxing night out. I enjoyed eating at the Italian place for lunch and i genuinely enjoyed our waitor. Courtney said he mentioned that he liked Americans because we are always happy and always smiling and i like to thing that is definitely something we are all about. Well so tonight we are celebrating Sylvester and I hope that we all stay safe and have a good time. I am very excited!

Executive Decision Maker

Berlin is so different from Düsseldorf! I love the S-bahn, it gets me everywhere. I wish we had something similar in the US... The East Side Gallery was very cool and the graffiti art left on the Berlin Wall was insightful. I'm not sure if all the other writing on there now is very appropriate, but the art was impressive. The jazz club was very relaxing, until the red-sweater German lady. I've never sat through a jazz performance like that before, it was a good experience. I ordered chicken-schnitzel last night, it tasted like Tyson's breaded chicken breast that you bake yourself in the oven. Kind of a disappointment.

I'm excited about the New Years celebration tonight. We apparently were very close to the Brandenburg Gate area last night when we saw the ferris wheel and the food stands.

Blogger Difficulties Resolve!!

Yay! blogger finally worked for me! yesterday was a blast. i am loving berlin! I think I like the New York feel it has. I was really excited about last night because we finally found something to do as a group that everyone enjoyed. We went to a jazz club called b-flat and it was a good way to relax before the intense silvester. Though we did have a little bit of trouble with the motion sensored revolving door! I think we have mastered the transportation here in Berlin which makes it nice to be able to move around without looking like blatant tourists. We visitied the Berlin wall last night which was really neat, but I think I would like to see it in the daylight. The hotel amelie is apartment style and I really like that since we are going to be here for a week because I feel more at home rather than a hotel style. Well the daylight is wasting and I want to explore more of Berlin!

I hope that I don't offend anyone...

Expanding on my last blog, I have been very surprised at the reaction of most of the Germans that I have met in my attempts to speak German. Dr. Wasser had mentioned that most Germans will help you to speak German and are relatively pleased when you at least make the effort, but I didn't expect such positive reinenforcement and encouragement. So far, when I have had the courage to attempt to speak German I have either been politely corrected or recieved positive encouragement. This has boosted some of my confidence and made me a little bit more outgoing.

In most situations I am still a little embarassed and worried that I will just come across as an a##, but I think that learning some of the language is part of the abroad experience. I guess that I just need to suck it up and feel stupid for a few weeks and hope that I don't offend anyone.

Communication Boundaries

Alright, I have to mention my telephone card predicament because I am so frustrated by it.

Over the past year, my experience with people from other countries has led to the conclusion that one of the most valuable assets for any individual is the ability to communicate effectively across language barriers. A prime example of the value of communicating across language barriers and my own inability to communicate effectively occurred in Dusseldorf where I purchased the wrong telephone card.

The first day we were here in Germany, we were in a small store with two cash registers, and we were all seeking to by the same telephone card. I went to the other cash register, and they gave me the wrong card. I leave no blame to the girl working the register and blame my self for this blunder. I was never able to use the card and completely wasted the five Euros because I couldn't communicate to the cashier what exactly I wanted. The situation was even further exacerbated when I attempted to use the card (ineffectively, I couldn't read the German directions) and had to purchase another card (only to leave it on the hotel desk in Dusseldorf after using only eight minutes). I am so frustrated by my situation and am reluctant to purchase another card. I would like to call some of my family back home, but I may just wait and talk to them when I get back to the US.

This experience really made wish that I was bilingual and that I had spent more time to learn basic German before I came. I hope that in the future I can devote more time to learning another language and expanding my communcative abilities... I think that I should start with German.

Berlin definitely rocks

Although we just arrived yesterday, I am enjoying the amazingness that is Berlin immensely. Checking into our hotel was a bit of a hassle- we had to wait a long time for our rooms. But the rooms are rather nice so the wait was okay!

