then rachel's like...

i'm over it.

2012-02-02T07:06:00.002-05:00

winter, that is.

Don't even get me started...

"Snow, severe by tonight in Plains, Rockies"
no thanks:

but maybe snow day(s) for my siblings?

I NEED to be here:

For reals. I hate being cold.

Luckily for me it snowed during our first training session on Sonntag.

People keep telling me it's only going to get colder.

"juhu"

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag

2012-01-15T06:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my smokin' hot mama!

(don't tell her I said that, she will be angry.)

(Dad: "don't get the rice in the picture")

Good call on a edible gift dad!

They looked a little scary, so my dad called and complained, so we got a second box from Shari. and by we I mean my mom.

I love you, MOM!

coolest blog ever

2012-01-15T02:17:00.001-05:00

delicious recipes

brilliant photography

awesome author

check it:

http://thefauxmartha.com/

are you kidding me?

that looks too good to be true!

BOEING 767-300

2012-01-15T00:57:00.003-05:00

Departure date: 16. Januar

Return date: 10. Oktober

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

::Helen Keller::

Virginia Beach, VA

2012-01-12T13:10:00.002-05:00

I got to spend a few days in VA Beach with my Robbins family :)

I took the red eye from Denver to Boston to Richmond.

It turns out that i'm not so good at pulling all-nighters, i'm still tired!

One advantage of the red eye: Cool sunrise in Boston!

I landed in Richmond, Mark picked me up and then we went to see Walter play indoor.

He (a middle schooler) was invited by the high school coach to play with the "big boys."

Robbins Sr. Plantation

Celebrated Chris and Grandma's birthdays!

Walter

looking

superfly

in his Superfly's!

Walter and I went Skinny Dip-ping

Early morning pic before I drove them to school.

I love my little brothers, Joshua and Walter!

Hey! What do you know, I am still loved!

Coolest car EVER!

I got to drive it!

jetBlue needs a hub closer to the Beach.

Welcome back to Colorado....
Unbelievable.
Get me some place warm. RIGHT AWAY!

steezin

2012-01-07T08:50:00.002-05:00

Copper Mtn!

On our first trip up the mountain the guy working the lift said, "those are some steezin shades."

He was talking to me, but Shaun's are also pretty steezy.

Air.

Notice the lack of snow on the mountains...

I love skiing.

I love Copper.

I love Cherry Skittle water.

Word to the wise: don't eat the Skittles after they've been in water for 30 min.

Much different atmosphere than in Austria!

(Americans are kind of boring...)

Gettin in the zone.

The shadow on the cloud was so cool!

Shaun, when this gets made into a movie you can star as...

Yourself!

The clouds were unbelievable.

1901

2012-01-07T06:24:00.001-05:00

My sister told me today that she talked about me in class! I was honored! And then she told me what she said...

She was asked when I graduated from high school and she said 1901.

Really Hannah!?

I got to meet up with my high school friends, that I have apparently been friends with for over 100 years.

Sara, Leah, Carter and Clayton

Thanks for making me feel tall!

Amy, Ashley(Ava), Nichole

n-hole... always looking so dubious!

baby Ava! the newest member of the "fab 8"

(If you were wondering I graduated from high school in 2005)

family fotos

2012-01-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

ooops, this is only a few weeks late!

Rachel:24 Matthew:19 Hannah:15 Gabrielle:13

Gabs

I have beautiful sisters!

No thanks to them ;)

kissing camels

warming up their smiles

mom: "typical Rachel face."

next year she will probably be the tallest

setting up for the perfect shot...

one big happy family

disturbing

beautiful

You don't see very much of this in Deutschland...

Friends with Benefits

2011-12-27T19:22:00.001-05:00

This was the best christmas present via email i've ever recieved.

It was from Anja; her sister did a little design work on the cover!

You're the best, Anja!

I still have yet to see the movie that features me (and my host mom, Lynn!)

ps. i'm not actually in the movie, so i've been told.

this is why I blog so I can remember all my crazy fun experiences...

http://rachelgerdin.blogspot.com/2010/08/no-paparazzi-please.html

chilling on the couch

2011-12-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

It started snowing

and then it kept snowing...

So obviously we had to make a couch out of the schnee.

Hard at work!

Finished product.

Getting ready to watch some TV

Mom had hot chocolate waiting for us :)

schnee!

2011-12-21T03:42:00.001-05:00

Today as I was taking pictures of vegetables in the grocery store my loving mother said, "If I were to ground you I would ground you from your camera."

No respect!

I mean, come on! This is definitely photo worthy!

Actually I wanted to prove to my Deutschlanders that we do have Rosenkohl in Amerika.

representing Schwarzwald!

I've been ruined by the real stuff, fake wurst just won't do.

There was a Deutsch section...

Speaking of Deutsch, this young man was born in Heidelberg, DE.

Must be why he is such a good cook!

Our neighbor, also from Deutschland (so many reminders of that great country) brought us a huge assortment of cookies. We wanted to try all of them so we did, natürlich! We would take a bite and then pass it- It worked well.

Schnee

aka snow

Had to take a break from shoveling to take some pictures.

Confession: I don't really like dogs (that's not a very popular opinion to have, but unfortuantely it's true). There are, however, a special few that have won my heart (Avie, Luna, yeah that's about it), but in general i'm not a huge fan.

Loving this guy isn't so hard as he's more like a stuffed animal than a dog.

We snuck him into the store to do some Christmas shopping with us.

As we were checking out the cashier said, "Anything else in your basket?"

My mom said, "Just a dog."

Love that lady.

Speaking of my mom... She's selling my uncles old house.

She didn't know it was his until she saw these blueprints...

"GERDIN RESIDENCE" gave it away pretty quickly.

Basel, Düsseldorf, Chicago, Denver, Colorado Springs

2011-12-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

My flight from Basel to Frankfurt was cancelled.

Those are my fellow flight-less friends- we had to pick up our luggage and get rerouted.

I was supposed to fly from Basel to Frankfurt to Denver, but I got an extra stop and 4 hours added to my trip. I still love traveling :)

I saw Seal in the Düsseldorf airport!

I've had better.

I had to have one last Deutsch Radlar!

leg room for my 8 hour flight!

It was actually pretty good considering...

I once was told that I could talk to anyone (or anything), even a wall.

So it's no surprise that I talked to my neighbor on the 8 hr trip from Düsseldorf to Chicago.

I'm not quite sure what Sally does, but whatever it is she charges $200/hr. I should have charged her because she spent a good amount of time talking about her recently failed relationship with Dom from Deutschland. She shared with me the meaning of life: "To love and be loved." Hmmmm, ironic.

As we were deboarding in Chicago she gave me this postcard.

"Rachel- Blessings on your path. You will light the world with your love! Always, Sally"

Wow, such kind words!

Back in the USA

I found another friend on the flight from Chicago to Denver. A 55 year old man who runs a very successful company in London. He was on his way to Boulder to see his daughter graduate from CU. He gave me his business card because he wants me to come to England so he can set me up with a rower from Henley-on-Thames. He also bought me almonds- score!

Mattie picked me up!

good job on the house Matthew!

A little miscommunication...

I've got one famous, HOTT Mama.

She's not going to be happy this is on the internet. Sorry mom! Suck it up!

