The World Cup

Sorry, I've been a terrible blogger but I haven't really thought of anything good to write until about a week ago.. the finale of the World Cup!

I've always been a fan of soccer but I never kept up with it like I do with basketball or football. So I will admit I kind of jumped on the "Woohoo I'm watching the World Cup and I care about it" bandwagon; but I learned a lot more than I thought I would. Two summers ago I watched a lot of the Euro Cup and I honestly thought that was the World Cup.. yeah embarrassing I know! But anyway, this post is about my journey watching and enjoying the world cup while living in Germany. 

I was definitely cheering for the U.S. team, but it was a little difficult because I was living in another country. It wasn't easy to go to a local bar, order fried food, drink a Bud Light and cheer obnoxiously like the majority of my friends were doing. So instead I had to try to live like an American in Germany. I watched the U.S. games and the Germany games, obviously wanting both teams to win. The first game that was really important was the U.S. vs Germany game. Isabella and Rivers were equally excited as I was. A few days before the game the girls and I colored some American flags, Go USA signs and I taught them the I Believe That We Will Win chant. The day of the game the girls came home from school with their faces painted with American flags. I thought the kindergarten did a great job of really getting the kids involved with the game; and of course the girls thought it was awesome which made for an easy afternoon. 

This is Isabella with her American flag face paint!

I thought this video was just too adorable not to post on here! 

For the game, we went over to the neighbors' house and had a little block party. Even some of the Germans were cheering for America, which was pretty awesome. The food was great, the people were enjoyable but the game not so much. As you know, the U.S. lost but it was ok in the end because we were still able to advance to the next round!

Brandon and I holding up the girls' signs in our neighbors house during the game.

I can't really remember the timeline after that other than Germany kept winning and so did the U.S. until they played Belgium. It was a late game so the girls were asleep, Chad, Brandon and I stayed up to watch it. Unfortunately you know what happened and we lost. This was heartbreaking because of all the hard work the USMNT had put into this World Cup. So fingers crossed for 2018!! Even though my favorite team was out of the running, I had to pull for second best which of course was Germany. The next game I think (??) was against France. I met up with some of my friends at a biergarten and watched on a huge screen as we cheered on our new favorite team. I remember the game because it was the 4th of July and I obviously had to represent America wearing red, white and blue, which unfortunately are France's colors.  Sitting amongst the white jerseys, liters full of beer and a language that is very foreign to me, I cheered with the thousands as Germany scored and moved on to the next round!

It was then starting to feel like I was really a part of this huge German fan base. We were a country and nobody cared I didn't know the songs and cheers. After the France game, came Brazil. It was a raining night in Munich so I didn't care to venture out of the house, which I definitely regret now. If you didn't watch this game, you missed out on some quality goal scoring action. Within the first half Germany had 5 goals; I mean who does that??  I could barely look down on my phone to check all the funny jokes on Twitter before their would be another goal. It was something else. After the 7-1 score, Germany was moving on to the finals. 

It was a dreary day in Munich so I wasn't feeling up to par and especially didn't want to go into the city with the rain and cold but I sucked it up because I knew it was a chance of a lifetime. I met up with some friends at a bar in the middle of Munich. We reserved a table, which was a great thing since the bars were full 3 hours before the game started. I grabbed some German beers and sat down with so many people I didn't know. (Side note: Munich is so culturally diverse because I was sitting with a French girl, a few Americans, a Polish boy, a girl from the Netherlands and a girl and boy from Portugal.) I was so excited for the game, the finale of the World Cup. Never would I have thought I would end up in Germany while they were fighting for this incredible title. Every time Germany would get close to scoring, the bar would go silent and then let out a painful sigh. My nonGerman self never felt more German, especially in a room full of loud cheering fans. When we scored, the bar erupted in cheers louder than any noise I had heard before. The cheers continued for a few minutes and when the game was over, I don't think any of us knew what to do. We screamed, cheersed, cheered, high-fived, hugged, kissed, danced, drank, laughed, cried and everything in between. The atmosphere was incredible and I hadn't even stepped out of the bar yet....  My friend Emily and I walked out onto the street and that was a sight! The street was filled with thousands and thousands of fans. I have never seen more happy people in one place, minus when Carolina beat Clemson 5 years in a row, but that's besides the point :) These fans were crazy! Everybody was acting like the random stranger next to them was their best friend, and for that moment everybody was one happy German family. I walked through the streets with a grin on my face just taking in all of the sights. Children on their parents shoulders, random people with horns leading group cheers, herds of people singing German songs, beers clanking together and smiles everywhere you turned. Words can't really describe that night, but what I do know is I was celebrating something I will never forget. I don't think anybody has forgotten about the win because all I see is Germany jerseys and German flags flying high and I'm okay with it. (I even caved and bought a Germany jersey.) 