We went to the Alexanderplatz last night-- it had an ice skating rink, a ferris wheel, and all of these cute food stands. We also went to a jazz club, where we managed to pay half price just because we were thinking about leaving. I met some cool people there too! Two french guys, named Viktor and Stefan, helped me order drinks. They just finished University and were in the helicopter industry, so they travel all over Europe on business. Stefan even studied for a while at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado! So they were very helpful and even suggested some places for us to see.

All in all, this trip has been amazing, although I seem to get tired very easily while I am here; it may be just because I still have not quite adapted to European time yet!

Hallo!!!

I personally love saying this word. As well as 'ya.' I seem to use it in many unessasary ways. I forgot to mention in my last blog that we saw the wall yesterday, the east side gallery. This was so impacting on me. First of all, I happen to appreciate graffiti art, and because we walked the entire length of the wall. I also wanted to mention one more thing that I think is important to remember in the US. I know how it sucks to not know the language, and I can see that we have all encountered language barriers. I have always been sympathetic towards this, because English is most definately not my first language. Being in that semi trapped situation again, I think it is important to remember and be patient with people in the same situation back home.

Das Blog Post

Berlin rocks my socks. Last night we got in and became and went to a pizza place where we had the most animated waiter i've seen in a while. He definantly was from italy and spoke both german and threw in some italian which sure as heck didn't help us follow along. That night we all went to the East side gallery to see the biggest intact part of the Berlin wall. It was very interesting and it had amazing street art or "graffiti". Then we walked around the alexander platz which is where that huge tower in berlin is. At this one hotel in the alexander platz they had this ellaborate revloving door which shopping merchandise like imbedded in the door and it sensed the movement of your feet so that it didn't kill you. Will us americans just had to make a scene... or so it might of seemed, the door stopped when we we're halfway threw it and then we found not only us but germans on the other side of the door almost stuck. Jessica ended up coordinating everyone to exit the revolving door area and succesfully the door turned on again. We got the most definative weird looks but atleast it made for a funny story. and on that note i say to you chow

The Ampelmann

Okay guys,
The first thing that I have to say that I absolutely LOVE about Berlin is the overall fascination of the ampelmann. Admittedly, I already bought a pro east berlin t shirt, lighter, and photographed the little guy. I also think its absolutely hilarious how many bear Ive seen. no, not real ones, but big-small ones. the man of the year is photographed alongside a lovely polar bear. The large brown one on the shopping strip leading to the brandenburg gate in a store called the toy place i have nicknamed Yorick. it is the only name worthy of this honor!!!

All right, another thing I must mention about Dusseldorf now that we have left it is that I personally loved seeing Barbarossas palace. Although we got semi´disoriented in Kaiserwerth, I believe we learned a slew of German words just out of confusion. The walk towards the castle ruins was amazing. we were blessed with lovely weather and the quiet and peacefullness of the Rhine was almost a godly experience. It was uber amazing!!!

I am also completely positive that I had the best bockwurst of my life for less than two euro at the curry post. I love Germany. I also must say that I have enjoyed meeting so many different personalities. Dr. Wasser is also my personal ask jeeves. I believe him to be a true renassiance man.

Ich bin ein Berliner

I are in Berlin. Great city, great fun. Although I'm not exactly the big city kinda person, I'm still having much fun. Our first night here I actually saw the Berlin Wall, as well as some (ahem) colorful graffiti. I wish I'd brought my camera but I plan on going back in the daytime. After that, our group visited a German mall. Interesting and oddly familiar I have to say.

I also ventured into my first jazz club. An interesting experience I must say. I probably could have been better without the funky screwdriver I had but I'm still glad I went. Totally worth it.

It wasn't all sunshine and giggles the first night here though. The train trip managed to take it out of me quite throughly, but I still managed to recover somehow. Three people to a room for the next week is also a bit cramped but I'll manage somehow. Finally, I managed to antagonize one of my fellow classmate by saying something tactless for which I'm very sorry for. I was joking and to think about it, it didn't even make sense. Ahhh....