Newest member of the family: Rooney the toy poodle

I snapped this picture and looked at it on my camera and thought, "What is my car doing here!?" Twin! Except mine is much cleaner.

last day in Deutschland

2011-12-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

On my last day in Deutschland I took the train to Freiburg to 1. See the Christmas Markt 2. Hang out with some cool people (Svenja, Anne, Sinah)

Svets picked me up from the bahnhof and took me to Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee

http://www.titisee.com/badeparadies_en.php

Coolest place ever!

Then we met Anne at the Christmas Markt

That's chocolate!?

dinner

Freiburg won the award for: Rachel's favorite Christmas Markt

1. Freiburg

2. Frankurt

3. Offenburg

4. Strausburg

Anne and Svens, my wunderbar hostesses

I'm not often thirsty, because drinking is a very important part of life in DE.

I returned to my hotel in Kehl at 12AM, did some last minute packing, slept a little then left for the airport (Basel, Switzerland) at 4:30 AM 12/15.

Galtür, Austria

2011-12-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

better late than never...
12/9 - 12/11/2011

Rouven (host brother) let me borrow his snowboard!

The board was a little small (not a problem), but the boots fit perfectly (a miracle!).

I might have overpacked...

This is the bag I used for my 2-month excursion to Deutschland.

20 teammates/friends of teammates travelled with Hit Radio OHR to Galtür, Austria for a ski weekend. I'm not sure the exact number of people who went on the trip, but there must have been at least 10 buses with 50 people to a double decker bus.

View from my room; straight ahead are the slopes.

Rocks in the wasser?

Rosi with her coffee and beer.

These Germans drink beer like it's water.

Our hotel: Ballunspitze

First trip up the mountain on the gondola with Svenja, Sarah and Marina

As I was coming in for lunch the girls said, "Rachel! Was ist das auf Englisch?"(the animal on the Jager bottle) As my English has gotten significantly worse in the past two months I could not remember what an antlered animal that lives in the forest was called... They thought it was a flying horse, but eventually Mady said, "Bambi!" And all the sudden it came to me: DEER!

That's really embarrassing now that I think about it!

Lunch break, or maybe a little more correct: beer break.

Sandra, Elli, Steffi

Franz

Los gehts!

breathtaking

some of the gang

Sandra and Katie

Steffi

This Austrian wurst was not up to German standards, obviously...

Steffi, Katie, Uli

Steffi and Uli

Sandra, Steffi, Svenja

gangstas

Sardines

breakfast of champions.

Sarah has some mad hops

Deutsch lesson at lunch.

Mady got a little snowy after riding her board down like a sled.

Marina auch

Finished with snowboarding day 2

Franz the best bus driver ever!

Such a fun trip!

Snack pack for the bus trip home.

Elli cooked dinner on the bus.

Expires 12/12/12

"incubator for hottness"

2011-12-08T08:13:00.001-05:00

This will be the randomest* post yet.
*(yes, improper grammar/punctuation/spelling... are allowed on my blog)

So... good luck?

Dinner with some of my favorite "Deutschlanders" (another fake word?).
Nicole, Carsten and Rouven

Lecker, natürlich!

These bears are famous.

We found one on the internet worth 150,000 €

USA in 1 week

I was just saying the other day how it has hardly rained since i've been here.
Ooops.

rainy day=homework

I'm getting better at Deutsch and worse at English!

I find myself mispronouncing English words a little too often...

November 6 is Nikolaustag.

He brings sweets and puts them in the shoes of the good children.

In this picture I was trying to capture 3 things... 1. Nikolaus 2. My carpet 3. Thermos (borrowed from Nicole and Carsten for the weekend...) I got all 3, but the lighting... Don't get me started.

In total on Nikolaustag I got 3 chocolate Nikolaus'. I meant to take a picture of the first one, but I ate it before I had a chance to snap a shot of him.

8.12.2011
successful sykpe date with this girl

05:00 in Charlotte, 11:00 in DE

Inside joke, you wouldn't understand.

Also, there are 2 of her because I was getting a little carried away with pushing buttons
Direct quote from Calli Edwards:
"live music is like an incubator for hottness."
obviously hottness has 2 t's.

Remember that one time when I said I was leaving in a week?

I might just stay here...

BIG NEWS!

I am going with the team to Galtür, Austria this weekend to snowboard.

Shredding some gnar in the Alps, nbd.

reason to sing

2011-12-07T03:48:00.001-05:00

"when i'm overcome by fear and i hate everything i know

if this waiting lasts forever i'm afraid i might let go.

i need a reason to sing.

i need to know that you're still holding the whole world in your hands.

and that is a reason to sing.

your peace is the melody

you sing it over me now."

life is sometimes tragic, but there is a reason to sing.

(praying for my aunt cheryl and the chris gerdin family.)

thanks for sharing this Lauren Pemberton.

Mainz (German: [maɪ̯nts]; English: /ˈmaɪnts/ )

2011-12-03T04:15:00.001-05:00

Steffi, an outside mid from Sand invited me to visit her in Mainz.
(pronounced Mines)

It's impossible for me to turn down an adventure so I agreed to a 2.5 hr train ride and a chance to explore new cities with a fun friend.
DUH!

datum 01.12

Kehl ab 07:05

Kahlsruhe Hbf an 07:52

I got on the train, sat down and thought, "WOW! this is classy!" Then a man came to check my ticket and said something in Deutsch (I have a really great "Ich verstehe nicht (I understand not)"-face so most people either speak slower or try a different language.) He guessed the right language and said, "This is first class, you're in second class, you must go two trains ahead."

2nd class was still nice and the scenery was amazing.

Kahlsruhe Hbf ab 08:08

Mainz Hbf an 09:47

Steffi picked me up at the bahnhof in Mainz.

First stop: chai.

My family has one of those turning things, but it's about 193 times smaller.

I typed in "german turning thing" to find out what they're really called.
It took .000000000000786598 sec to tell me it's called a Christmas Pyramid.
How is the internet so smart?

Wikipedia has a similar picture from Mainz on the "christmas pyramid" page.

I also discovered that "thing" is a noun- a material object without life or consciousness; and inanimate object.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/THING

(for future reference)

Mainz Fußballspieler

We walked into a church.

I was a little disappointed to take pictures from behind glass and metal bars, but then Steffi tried a door and we went in.

Genius.

It was scary quiet and incredibly beautiful.

We took a walk down the Rhine.

Frankfurt am Main

(am Main refers to the river)

It rained on our way from Mainz to Frankfurt, but once we got there it stopped.

hole

poor Steffi was really patient with me while I took pictures of EVERYTHING...

2 fixies in a row!

I was about to do something really cool and then I decided looking awkward would be a better option.

seriously lecker.

I like bretzels and I like chocolate, but together...?

Maybe not.

We were so confused as to why there were locks all over the bridge and then we saw that they had names, dates and hearts on the locks.

"Love Locks on the Eiserner Steg"

Apparently it's a cool thing to do in some European cities.

"more bars in more places"

(I don't miss you AT&T)

Möwe
photo cred: Stefanie Wagner

Art?

I didn't wait for her to look, I was in a rush to drink my glühwein.

Kakao

Frankfurt Christmas Market

SO COOL.

December 1 and 52.7°F?

That's fine with me.

Great hostess.

Steffi went to work and so did I...

These are white elephant gifts we got for the Chirstmas party.

sweetness.

shower blinds; not curtain.

I had a great stay in the flat above the bank!