Although I loved every minute of the Germany win, America will always be #1 in my heart! 

Here are a few picture from the streets of Germany after taking the 2014 FIFA World Cup Championship title!

  

Responsibility is key

I have babysat since I was about 13 years old. My mom made my best friend and I go to a babysitting class at the hospital where we learned CPR, how to change a diper, babysitting tips and tricks, etc. Not to brag or anything but I think I'm pretty good with children. My sister tells me all the time she thinks my career will involve children and I'll have a lot of my own one day, and I think she might be right. Over the years I've learned a lot about children such as: whom to let stay up past their bedtime, when to give an extra scoop of ice cream, when a child is lying, when a child is telling the truth, whom to be stern with, whom to let run around the backyard numerous times so they will crash in bed and so much more. 

Responsibility comes in all shapes and sizes. Wether it is regarding school, exercising, eating healthy, being the president of a sorority or taking care of children. In the U.S. it's not difficult to take children to a restaurant to grab some dinner, ride bikes on a trail, get ice cream, take them to the zoo, among many other things. Because while you are over there you just have to be observant and follow the signs and social cues that you have grown up with. Well in Germany it's a little bit of a different story. Taking care of children is easy but it's the not knowing the language or understanding social cues that is the issue. I will use the example of the zoo since I took the girls last weekend. 

First we walked to the bakery to get breakfast, which I've gotten used to now but I had to be observant to understand which way the line went, how to order the food and how to pay. Then we rode a bus to the zoo. Of course I had directions but I'm not sure what the rule is about food on the bus or talking (but basically yelling) children. I just had to be observant and try my best to fit in. After we arrived at the zoo, I wasn't exactly sure which line to go to so I just took my best adult guess and picked one. Luckily I picked the correct one and we got in like a breeze. We walked around the zoo and enjoyed all of the wonderful animals. Our favorites were the giraffes, monkeys and camels. By the way, if you ever go to Munich and have kids, go to the zoo. It is huge and has about any animal you can think of. Around 1pm the girls were hungry for lunch so we picked the Gorilla Cafe and sat down for some sandwiches and shade. I walked in the door that I thought was correct and walked up to the counter to order. Well I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or not but I ordered our food with confidence but inside I was scared because I didn't want to make any Germans upset, because like I've said before, Germans are not very nice when they are upset. The man at the counter pointed me towards the register to pay so I did but couldn't find our sandwiches. A third man was making them at another station and the line was getting crowded so people were pushing, the the girls were begging me for an eis so needless to say I was a little overwhelmed. Since we were outside I wasn't sure what to do with our tray when we finished eating. I had to look around and be observant of others to figure out what to do. 

My father has always taught me to be aware of my surroundings, especially at night and when I'm alone but I'm taking that advice to a different context. I HAVE to be aware of what is going on in another country especially since I don't know the language or the traditional customs. Responsibility is important when looking after children and I feel as though my responsibility has doubled since I've been over here and especially when I'm alone with the girls. Luckily they are sweet and listen to me most of the time :) but I'm enjoying this heightened responsibility because it is a wonderful skill I'll take with me to the next phase of my life. 

Responsibility is key along with being aware of your surroundings all of the time. 

Just a few pictures from our zoo trip. And p.s. suckers are ALWAYS a good treat! 

Italia

I've always had an infatuation with Italy especially as I've grown older - well my dream has come true because I am writing this blog on the train coming back from Verona. 