Today is New Year's Eve and I'm very excited. I'm going to see some sights and exhibits during the day and party out at night. Sylvester is going to be great. I just hope I can finally get some Pepcid so I won't feel as crappy as I did last night in the jazz club.

Finishing my previous post

I didn't get a chance to finish my previous post, so here goes...

The public transportation is great. There are some cultural differences, such as personal space and level of congeniality with people you don't know, but it is all very interesting.

Cologne was a rather interesting place. I enjoyed the zoo, especially our "behind the scenes" tour. The food that the animals are fed is surprising like people food, and the giant beets that the elephants eat actually didn't taste that bad. I've wondered before how elephants are handled and cared for, and it is surprisingly similar to the way cattle are handled, just with larger equipment.

Seeing the wise men in the Kölner Dom was neat, and our city guide was pretty cool.

In Düsseldorf on Saturday, we had a free afternoon after morning lecture, which Nancy, Andy, and I spent by visiting Kaiserswerth, north of Düsseldorf, where there were ruins of an old fortress/castle built in the 11th century. It took a bit of thinking and map consulting to find, and in the process we stumbled upon a pretty cool hotel. Once we realized that we had initially gone the wrong direction, it wasn't too hard to find. The 'castle' was positioned next to the Rhine. While it had been blown up by the French when the retreated from the Prussians (I think), much of it remained. We were unable to go inside, but still got to walk around on the side and see a inside a good deal. Apparently, the Nazis made it a memorial during their reign, and there was a marker outside of the gate. We were not sure if the stone marker was put there after WWII by the town or before by the Nazis. At any rate, it was a nice excursion.

Nancy and I spent the rest of the evening wandering about town, strolling down Königsallee, marveling at the expensive, upscale store like Prada and Chanel. We stumbled upon a pretty church, Johanneskirche, that looked really cool at night. There was a statue of Kaiser Wilhelm and Otto von Bismark outside of the church, and I was proud of myself for recognizing Bismark, even though I couldn't place him. I'm getting better at German history!

I was kind of sad about leaving Düsseldorf since we had sort of figured out our way around, but I'm super excited to be in Berlin. There is so much to do here, but I'm not sure that we'll be able to fit everything in, even the shortened list!

So, we got started last night. The whole group went to see the Berlin wall at the East Side Gallery, and Carrie, Nancy, and I walked the whole kilometer's worth. Then the three of us visited the Brandenburger gate and walked around the outside of the Bundestag. we think we also passed by the Russian embassy and that of the UK too. New Year's Eve (today!) is going to be so crowded and busy down there. I sort of want to see the US embassy now.

We stopped at a couple of souvenir shops, and at one of them we saw cuckoo clocks. They are very pretty, but rather expensive. The smallest fully wood one was €139, which works out to about $210. Yikes! It would be risky business carting it around anyway.

The food here is also rather good. German food seems to have a good deal of meat and bread, just like Dr. Wasser said, which is good because I love bread! We've also eaten at an Italian restaurant, and the food there was awesome as well. Our waiter was also really friendly there, always smiling, very patient, and cracking jokes.

I guess that's all for now, can't wait until tonight!

self excursions have value to...

so the tours have been great and i love rounds of drinks on our program fee is just a great idea. But i must say that today has been a wonderful day. i napped for 3 hours after lectures and awoke at 6. i went to the film museum but they were closed. I then decided to walk up along side the rhine river past the crooked tower. I finally arrived at this huge mosaic on a wall and it was beautiful. It was most definantly an unexpected surprise but a very worthwhile one. I then went back to the mini pizza place recommended to us by Stephanie. It was sweet they make you a minipizza not just a slice fresh when you order it. I met 2 nice Germans who spoke english and they gave me directions to a quite little bar that served great espresso and i read the roy porter book for a little while. The night now ends with me just going to the little shop outside the hotel and carrying the most butchered german conversation with a man for 3 or 4 minutes, he spoke no english... in the end i enjoyed my nacht and i definantly appreciated the practice of german speaking.