Thanks Steffi!

38 photos... that must be a record

first advent

2011-11-27T16:56:00.001-05:00

the first advent = Christmas markets are offically open!!

but first... BRUNCH!

an impressive spread as usual!

small grape. smaller salt shaker.

I almost talked him into wearing this on our outing.

We took the train to Stausburg to visit the Christmas market!

Carsten is a zoom-in kind of photographer.

It was a beautiful day! It just didn't feel very Christmas-y.

it turns out i'm not a fan of crooked pictures, but I thought I would add this one anyway.

(In the cathedral)

That little girl is thinking of all the toys she could buy with all those €'s.

I was thinking of all the bicycles I could buy.

very creepy.

very crooked.

GLüHWEIN!

wishing he had glühwein too.

fancy french

fancy, but not so efficent- we left with soap on our hands...

it was either us or the sink that wasn't working. i'm going to go with the latter.

bathroom on display?

yes.

Merci Monsieur pour la crêpe délicieux

(unfortunately I don't know if that makes sense, but all the correct words are there)

bahnhof

(train station)

thanks

2011-11-24T04:39:00.001-05:00

I thought about writing a post about the few things that i'm not thankful for because I don't have enough time or patience to write EVERYTHING that I am thankful for.

But that just seems wrong, so i'll pick a few things...

I'm thankful for:

These 5 people.

Laughter.

One of the first days in Deutschland Emily, Marlyse and I were at Presstrade and saw this thing on the table. Emily was curious so she pressed the top of this little contraption and out came a little tablet. She decided to try it; thought it might be a mint or something, so of course I had to try it (i'll try anything once!).

It was disgusting!!! ...As should be expected from a sweetener tablet.

We COULD NOT stop laughing.

(and for the record I did not see the label...)

A healthy body that allows me to play the sport I love.

AND... My bicycle (which I am slightly obsessed with.)

DA SUN.

Travel.

And this incredible opportunity to play the game I love in a foreign country that loves the game I love.

MUSIK.

The people who have stolen my heart; young and old, near and far: my friends and family.

Nature and its constant reminder of my relationship with my heavenly Father, the One who created Heaven and Earth.

It's strange to be in a foreign country that does not celebrated a day that is very special to me and my country. Not to worry, I will find some turkey and pumpkin pie somewhere ; )

I wasn't "home" for Thanksgiving last year either. I got to spend it in San Diego, California with this special family.

the details...

2011-11-23T12:57:00.001-05:00

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.

Confucius

(did I mention it's humid here?)

Today I marvelled in the beauty of the details, it was wunderbar.

In other news...
Last night we played our final game of this portion of the season.
We won 4-3!
I played 90 min at center back.
I took a free kick straight to the chest/neck, that's what the wall is for I guess.
I scored goal #4 (don't tell my coach but I snuck up the field because I was getting bored in the defense, muahahahaha, good thing I scored!).

ALSO!
The other day a couple of the girls asked how to say my last name. I said "It's Grrrrrrrrrrr Din."
They said, "You're saying it wrong! It should be GER (as in GERmany) Din.
Touché.

One more thing...
4 posts in one day!
Oooooooops!

love this.

2011-11-23T06:25:00.001-05:00

John Lewis Christmas Advert.

Warms my heart.

oh brother...

2011-11-23T03:38:00.001-05:00

Happy 19th Birthday to my baby brother.

Here are a few reasons why I love him so much:

He's really photogenic.

He thinks i'm really pretty.

He has a fanny-pack.

He puts up with abuse from his 3 sisters.

He loves Chick-fil-A.

He cares about me.

He's cool.

Heartbreaker.

(and) an amazing man full of integrity, love, honor, kindness, etc...

Raclette

2011-11-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

Don't worry we didn't let him out of the house looking like this.

I'm so glad my hosts like to hike : )

We collected a bag of hazelnuts and obviously we had a competition to find the biggest nut.

Nicole's biggest.

Carsten's biggest.

My biggest. When I went to reach for it, the dirt moved, but it wasn't dirt that was moving it was a frog!

I win!

sehr schön!

The clouds often look like this... looks like God is ice fishing or something.

I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but they are interesting things.

Love them!

We stopped for lunch, he was dessert.

Quite possibly the best dog ever.

I found another setting on my camera, still not how I had hoped this picture would turn out, but I am getting closer!

It's a little bit humid here.

Home for dinner...
We had Raclette.

I'm not sure i've even taken a picture of a mushroom before, but today I took at least 22 pictures of fungi.

Lot's of ingredients to choose from, which you put in a small metal skillet and then into this:

I can't control my facial expressions.

One of Carsten's masterpieces.

It was not only a delicious meal, but it was also fun! You build your own creation and then wait a few minutes for it to cook- while you wait you talk and drink.

Carsten's parents came for the meal, so it turned out to be a party!

Freiburg

2011-11-20T17:41:00.001-05:00

Friday night at training Anne invited me to spend Saturday in Freiburg.
I said, "JA! Natürlich!"
She told me to take the train from Kehl to Offenburg and then Simi would pick me up there and take me the rest of the way to Freiburg.
I went to sleep Friday night not knowing if I was actually going to make it out of Kehl considering I haven't taken the train here (and I also don't speak or read Deutsch...)

I woke up early ready for an adventure though!
I walked 5 min to the train station and bought my Farhkarten (ticket) here.
I did it all in Deutsch and as I was pulling my ticket out of the slot I saw a "English" button. I like a challenge though and fortunately I did it correctly and only had to pay 3,40€

I found Simi and her friend Sandra in Offenburg, which was kind of a small miracle because I really had some doubts about my train riding skills.

Then Anne and Juliane picked me up.

(I was spoiled all day- coffee and homemade bread was just the beginning...)

Sweet melodies coming from this man and his band.

These little streams run all through Freiburg and the kids can race boats.

Freiburger Münster

(Freiburg Minster)

These shoes are worn at carnival and are made of straw and other things.

That's really all I know about them...

Feld salat (on the left is expensive because it's very hard to harvest) Yellow and purple carrots!?

Sinah buying some cheesecake.

Freiburg is a university town, but the markets are usually full of old people.

So, these people wanted to know why we were there.

famous!

No Thanksgiving = Christmas Season!

Pre-Game snack

paty's brotwagen ist sehr lecker

It's a beautiful city!

Then we climbed a mountain, also another great pre-game activity (second to eating bratwurst).

Münster, Anne, Rachel

We visited Sinah at work.

Yes, this is a creepy, stalker picture.

INSERT SC SAND GAME HERE.

We won 12-0, it was a cup game. The team we played is in the division below us.

I scored a goal.

Then my second opportunity I was standing 2 feet from the goal line and a perfect ball from Angi came across the goal and I hit it straight up and over the open net. Unbelievable.

I played the full 90 in the midfield (although I should have been subbed after my epic failure)

After our game we went to a Bundesliga Basketball game.

Then went out in Freiburg.

It was a beautiful day: )

natürlich

2011-11-18T03:39:00.001-05:00

I'm not so sure I should post these pictures...

I was told by the Deutsch authorities that the only work I'm allowed to do here is fußball.

Rouven and I loaded the wood in the yard and Carsten stacked it in the basement.

Carsten was slacking a little bit at this point... 2 full baskets waiting for him!

Los geht's!

...So Rouven and Luna played and I took some pictures.

