June Bugs

It is less than two days until my departure. I've been working on getting everything together for several days now, and I still don't feel like I have everything. I am only slightly nervous about the trip, and greatly, enthusiastically excited, although I will miss everyone in Alabama. Tomorrow (Friday 10), I will travel from Birmingham to Atlanta where I will stay with my aunt and spend the night. My flight from Atlanta to New York leaves at 7:30 (from henceforth, all times will be written from a 24 hour standpoint-- like the Germans do it), and from New York, I will arrive in Berlin at 9:20 local time where my host family has graciously agreed to pick me up.

My host family consists of three members. The adult is Frau Susanne and her two seventeens year old kids are Antonia and Leonhard. Frau Susanne and I have been emailing back and forth for a few weeks now. She seems very nice and is indeed very helpful. It seems that all three of them can find their way around the English language, and she tells me that her kids are looking forward to having the opportunity to practice more when I'm around.

The day I arrive, Frau Susanne tells me that there will be a world culture festival happening right outside the front door of their apartment. Here's the link: https://mail.ad.uab.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=0e5863118f7f4f6f92d2ab0b5721e1de&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.karneval-berlin.de%2fde%2fumzug.15.html

It looks pretty awesome. It apparently goes on for four days. Music and food and acrobats and stilt people and magicians and everything you can think of. There are people from all over the world who come to this festival. My host family was hoping that I would be interested in going after I arrive. Um... yes!!! I know I'll be tired from the trip and everything, but to adjust to the time change (Berlin is 7 hours ahead of Birmingham, thus 2:00 Bham is 9:00 Berlin) I should stay up until time to sleep on Germany's schedule. And why not experience a world of culture why I'm adjusting??? Talk about culture shock. 

I think I have everything I need.... I'm still throwing things in my suitcase. I hope I don't forget anything important. I'll be glad when I'm on the plane to Berlin. It still seems so weird that this is actually happening. It feels more like a dream... But it really is happening. Less than 32 hours until departure!