whoa

We have only been in Germany for three days and already I feel like I have seen so much! Dusseldorf has the "small town appeal" even though last night as we left the Altstadt, some young Germans decided to throw a firecracker in our direction. I really wasnt expecting much from our day trip to Cologne but I had so much fun at the zoo. I know that I will never get a chance to be that close to wild animals again. Being allowed to go where the bear keepers and elephant keepers work was amazing and it made the zoo experience unlike any other. It was ZUPER fun (haha). The Cathedral in Köln was breath-taking. The tour guide was informative even though I felt really rushed the entire tour but it was interesting nonetheless. The lectures today were very interesting especially the second one about the Nazi euthanasia. So far, I have had so much fun with everybody, more than I had expected to in such a short time. Last night when we arrived at the Hbf, we decided to stop to get döners and turkish pizza...thank goodness that a young girl spoke some english or else we would have never been able to eat.

Oh yeah Im excited that I finally learned how to say "excuse me" properly.

Köln

As a Catholic, one of the things that I was looking forward to visiting on this trip was Köln and the Dom. The cathedral was amazing, and I could easily see why the people of Köln are so proud of it. It size and architecture amazed me from the outside, but I enjoyed the inside even more. The crypts, statues of saints, and the three wise men really had an impact on the me, especially during this time of year. It was a unique experience of my faith's history, and, now I would really like to go to Rome.

Internet Cafe

Well this trip so far has been more than I expected. We have done so many things and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Visiting the zoo and going behind the bear and elephant house was SUPER fun. I feel like I will never have a chance to be that close to animals like that again. We then walked Cologne and learned alittle bit about its history which I thought was very interesting. I thought that last night was exciting when we all went out together. I feel like we have officially mastered the transportation system in Düsseldorf. Its a shame that we are leaving this city already. But I cant wait to leave for Berlin tomorrow!

In Dusseldorf

So far the trip has been a blast! There have been some small every day instances in German life that occasionally throw me off, like the z and y being switched on a keyboard or the coke bottles have their caps not fully come off. Light switches are unique and sometimes seem complicated. But besides these setbacks its incredible to be standing on history and be immersed in a wholly unique culture who previously Ive only read and seen movies on.

dontknow how to use this computer...

i reallz dont know how to use this european computer, so i figured that i just wouldnt worrz about spelling and grammer, and just let mz fingures do what thez normallz do. itll be part of the blog. ha. ok so weäre in duesseldorf, and i have had a fantastic time. i was just told bz a good fridne next to me, who is watching me tzpe this...that i shouldnt tzpe a long one....so i wont. all i will saz is that i love this trip, the people, the food, ...the drinks....which are plentz.....and waz tooo dang expensive....and if icould find the exclatation point there would be lots. i love what we are learning...and i know that one daz i will be able to use this computer no problem.

First Impressions of Duesseldorf

We arrived! Everything is very citified. The streets are smaller than I'm used to, but then again, the cars are smaller too. The public transportation here is really great, once you figure it out. The German people seem rather nice too, and Stefanie is awesome. Time to go to class, more later.

dusseldorf and cologne

germany has been absolutely amazing. there is a lot of stuff to get used to, like th fact that i cant figure out how to make capital letters on this keyboard, but i am having a lot of fun just the same. we went to the cologne zoo yesterday, and had a lot of fun. i really l iked the fact that the architecture is styled to the location that the animal comes from. i also enjoyed being inside the elephant enclosure and looking at the bears close up. we've had all sorts of adventures-from trying to figure out how to use an adapter to finding food in under five minutes. i was also in complete awe of the dom. being a catholic, i appreciated the beautiful architure and enjoyed hearing the story of princess ursula.

dusseldorf is also amazing. more later

Sleepy!