FERTIG!

Rouven explained to me the Deutsch saying that wood can keep you warm 3 times...

Chopping, stacking and burning.

Stew? Soup? What's the diff? We decided we would call it stew; either way it was delicious, of course (natürlich)!

It's not possible to explain how delicious these were.

Nicole and her "alien"

They are GREAT (natürlich)

word of the day: natürlich- of course, naturally

7°

2011-11-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

It smells like vacation everytime I wash my hands.

(hotel seife/soap)

7° (sieben grad) = 45° F

BRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

So, after washing my hands (and layering up) I was off to the Bibliothek.

Biking on the road and taking pictures... I don't advise it, but how cute is this!?

Don't be fooled... Paris is really far away, BUT the fact that there's a sign that says Paris is good enough for me.

All the villages that I pass through are just so great.

gelb

(yellow)

Hallo American Flag!

MADE IT!

(to the library)

Unfortunately I am not so good at leisurely bike rides; I have to go as fast as I can. I could feel the 20 miles as we were sprinting tonight at training: oooops.

I got a new watch! This one doesn't take 5 min to tell the time...

No disrespect to the Garmin.

fishy...

2011-11-16T06:55:00.001-05:00

Nicole picked me up for a day in France with this little treat called a Berliner.

Better than Dunkin Dounts by a long shot (sorry dad).
I had to include this photo even though i'm annoyed that the focus is on everything but the pastry..

These French people have some strange food!

We got home to some better looking fish that Carsten prepared (and caught in Norway).

Bravo Carsten!

Did a little homework while that raw stuff turned into this...

Spoiled!!

THEN after dinner Rouven, my "host brother", needed a ride to Offenburg so I offered to drive and somehow they said I could! Rouven showed me the way there and I had to fend for myself on the way back... I can get to Offenburg by bike, but I have not yet driven: by myself or to Offenburg (at night).

Don't fret. I made it back no problem ; )

The Count of Monte Christo

2011-11-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

My favorite quote from my favorite movie:

Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine!

Schwarzwald

2011-11-13T14:50:00.001-05:00

Schwarz (Black) wald (Forest)

(learned that today)

My trainer Oliver and his son Mika

You're cute, but no you can't have my camera

Our halfway stop for lunch.
I'm friends with all bikers...
proof: biker waving at me ; )

Spam? Mustard. Wine.

Not spam. It was actually schmeckt sehr gut!

best rest stop.

Surprised I got a picture before it got demolished by the two year old.

no caption needed.

CASTLE!

Flammenkuchen

"Flame Cake"

delish

2-1

2011-11-12T18:10:00.001-05:00

It was VERY cold today. 9 grad (48 degrees F), which really isn't that cold, but because it's been so nice here today felt brutally kalt (i like throwing Deutsch in every once in a while ; ))

Anyway, on to the good stuff...

We WON! 2-1. They scored on us in the first 15 min; one unlucky play and they scored. We ended the half at 1-1 and scored the 2 with about 10 min left in the game. I played the whole game at center back, but I had to come off for a few seconds because I tweaked my knee again; I think it's time for a new one!

This article is from the other day. I've gotten halfway through translating it- it's hard work!

The other day I was sitting in the restaurant (2 floors below me) and a man came up to me and asked if I was the fussball player from America. I said yes and he said, "You're famous! Your picture is in the paper..." He spoke good English, which he attributed to his year in Minneapolis nearly 20 years ago. Yes, I got his whole life story.

Kehl is a pretty small town, but I still felt pretty special ; )

liquid gold

2011-11-11T04:53:00.001-05:00

Another favorite woman of mine.

You taught me the value of hard work and serving others AND you were almost successful at teaching me how to cook (although I still wouldn't trust myself in the kitchen...)

I love you grandma!

See you in the spring? I heard that's a good time to clean ; )

POPULAR!

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

That's right! I am SO popular!

Haha, actually... I've had the handy* for 5 days and have only received texts from my provider and three calls from the same wrong number!? (it was obviously a wrong number because i've only given my number to 4 people).

So, not only am I a liar, but I am a loser too ; )

The battery is half full, which is pretty impressive because I charged it once, 5 days ago...

They don't make em like they used to!

I was perfectly content ditching my phone and was also perfectly content without one here until Nicole offered to lend me her old handy to have just in case. I kindly declined, but reconsidered one day on a long bike ride. (Hours on my bike always make for interesting thoughts...)

Thanks Nicole!

*German lingo- handy = cell phone

Kinesio Tape

2011-11-10T03:10:00.000-05:00

This stuff is magical.

For reals.

"To cause to be different"

2011-11-09T05:05:00.000-05:00

If you're wondering why my blog design keeps changing it's because I have an abnormal pathological condition:

I love change.

I don't think it's contagious and hopefully it's curable.

I contracted it in the 20+ moves i've endured in my short 24 yrs of life.

Stadtbibliothek Rheinau

2011-11-09T04:05:00.000-05:00

Call me a geek, but I LOVE the library and I might be addicted to collecting library cards.

This is my newest addition.

route 1: 16.1 km = 10 mi

route 2: along the Rhine

route 3: through farm country

I'll probably take route 1 today.
There is a library in Kehl, but Nicole showed us this one and helped me get a card here.
Alles klar (everything's ok), I would rather bike 20mi than 3mi anyway.
(if you're wondering if i'm serious about that last statement you must not know me...)

bonus picture of the day:

Christmas preperation in Straßburg!

I am going to have to consciously remember not to forget Thanksgiving...

These poor Europeans are missing out on a great holiday.

GGG

2011-11-08T03:08:00.001-05:00

Thinking of my Gorgeous Grandma Gerdin (GGG)

http://rachgerdin.tumblr.com/

ouch

2011-11-07T04:25:00.000-05:00

Note to self: Don't get hit in the face with a soccerball.

The last time I went to the dentist my hygenist said, "Your jaw! It catches everytime you open your mouth. You better be careful or you'll have to wear a brace" (something along those lines).

I guess it's not good that it hurts to open my mouth this morning.

I also got plowed over by a girl and smacked the back of my head on the ground, which made my world go black for a couple seconds, but whatever! It's only my head.

We lost 2-3, which makes my body hurt a little more than it would if we had won.

I was looking forward to scoring some goals, but after the trainer said I was starting at center back I figured I'd have to go another game without a goal : (

BUT I scored the first goal off a free kick from about 25 yds out- upper left corner.

Our bus trip was about 3 1/2 hours so I put a personal touch on my new backpack.

I want to stitch a couple more things into it, but i'm not sure what!?

Any suggestions?

pre game meal

2011-11-05T17:50:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is our biggest game of the season, just like last week, the week before, next week, etc... But seriously, we are playing the top team in our division; a win will guarantee movement to the next league. So, not too much pressure...

In other news I had a delicious pre-game meal tonight compliments of Nicole Wirth.

Meat and Sauerkraut

Smashed Potatoes

Wunderbar

Didn't so much like the exploding meats though.

BUT I had to try them all...

This is bloodwurst.

Not a fan.

das schmeckt sehr lecker

(Anja taught me that phrase)

Hiking for Schnaps

2011-11-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

Camels.
I know.. I was confused to see them in Kehl too.

Early morning bike to the Wirth's for our hike in the Black Forest

There's no capturing the awesomeness of the German countryside (especially in a moving car and sitting on the opposite side)

Trygve and Sara
(wish you were really here!)