Chad was away on a business trip for a week and Brandon and I thought we should take a trip somewhere for a few days with the girls. We decided on Verona because it is only a 5 hour train ride away from Munich. So this was my first train ride in Europe minus last summer when we traveled 2 hours to this really awesome castle; this was also the girls first train ride. Our train left Munich at 7:30 on Wednesday morning so getting up at 6am wasn't especially fun because I'm NOT a morning person. (But I have had to become one because the girls loveeeee to come into my room at the crack of dawn and play around my bed until I can muster up the energy to get up and watch cartoons with them) So we board the train and have our own little cart but a young man walks in and I warn him, "we have some wild ones, if you want quiet you might want to pick another seat" he laughed and said he would stay. We did introductions and his name was Mark from Canada and studies political science in Paris and is on his way to meeting up with friends in Venice. Our train ride was exciting to say the least. We made all the normal stops and on the boarder of Italy the conductor told us to get off because the train didn't work. Well luckily Brandon and I are go-with-the-flow type of people so we found out when the next train to Verona left, then decided to treat ourselves to a beer. I told Mark to come with us and eat. The hour passed and we boarded our train to Verona for the second time. Well Mark followed us to the cart and despite have 2 crazy, energy-filled kids he wanted to continue to sit with us. Now my dad traveled Europe when he was 19 and I love listening to his stories especially about the random people he met and interacted with - I felt like this was one of those stories I'll tell to my children. We met this random guy on the train who followed us for 7 hours and ended up being so nice and patient with the girls - it just felt very European and I loved it. You always hear about the interesting stories of the random people on trains and I finally had one of my own too. To Mark - thanks for putting up with our wild cart with energetic kids and I hope your trip to Venice is incredible! 

Brandon and the girls getting ready to get on the train to Verona for the second time. 

And here I am trying to get the girls to take a picture with me with the snowy mountains in the back but it turned out to be a selfie!

So we arrive in Verona and of course take the wrong road to the hotel so the 15 minute walk turns into pushing the heavy stroller with both girls and carrying 2 bags of luggage for over a hour until we arrive at the hotel. We put our bags down and decide to explore the city a little bit. We are very close to the areana and walk towards it and let the girls run around. Believe me, they needed it after being in a train car all afternoon. We eat at one of the first reataurants we see which is a total tourist trap, but we didn't care because the girls got balloons and they were instantly happy which made Brandon and I happy. In the center, no cars are allowed which is great for the girls because they can frolic around the streets and sidewalk and we don't have to worry about them. Of course we get a gelato (best ice cream in the whole world) and everybody goes from a 8 to 10 on the happy scale. It's something about gelato that brings everybody together. So Brandon put the girls to bed in the hotel and I hung out in the lobby with our bottle of wine - believe me we needed it - and I got a lot of time to be alone and think and I realized I'm not a huge fan of being alone. Now yes I enjoy my quiet time but I love people way more! So Brandon comes down after the girls are asleep and we sit outside at a table and enjoy our bottle of wine and people watch. The weather was beautiful and the people were entertaining so I couldn't of asked for a better night. There is nothing better than enjoying some yummy Italian wine with nice weather and good company. 

The next morning we woke up early and set off to explore the city. We met a nice gladiator and took some pictures. I think the girls were more curious than anything. 

We explored the areana and told Isabella the story of Romeo & Juliet. She loves boys so we knew she would enjoy this love story. Well, she turned into a littler director and we acted out the story which was a lot of fun.  Sometimes you have to let go and just be a kid again. There was a sight seeing train and we knew the girls would love it so we decided to go on a tour of the city. If you have never been to Italy, you need to go! It is absolutely beautiful with old churches, cobblestone streets, Italian architecture, a landscape to die for and so much more. I was absolutely in heaven touring this city. 

After the tour we wandered through the city and found a piazza with a market and lots of authentic Italian looking restaurants. We ordered wine and different pastas. Let me tell you, this was the most devine lasagna I've ever eaten. It was the perfect lunch, and as the Italians do, we stayed there for around 2 hours. After lunch we walked through the shopping districts and I realized how poor I really am haha but I knew one day I would return with lots of money to spend and a better taste for really good wine. Our next stop was Juliet's balcony. We wandered through the city trying to find it and finally did and I think I was the most excited for this stop on our Italian adventure. Of course it was crowded with couples putting locks on the wall, touching the statue of Juliet and placing gum on the wall but I didn't care. I was here!! The lock wall was incredible with thousands of locks telling the stories of so many couples and their trip to Verona. It was really interesting to think how their trip compared to mine and who they were spending time with. The one thing I really wanted to do was place gum on the wall because I knew my dad and sister had done the same thing a few years ago. I gave the girls some gum and we dedicated it to somebody special in our lives that we love. I loved doing that because I knew thousands of people placed their gum on the same wall and everybody's story was different with each piece of gum meaning something special. 