Its a dreary Saturday morning here in Dusseldorf and I'm quite tired from celebrating Lacie's birthday last night! Everything we did yesterday, from the zoo to the museum to the dom was awesome! I had a really great time. It has been very strange seeing the honesty of everyone in Germany. Our tour guide yesterday was quite blunt and it was very different than anything you would see in the US. I'm looking forward to Berlin and the New Year!

First Impressions

Well, I'm finally here, Duesseldorf. It all seems so unreal, but to be honest I couldn't be happier. Well, that's not true, I would like to meet a nice frauline...

Anyway, I am truly happy to be here. Flying here was an absolute hell though. I managed to stay awake for about 60 hours before I finally was able to crash. But our first day was worth the pain. Getting to know everyone and touring the city was an experience to remember. I now know what Dr. Wasser meant when he said we'd be surrounded by culture. Duesseldorf is nothing like I have seen in the US; you can't walk 4 steps without encountering some form of public art. The people here, while curt, are very real. This is a refreshing change from the phonies back home.

I was quite amazed at the food here as well. My dad made it seem that Germans do not put much effort into cuisine, but that is so not true at all. I've had two fantastic meals while I've been here. Maybe it was because my dad was in bavaria for a year, I don't know. I also have to say that the breakfast here in the hotel is the best I've had.

Our second day was even better. Our group got to go to the zoo. The animals were facinating and we had the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the animals. I was literally a meter from an elephant and some bears. After the zoo, we toured Köln. It wasn't as fun but that might have been due to how painful it became to walk after doing so much that morning.

The highlight of the day was when the entire group went out drinking. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, even though I capped myself at two drinks. I got to know my classmates better and I'm a better person for the experience.

It's hard to imagine how any of this could get better, but I know that it will. I could get used to another two weeks of this.

Leaving tody!

Alright alright... I'm in the airport right now and I'm getting all kinds of excited. I am a bit anxious. i always get worried when I got places that I am not familiar with but I hope that i AM able to over come that during this trip. I can't wait to see everything and start my learning experience. Woo Wee!!! I shall see you all soon!

We're leaving!

We're in the airport about to board the plane and I'm looking forward to studying the history of medicine and doing lots of sightseeing! I am looking forward to Berlin the most. I am worried about getting homesick, but I'm sure its going to be an awesome trip!

Oh yes!

So i really like the reality of this trip. When i first heard Dr. Wasser mention it on the first day of class i was not ever thinking of studying abroad because of being afraid of getting behind in my major. But this trip was exactlly what i wanted , a streamlined activity filled winter class relating to medicine. The more i learned about Germany in the class the more excited i got about the trip.

If theres one thing i'm a little worried about it's sleep. The only time i've ever been over Europe i had the most horrible jet lag experience ever. There were two days of my life that were a complete blur. Other than that i really think this trip will be one of those great experiences that i don't know how often i'll get to do with how busy college can get and hopefully med school as well.

Man did time fly past me!!!

Ok, finally I have figured out how to work this whole "blogging" process. I am not always the most technologically advanced...haha...but I love that this class has this blog. I have enjoyed reading that my peers have the same worries and anticipations that I have.
I am so unbelievablly excited to be leaving for GERMANY in a day! I have this travel itch that won't cease! As the heads of the program have come to find... I am a procrastinator extreme, so like others...my time has gotten away from me. I don't feel that I have studied the language as much as I'd have liked to, or the history (aside from the fantastic lectures by Dr. Wasser). None the less, I just want to get there already. I am ready to see the architecture, experience the people, see how medicine exists in another country, and simply view the stars from a new place (hoping it won't be too cloudy). The museums and hospitals are just waiting for my questions. Haha! And I can reassure them....I will have many!
The program thus far has done so much to prepare me for trip. My anticipations are high, and my anxiety is existant...but very low. :) I think that we are all so lucky to have this opportunity! I have been to Ecuador twice, and Mexico a couple of times, and I KNOW that I will be enlightened beyone my imagination by this trip. I have already met so many fantastic people, and am eager and looking forward to getting to know them!
I also love airports! I love to sit and watch the families around me...thinking and wondering where they are traveling to, and what is there purpose for travel. So interesting-the people that I've spoken to! "Bon voage" to all those who will read this before they go, and I will see yall soon!