Mercedes or nothing.

Mmmmmm. Schnaps.

Stop 1

Stop 2

Stop 3

2011-10-31T17:29:00.001-04:00

I have felt like a well-taken care of professional athlete since I arrived in Germany.

Rolling in Mercedes and Audi's, having personal chefs cook me what I please, complimentary shopping trips...

But, right now not so much.

After spending part of last night on the roof, everything basically has gone downhill...

No dinner at our club house after training tonight because the restaurant is closed on Montag's.

So tonight I'm feeling like a poor college student.

That sticky stuff in my bowl, yeah, that's supposed to be oatmeal...

It's the only thing I have to eat in my room. I meant to go to the store today, but ran out of time (I know... Crazy, right?). Tomorrow is a German holiday and everything is closed, which comes at an inopportune time, but I am HAPPY nevertheless! (that's a real smile)

Please note my well-used German books. Ich spreche sehr gut Deutsch!

Please don't note my unbrushed hair.

i loathe McThrow-Up

2011-10-31T13:14:00.003-04:00

I blame the crappiness of Oktober 30 on the fact that I had McDonald's for breakfast.

The hotel didn't have breakfast for us so we had to find something else to eat, which would usually be fine, except everything is closed on Sunday (but not McDonald's 24/7, baby.) So... We rode our bikes down the street to the golden arches. I brought my own mug and filled it with coffee and had a Egg McMuffin (if you were wondering).

Then we left for the game in Freiburg, which we lost 0-3...

I came home feeling frustrated, tired, and really wanting some tea of all things.

Then I remembered I had left my mug in my bicycle's basket, so I went to get it.

..in this garage.

Honestly I was a little scared...

At 21:00 it was VERY dark, don't be fooled by the brightness of my camera's flash.

I came back to my room to find I was locked out.

(red light + angry beeping=BAD NEWS!)

So, I did what any normal person would do... I climbed out Emily's window to my window.

It's not that high up, or very steep for that matter.

I wasn't scared at all.

Unfortunately my window was partially locked so I couldn't get in and had to climb back to Emily's window (feeling very defeated I might add)...

Emily (accidently?) kept the key from her room on the first floor so I slept there. Luckily I didn't interrupt anyone's sleep... It was an empty room just waiting for me.

I got a new key in the morning and everything was ok, but I have to admit, I was annoyed sitting on my window sill trying to break into my room...

The woman told me in the morning that the keys lose their "powers" at the end of the month and have to be recharged.

Did I mention how much I hate McDonald's?

video of the day

2011-10-29T04:39:00.002-04:00

"don't judge a book by it's cover"

caution: read directions before use

2011-10-28T18:19:00.002-04:00

ever eaten an alka-selzter?

i don't recommend it...

(i think smoke came out of my nose?)

add wasser (water) unless you like tiny explosions in your mouth.

blessed.

2011-10-27T05:11:00.001-04:00

I have great friends.

My heart swells up everytime I look at these pictures and think of the time and thought that went into creating this masterpiece.

Are you kidding me, Megan?

The most beautiful pumpkin carving dedicated to me!?

So thankful for this girl and her friendship.

[laughing until we cried was a daily activity our senior year]

I freaking love you, Megan Rouse.

pumpkin soup

2011-10-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

oooops. It's been a few days since my last post. I've been a little preoccupied lately, but i'm back.

Carsten and Nicole had us over for an autumn-esque dinner.

PUMPKIN SOUP

I was a little nervous about trying soup, but then I came to my senses and remembered anything that Nicole makes is delicious and I LOVE everything else that involves pumpkins...

We had some sausages with dinner, I took a couple pictures of them, but sausages just really aren't photogenic, if you know what I mean. Mustard on the other hand is extremely photogenic, so we had a little photoshoot with the array of senf (mustard).

... then came dessert

Delicious!

Carsten's kaffee

Carsten started out chasing Luna, but looks like the game changed...

Luna is a great dog and very loved.

Nicole likes shoes almost as much as Luna.

Digestives

SKIP-BO!

Checking the standings (we're still in 2nd).

We beat the 3rd place team 4-0 on Sonntag (Sunday), Oktober 23, 2011.

No big deal...

I played the first 75 min; still working hard for the full 90!

Offenburg, Deutschland

2011-10-22T06:04:00.002-04:00

I left on my bike with no real destination in mind, but had looked up the way to Offenburg the day before. Just like every other day, I don't have too much planned except for an occasional Deutsch lesson and fußball training sessions.

So... I figured I would try to find my way.

I weaved my way through the countryside and miraculously found my way.

(I didn't bring my camera bc I wasn't anticipating a 4 hr [round trip] to a pretty city...)

On the way back I went the correct way.

Where were these signs on the way there!?

bonjour madame!

2011-10-20T03:17:00.000-04:00

I crossed over into France and saw this...

A gaggle of riders with a police escort, a lead car that was filming them, and a tour bus in tow.

So, of course I had to race them...

A mile later I decided it wasn't a real race because I was able to keep up on my cruiser.

At one point I was riding next to them and they were yelling out, "Bonjour, Madame." Haha, loved it. AND I think I may have made it in the camera shot because at one point I was towards the front of the pack (on the sidewalk).

These pictures make me crack up!

Such a hard core bicycle...

Loving this European fall!

Mom, will you send my tent?

Can't believe I live here.

University of Strasburg parking lot

Where's Waldo?

yes.

Am I dreaming?

For reals...

A scene out of 101 Dalmatians?

nomade (nomad)- A person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer

Don't be fooled, there were a lot of pedestrians out, I just stopped in a less populated area to snag a pic.

It's taken so long to post this because my computer feels overloaded when I try to post 23 pictures... I can't help it, I love sharing my pictures!

2nd place!

2011-10-18T03:17:00.002-04:00

I felt a tinge of homesickness when I saw this today.

It made me miss this ^ and my family.

But not to worry, there are mountains here!

Bus ride to our game in Ausgburg on Sunday.
We won 2-1!!!! Which (I may be making this up... but I think we went from 4th to 2nd, hence the post title!)

I played 10ish min at center mid; I tweaked my knee at practice this week, coach wanted me to take it easy.

This is Maddi, I don't know anything about her (she doesn't know much English and I know even less German). Getting pretty good at sign language; in this picture she's saying, "I love Big Mac's."

I understand most of the schedule for the week! Tue, Wed, Friday at 7 pm.
Hopefully everything else is not important...

2011-10-15T16:03:00.002-04:00

I got a bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

beautiful countryside!

these Germans... everything is so neat and efficient.

I biked to Sand.

I haven't been in this building yet, but I think it's the community center.

We're training on this stuff next week...

Our field!

We went to a men's game to see our tour guide Dennis play.

proud of him!

I tried to get a picture of the sunset from my room, guess I need to work on my photography skills...

thank you, Matthew Gerdin

2011-10-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

He's not only handsome, he's actually pretty smart...

This kid, that I like to call my brother just informed me that this in not the 11 month of the year; it's October, the 10th. OOOPS!

So... part of me wants to correct my 11.11.11 post, but I'd rather just leave it and laugh about it later (becuase currently it's not that funny.)

I'm sure there are a lot of spelling errors too because I don't know how to change the spell check from Deutsch to English...

the result of spell check currently:

bistrot des copains

2011-10-12T04:45:00.004-04:00

Strausburg, France

Bicycle parking garage!

I'm in love with this city.

Udo took us around and then brought us here for dinner:

bon appétit

petite france

pingpong anyone?

family pic

DANKE SEHR UDO!

11.11.11

2011-10-11T07:40:00.002-04:00

I wished at 11:11 on 11.11.11 that my beds would be made when I got back to my room.

Voilà!

(practicing my French because Udo, the photographer/journalist is taking us to France for dinner!)

Ok, that's a lie, I didn't wish that, I was busy skyping CALLI EDWARDS at 11:11.

Love that kid, for so many more reasons than just the fact that she woke up at 5AM to talk to me.

Don't be jealous mom; I will bring some home for you : )

14 days

2011-10-10T18:51:00.000-04:00

I went on a long run today and had a moment...

Not sure if it was a cramp or the realization that I have been in in Germany for 2 weeks already.

I'll go with the latter!

Some say i'm lucky, I prefer to say i'm blessed.

I AM "livin' a dream," actually it's better than that... I am livin' MY dream.

I have loved every moment so far and I am so thankful for this incredible opportunity.

In other news...

We played at home yesterday (I started at center mid!).

We were losing 0-1 at half; I had a few chances on goal, one from a left footed volley that hit the cross bar, UH! (I take back that lucky comment...)

We figured it out the second half and won 4-1!

I am working on my Deutsch, but still find myself speaking in English on the field, which confuses my team as much as it confuses the other team. A couple of the girls speak English, but not many. The pre-game and half-time talks are pretty useless, although I shake my head like I know what's being said (then I ask later)... I know my numbers (up to 10) and days of the week, so if he says any of those 17 words, i'm set! But other than that all I hear is: blahblahggggggg(clearing throat sound, no disrespect, that's what it sounds like!)blahblahblahblahggggggg

Peter Bierhalter, the president of PressTrade, one of the clubs sponsors is one of the many who has already done so much for us. He told us if there is anything we need that we shouldn't hesistate to ask. He has arranged to get us a washer/dryer/fridge in the basement of the hotel, a language class, warm clothes, the list goes on and on! He is a good man!

He took us home from the game in his:

Porsche Panamera

I had my camera, but left my memory card in my computer!

Today he picked us up for lunch in this:

Mercedes S350

Carsten, i'm a big fan of your Audi, too!

These German's and their cars!

I still prefer just 2 wheels....

(maybe one that goes a little faster than this one I found sitting outside of the hotel aka my home)

Mein Gebiss ist zerbrochen

2011-10-09T04:10:00.002-04:00

Emily and I went on a walk yesterday, here are some of the highlights:

I freaked out when I found my S40.

Not too many Volvo's around here, mostly just German made cars. (my car is prettier than this one!!)

I also freaked out when I saw THIS!

Cutest bakery in all of Kehl! They have the BEST bretzels, which were hidden behind the masses (on the other side of the shop) trying to get their tasty treats! (I try to be sneaky with my camera because I don't like looking like too much of a tourist... Although when I have it out I might as well have: "I'm not from here and I know 4 German words," written all over my face. (1. danke (thank you), 2. bitte (please), 3. bretzel (pretzel), 4. bier (beer) those are enough to get me through a day)

Seriously. How did they get those up there!?

WWII memorial

ps. I couldn't think of a title so I picked a phrase out of the book I got from my Rush team (thanks!).

Mein Gebiss ist zerbrochen = My dentures are broken

(always a handy phrase!)

wasserkocher

2011-10-08T14:13:00.000-04:00

I live in a hotel, which is cool if you like people coming in to make your bed and fluff your pillows... (I need a "do not disturb" sign!) The uncool part is that the restaurant is closed for lunch and dinner on Samstag and Sonntag (Saturday and Sunday).

So I have to get a little creative with my meals...

Wasserkocher; best 10€ i've spent!

better than using my fingers?

DEeeeelicious!

Crunchy peanut butter (from Anja) and nutella sandwiches for dessert.

Fay Weldon

2011-10-08T05:26:00.000-04:00

"If you do nothing unexpected, nothing unexpected will happen."

to France and back

2011-10-07T11:50:00.001-04:00

Remember that one time when I said I was going to blog in French? Yeah... English grammar is hard enough!

Goal for the day: Find IKEA.

8.7 km = 5.4 miles
Just getting a nice little walk in before practice!

River #1. Crossed!

Going the right direction!

River #2. Crossed (at the wrong spot...).

Making up my own directions!

Did a little window shopping...

A FIXIE!

I had to stop...

Traded my passport for a testdrive.

(I later decided that might not have been the best idea, but it was totally worth it.)

That pretty thing costs a lot of €. : (

I turned the corner and... SURPIRSE!

the cathedral!

It's pretty cool, I guess...

I haven't seen any fixies so far, but today I saw 5!

Oh great... Another river... Wasn't sure if I should cross it or walk along it.

I was determined to keep searching for IKEA, but navigating a foreign country with no map is kind of challenging.

3.5 hours later... SUCCESS!

IKEA food. YUM!

Another one!

Strausbourg is a beautiful place!

I didn't think I was going to get a picture of this because my camera battery was nearly dead, but I brought it back to life. You can always count on McDonald's to attract the strange ones!

I was completely fine with zigzagging my way through Strausbourg. 70 degrees!!??!

lake house

2011-10-05T04:42:00.000-04:00

Nicole, our host mom driving us to our weekend getaway spot.

I got to use my sleeping bag!

I'm getting spoiled!

Breakfast,

fresh from the bakery.

Emily likes nutella, or doesn't...? there's still a lot on her plate!

I'm not easily freaked out, but when I swam across this lake I thought I was going to hyperventilate (not a good idea when you're swimming...). On the way back I started breathing a bit easier, I figured although I was tired I could definitely out swim any lake monster, fight or flight, baby!

ALSO, it's the beginning of October and the weather is still beautiful! it's been around 26° Celsius = 78.8° Fahrenheit

Carsten and Nicole let me and Emily borrow their bikes so we went on a ride!

We had to stop for a snack.

or two...

Their neighbors started a tradition... Whenever they would open a Bier, the bell would ring so everyone would know it's party time.

The food here is almost too good.

We drove to France to pick up meat for Carsten to grill... there were a lot of delicious choices...

Luckily we got wurst, steak and hamburger, no brain or tongue.

mmmm... French baguettes. literally.

Kehl aka "home"

2011-10-05T03:46:00.001-04:00

I love to explore...

France is to the left, to get there you have to cross the Rhine River on one of 3 bridges (walking/biking, car, train).You can see the Strausbourg Cathedral in this picture, it's a small pointy thing on the left (I visited the Cathedral last week, but didn't put up pictures...) . I live in the top middle section (I can see the Rhine from my room).

{I will blog about France soon! It will be in French... We will see what those 6 years of language classes did for me. C'est la vie!}

Almost like the incline (an old railway turned hiking path [uneven stairs!] in Colorado Springs) except this is much easier and you can see two countries from the top.

I think I smelled every flower in the garden and they all smelled like heaven.

It's hard for me to not take pictures of everything...

I'm dying without my bicycle!

30 ton limit

no parking

learning the signs; ready to drive!

Everytime I pass these I feel like they are going to start walking.

If you don't get that watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ASAP.