Exhaustion

With the trip to Germany drawing near, I find myself experiencing none of the emotions and anticipations that I had when I initially registered for the program. Originally I was excited about this experience and this trip, and the material and coursework we did the past semester sustained my excitement and increased my enthusiasm. I have always enjoyed experiencing different cultures, and I have been looking forward to the chance to experience European culture and environment in Germany.

However, I have been exhausted by finals and the holiday season. Now, I am just ready to go. I don’t feel as excited as I once did, and I regret not having more time to learn more about German culture, history, and their language before our course begins. Yet, my sentiments may only be due to the length of the last semester and this holiday season. I expect that my excitement and enthusiasm will come back on the flight over.

Upcoming Trip

I have never traveled beyond North America before, the reality of traveling so far never really came into focus until I started packing today. In only a few days I will be leaping thousands of miles towards an unfamiliar setting. It was always a dream of mine to see Europe, its cities are so laden in history. It will be awing standing on ground once ruled by the Romans and places where the throes and struggles of World War II took place. I always have heard that European cities are a blend between history and modern civilization, I finally will be able to experience this myself. Needless to say, I can barely contain all the excitement in which I feel.

Reality setting in...

It's an amazing feeling knowing that I will be in Germany in a week. I have been running around like crazy trying to buy warmer clothes, smaller luggage, and bigger boots! It has been a fun experience though. The first trip to a new place always involves a sense of excitement and anticipation of what is to come. It will be my first trip to Europe-but after all of these shopping adventures, hopefully not my last. My expectations for this trip are simple. I hope to see classic landmarks, learn more about the German culture by being immersed in it, and hopefully, become a more outgoing person. A year ago, I would have never spontaneously decided to go to Germany without fully thinking about it first. But sometimes, the last minute decisions are the best ones. I've also learned a lot of interesting information in class-it supplemented my otherwise dry semester.

There's so much to do!

I'm so excited to go to Germany!! I'm hoping to learn more about the country, its culture, and Europe in general. I'm also sort of hoping that the things we learn about and discuss will help me get a better feel for what the field of healthcare is like, and whether or not I would like to go to medical school.

I haven't started packing either! And I still need to get winter gear. I'm sort of worried about the cold and being properly prepared. On one hand, I don't want to/can't take too many warm clothes, but on the other hand I don't want to be uncomfortable because I'm freezing. Hopefully I can find a middle ground and deal with the wintry weather. Looking forward to beginning the trip and hanging out with everybody!

10 days

In 10 days, I will be flying from Dallas to Duesseldorf! Can you believe it, how fast the time has gone? Since our first meeting in September, I thought that this day would never come but it snuck up on me. I've been talking to a couple of people that went on the study abroad trip in the summer, and they just keep reassuring me about the fun times we are going to have.

But first, I am so glad that finals are over...and I have loved not doing anything for the past three days. Now that I think about it, I haven't even started packing or preparing anything to pack, which can't be good. When I leave on the 26th, it will be my first time to fly alone. And unfortunately, I have been on longer flights than this one to Europe. When I fly to Taiwan, it's about a 16 hour flight from Houston. I'm nervous but at least I'll see Brandon in Detroit and we'll be on the same flight to Duesseldorf! I love airports for some reason. Mostly though, I like to people-watch and where better to do that than an airport where people from all over the world are flying in and out of. I am excited. So excited. I really can't think of another word to use besides excited at this point (my brain stops functioning during the breaks that we get). Sitting here, I'm beginning to freak myself out about all the things that I still need to do...