ANJA BARWINSKY

2011-10-01T20:08:00.001-04:00

I heard someone say, "Rachel!" as the game was starting and when I turned around I couldn't believe it... ANJA BARWINSKY was standing right behind me! What an awesome surprise (I LOVE surprises)!!! Anja and I played together this summer in Virginia Beach; she is one of the main reasons I am here! Danke, Anja!

She made me a box with lots of delicious German treats!

When we were in New York City she told me about bier mixed with Sprite. So, she brought me some to try (sehr gut!)

So good to see you Anja : ) Thank you for making my day!!

Oh. and we won 3-0! Yesterday afternoon Emily (from Portland) and I found out that we were cleared to play, we had been thinking that we were not going to be able to because of the paperwork. I got 10ish min on the pitch; it's my goal to start at some point in the season! I played center mid, which was kind of surprising because I have been playing center back during training, anything in the center is good for me though!

Gasthaus Möwe

2011-09-30T05:40:00.000-04:00

my new home

one of the sponsors of SC Sand owns this hotel so we may be living here for a while

my dining room and my kitchen is to the right

(i've not been in the kitchen, which is probably for the best...)

so high-tech!

without the room key the electricity doesn't work

much bigger than the last haus

hi mom! it's a-ok ; )

i finally took my clothes out of my bag!

next task... find a washing machine

if i were a 281cm instead of 181cm this bed arrangement would be great

exit

skype

2011-09-30T04:14:00.001-04:00

i love skype, especially because i get to talk to this kid.

The (real) Black Forest

2011-09-29T18:45:00.002-04:00

mineralwasser ohne Kohlensaure

("still" water, i'm getting sick of the bubbly mineral water)

AND apples from a local orchard

the apples were so good we had to stop for some more!

i might have taken 100 pictures on our drive... everything was just so picturesque!

Nicole, the co-trainers wife took us for out for an adventureous day. She's a great: tour guide/hostess/English speaker/German teacher/driver; just an all around great person!

^ ^

i live somewhere between those ^

people paraglide from here!sign me up!

SO BEAUTIFUL.

we stopped at a restaurant (good thing i'm playing 5 times/week because the food around here is so delicious!) then we went to Nicole and Carsten's (co-trainer) lake house. i jumped in the lake, of course, and i was the only one, again, no surprise there. it was so cold i couldn't breathe, but i got over it after a while. came back to the hotel and shortly after left for training.

having such a great time! : )

hope everything is spelled correctly; i hit the spell check and almost all the words were highlighted... my internet is converting to deutsch.

kork, deutschland

2011-09-28T08:36:00.000-04:00

Hotel Ochsen (Oxen)

9/26-9/28
moving to the Hotel Moewe tonight 9/28
(don't ask me how to pronouce this! Moewe means Seagull)

Good news...

my electronics did not blow up; my converter works!!

i taught her that!

2011-09-24T00:37:00.001-04:00

Legit. Go Gabrielle!

(ps. DEFINITELY did NOT teach her that)

goodbye

2011-09-23T12:25:00.001-04:00

I moved 12 times before 8th grade, saying goodbye should be easy for me, right?

It's not.

I think I can suck it up for a few more years though...

HELLO Germany!

"shocking news"

2011-09-20T02:16:00.000-04:00

I am still in the United States, Colorado Springs to be precise. Am I happy about that? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count (I love it when my mom says that). I was supposed to leave September 12, but a week later i'm still here. I would like to say that I am a patient person, but i'm so unbelievably anxious to go play, it's not even funny! I do have to remember that all last week I ran around like crazy trying to get everything together; I would have been completely unprepared to leave on the initial departure date!

From Olaf:
9/14: "It's just the work permit, the residence permit depends on the work permit and the playing permit depends on the residence permit. It's a mess"
9/19: "Shocking news… out of a sudden they have almost all permits. Expect to fly in a week from today."

Although i've been frustrated that I am not there yet, I have gotten to do some pretty neat things in the mean time:

got to see Hannah play a couple extra times (she was even nice enough to score a few sicknash goals)

got to spend some time with LIVVEEEEEE from JBU, we walked around the Broadmoor

quarter car wash... nuff said

helped dad paint the frame to his car

it's all in your perspective

2011-09-16T11:05:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning to this beautiful sight!

I tried my best to capture the greatness of the city covered in clouds, but there was no chance I could do scene justice.

Life can be cloudy and dark, but if you look from a different perspective, it might be be sunny and bright.

hannah's rose garden

2011-09-16T10:23:00.001-04:00

you might be taller than me (only by a couple inches!), better at soccer than me (eh, debatable!), funnier than me (highly unlikely!)... BUT you'll never be older than me!!!! muahhahhahahah, gotcha there Hannah! so proud of you sister!

[the lettering is straight... she is the one who is crooked!]

HAPPY

15th

BIRTHDAY

all packed!

2011-09-13T23:21:00.003-04:00

Ok..... haven't packed at all, but I have everything I need!

The latest word from Olaf: "The authorities haven't moved yet... He [the club's GM] hopes everything gets settled by the week."

Hopefully they will get everything figured out really soon; high altitude training is great, but i'm ready to be in Germany!!

bicycle bicycle bicycle

2011-09-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

i want to ride my bicycle!

"triple puncture protection"

no hands! no gears! no rear breakes!

minus the guardrail this is a beautiful picture.

brilliant

2011-09-12T00:20:00.001-04:00

HAPPY

2011-09-11T14:52:00.001-04:00

At 24 i'm just as happy now as I was back then; happier acutally!

life is beautiful

2011-09-10T01:53:00.000-04:00

::Vega4::

Life is beautiful

We love until we die

When you run into my arms,

We steal a perfect moment.

Let the monsters see you smile,

Let them see you smiling.

Do I hold you too tightly?

When will the hurt kick in?

Life is beautiful, but it's complicated.

We barely make it.

We don't need to understand,

There are miracles, miracles.

Yeah, life is beautiful.

Our hearts, they beat and break.

When you run away from harm,

Will you run back into my arms,

Like you did when you were young?

Will you come back to me?

I will hold you tightly

When the hurting kicks in.

Life is beautiful, but it's complicated,

we barely make it.

We don't need to understand,

There are miracles, miracles.

Stand where you are.

We let all these moments pass us by.

It's amazing where I'm standing,

There's a lot that we can give.

This is ours just for a moment.

There's a lot that we can give.

hurry. go listen to this song.

photo by: Matthew Gerdin

(just because it doesn't feel right to not include a picture)

Mercier TT

2011-09-08T17:40:00.001-04:00

The German countryside has a lot to live up to...

because my bicycle rides in COS are spectacular.

Sometimes I wonder how badly it would hurt to get rammed by a deer...
Probably not as much as climbing a 500 ft hill with no gears!

Proud of my newly manicured nails.
(which are ruined now, but they were nice for 24 hours!)

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

2011-09-07T14:55:00.003-04:00

NEIN
(that's the only German word I know)

Willstatt, Germany

SC SAND Regionalliga

I've been told to pack warm clothes... Good thing Colorado is imitating the weather there so I'll be prepared.

Supposed to be leaving September 12, 2011. I signed a contract to play for 6 months (Sept-Nov 2011 & Feb-June 2012).

To say I am excited is a bit of an understatement...

movie premier

2011-07-23T01:26:00.002-04:00

Today is the day(!), but I think i'll wait until it comes out on DVD.

boat cleaners for hire

2011-07-22T02:12:00.001-04:00

Sammy and I worked our magic on this baby.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-18T17:08:00.004-04:00

SB 07

Best spring break, EVER.

It's hard to believe that this was 4 years ago! It's even harder to believe that yesterday after taking 2 exams, Microbiology and Organic Chemistry, I am on spring break AGAIN! After I graduated from college I was beyond ecstatic that I would never have to be subjected to lectures, scantrons, labs, homework, blue books, homework... you know, typical torture methods. So, it's a little ironic that I wake up everyday excited about my classes. After spending time in Florida with my grandmother who has dementia and conversations with people I admire, I decided to give up (for now ; ) ) my nomadic life and become a NURSE!!! I am taking prerequisites at Pikes Peak Community College (5 miles from my house!) for an Accelerated Nursing program (ABSN, accelerated bachelor of science nursing). I have been looking pretty seriously at Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston), but it's a big country and i'm not partial to any state or program.

It's exciting to be pursuing something that matters to me; to have a focus and an attainable goal. I'm so grateful for my supportive family and my friends who never cease to encourage me. Hearing, "You'll make a great nurse," is not something I flippantly accept. I have been accused of being noncommittal, which may be partially true (oooops!), BUT I have fully committed myself to doing whatever it takes to become a nurse.

It's been a while since i've written sentences... All I do these days is balance chemical equations. It's taken me WAY TOO LONG to write this little post, so maybe i'll try again soon and i'll be more specific about what's going on with me currrently in Colorado Springs.

Next year we're going to have a 5 yr Sb 07 reunion (mark your calenders, ladies!)

no paparazzi, please!

2010-08-08T19:24:00.026-04:00

It all started one fateful day in July... I was sunbathing by the pool when host dad told me he needed me to help him run an errand. I ran upstairs put some clothes on (over my swimsuit because I had every intention of going right back out to the pool) and we headed out. I soon found out that we were on our way to pick up host mom's truck from the dealer because she was taking it to NYC later that day. I told Mark (host dad) that I should probably go with her, you know, for moral support. He told me to call her, and she said I could come along! We got back and I had to change out of my swimsuit : ( and start packing : ) . Lynn (host mom) mentioned that it was an open audition, anyone and everyone was invited to show their stuff. Then all of the sudden both Mark and Lynn were trying to convince me to audition. I was like, "Are you people crazy! Heck no!" Then I finally caved and decided it would be a fun experience and I would do it.

We left late that evening and got into NYC at 3AM. There was a issue with check-in, but after we got that resolved we thought we were in the clear. We weren't! Finding a place to park an Excursion in NYC is not the easiest task...

I woke up a few hours later and went for a run... to Central Park.

Then went to Whole Foods and got some coffee.

AND soy!

This was our view, much better in person, but I think you get the idea.

We stayed IN Manhattan. Big deal.

Lynn walked me through all the steps to putting on make-up. It was a pretty intense process, I think i'll stick to the basics.

I insisted on some New York style pizza for lunch.

It was worth it.

My new $5 shades.

Thanks Lynn!!

We arrived at Central Casting early all pretty and ready to make a good impression. They sat us down to fill out some paperwork and then took a "mugshot." After that the woman looking for talent said, "Ok, I am going to play some music and you are going to dance. I want to see how well you can move." Let me just say that I do NOT dance. Ok, I can move my body, but it is VERY awkward.

We left. Lynn said she saw the lady write, "NO" in red pen on her paper.

I left feeling thankful I would never have to see the people in that office again (they were probably thinking the same thing about the awkward moving girl, me).

BUT much to my surprise on I got a phone call that would change my life (haha, jk). Central Casting called and asked if I would be available to be a part of the flashmob. I said, "What exactly do you mean by that?" She reminded me I auditioned for the flashmob (duh!) and told me they were filming on Thursday. I told her I would have to call her back (just playing hard to get...) I told Lynn and she said she got a call too!!!! That was it- we were going back to NY to be in a movie!

We left after soccer practice on Wednesday night around 9PM. We stayed in New Jersey (free, safe parking and only a train away from the city) Little did we know Newark has the most confusing highway system, EVER. We drove around for at least an hour trying to find our hotel. Finally we found it and got to bed at 7AM to wake up again a few hours later to get ready for our BIG DAY!

I'm getting a little worried about the color of my teeth with all this coffee I've been drinking.

So, I brushed.

Last minute prep before we checked in!

Non-SAG check in line.

Broccoli. Really?

Who decorated this place!?

All the flashmob-bers.

Times Square

So many people, so little space.

Ashley Wallen, the choreographer, slightly gay.

They brought out an actor and actress for us to get centered around. I was like, "Are you kidding me!? Who are these people? I'm going to be in a lame movie. GREAT..." Then out walk Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. Apparently they have people stand in for them to help figure out camera angles and stuff...?

I took a nap on those steps. Totally against my morals to lay on dirty, nasty public property like that, but at 430AM (my second night of no sleep) I DID NOT care.

thurs:

430 PM- check in Crowne Plaza, right next to the Hershey store in Times Square

530 PM- we met with the choreographer to learn our flashmob dance

6 PM- dinner (well we didn't really have time to eat. we got our plates and then were told to go back to rehearsing.

615 PM- wardrobe check (we were supposed to bring 3 different outfits)

730 PM- headed out to Times Square to start shooting

we got random breaks throughout the night, but they were short lived...

i'd say they probably took around 50 (?)takes of us doing our thing. There was lots of standing and dancing. I was wearing my Toms, which were definitely not the most ideal shoes to stand in for 10 hours straight, but I survived!

5 AM- "that's a wrap" we were finally able to go back to the hotel. they had pizza for us (it'd been too long since i'd had pizza for breakfast) and we checked out.

530AM- Starbucks stop on our way to the train

6AM- Almost missed our train back to NJ

7AM-11AM- SLEEP

12PM-8PM- trek home along the eastern shore

Friends With Benefits is the movie- I have no idea what it's about, but it sounds a little inappropriate.... Hopefully not because I worked hard to hopefully get my face, hand, arm, finger (anything!) in this movie!

it might be time for a real camera...

happy birthday, trygve!

2010-07-06T22:41:00.009-04:00

my friend Trygve turned 6 on July 1st. i was in Florida with my family on his big day, so my siblings and i sent him some love via the internet. here's proof of our love:

don't be fooled... it may look bright and sunny in FL, but that's definitely the flash... it rained all 4 days i was down there...

stay tuned for an introduction to my 6yr old friend and his family (i obviously can't share now because #1 this is my 2nd post in one day (actually, hour...) and #2 it's a long story.

on the road again...

2010-07-06T22:29:00.004-04:00

VA to Florida (vacation with family)

VA to Colorado (helping my mom and brother drive)

VA to Florida (last soccer game in Tampa)

VA to Pennsylvania (visit the grandparents)

VA to Florida (semi-permanent move...)

July is a busy month for me...

Coffee keeps me going!

my new passion

2010-06-10T22:39:00.004-04:00

WAKE BOARDING

i don't know if i love it because: a) i enjoy being in/on the water b) it feels a lot like snowboarding c) i like being sore for days (due to a couple face plants...) d) i got up on my first try. maybe all of the above minus the being sore option... my goal by the end of the summer is to jump the wake- maybe i should try that after season is over...