Before dinner we went back to the hotel for some rest; 2 small children is no joke and is extremely tiring. So we decided to let the girls stay out past their bedtime and go to dinner in hopes they would sleep later the next morning. Dinner was delicious with numerous cheeses and Italian tapas foods. 

The girls started getting to that extreme tired phase where all they could do was run around and laugh. Trying to control them was like trying to control a drunk friend when all they can do is laugh and not listen to anything you are saying. We started walking back to the hotel with the girls on our backs and we all were uncontrollably laughing - it was very funny and was a great way to end the night. The giggles came with challenges putting them to bed but Brandon and I fell asleep soon after. 

This morning we ate breakfast in the hotel and decided to walk around before our train at 11. Of course all of the shops didn't open until 10 but we just enjoyed the city one last time. Verona was absolutely beautiful and Italy was everything I could imagine. The people are beautiful and the Italian way of life is enticing so I know one day I'll be back! As for me right now, I still have 2 more hours on this train, and as my parents would say when I was little "Only 4 Barney's and we will be there!" 

Ciao 

Music makes me smile

If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE music. I mean I love it. If you put on the right song or right playlist, it will instantly change my mood and make me a very happy camper. Well while I've been over here I've discovered this band from Munich. They have only released an EP but it's incredible. So I wanted to share it with everyone. Now you might not like the song or the way the guy sings or plays the guitar, but I love it. When I hear this song I become a completely different person with a big goofy grin on my face and I dance around like nobody is watching. So I really hope you enjoy this song like I do!

Stolen Dance by Milky Chance

German life!

Since I've been in Germany for about a week, I've had plenty of time to make some observations about the German people and their way of life. Now these observations are kind of mixed with the observations I made when I visited Berlin and Munich last year on a Maymester trip. (Shoutout to all of those people, miss you guys and club Matrix of course!!) So here are the observations: 

1. Germans don't smile

Being from the south I have been raised to walk with a smile on my face, acknowledge others, say please/thank you/you're welcome/excuse me/I'm sorry, but the Germans seem to be lacking in that area. I don't know why exactly but it's a very foreign concept to me. So when I pass people on the street I usually can't help myself but to greet them with a smile and hopefully they don't think oh why is this random girl smiling but instead it makes them happy and then they will in turn smile at someone else. 

2. Germans are major rule followers

Germany is a country of many rules, but I have learned that most of the rules are unspoken. Such as: make sure if you are riding your bike you are in the bike lane and not the street; always pick up dog poop even if it isn't in somebody else's yard; it is a sin in Bavaria if you drink a weiss bier (their main beer) out of a bottle, you must drink out of a glass; the only time it is accepted to open windows is in your own home - Germans get upset about drafts if you open a window on the train or at work - most of the time someone will come and close it; you don't wear your workout clothes to the gym - there are large coed dressing rooms (WEIRD!) that you change in when you get there; on escalators you pass on the left and stand on the right - definitely don't stand in the way of a person in a hurry to get on the train, believe me you will get a few words in German and it's not fun.

There are plenty of other rules but they are slipping my mind at the moment - definitely the ADD kicking it. And if you break one of the many unwritten rules you will definitely know! Germans feel like it is their place to let you know you have done something wrong. 

3. Crazy/good drivers

If you don't know, you have to be 18 to get a license in Germany because Germans are very strict about their driving. There are lots and lots of road signs and the lines on the road are very distinct. You must always use your blinker and yield to pedestrians. One interesting fact about driving is if you come to an intersection when normally you would have the right away, well you don't continue to drive, the person turning onto that street does. They also park on the side of the road a lot so it only leaves space for one car and Germans are very good about letting the car come through that was on the road first. They are very good drivers because they follow all of the rules unlike American drivers. (especially in Columbia, if you lived there you know what I'm talking about - it's terrible)

4. Healthy lifestyle

Since I've been here I've only seen a few obease people and they were at the large indoor pool with speedos and bikinis which was a nasty sight to see, let me tell you!! But Germans tend to lead a very healthy and active lifestyle. People are always biking to and from work, the beer gardens, to the bakery, etc. Since gas is so expensive, that encourages them to take public transportation or bike. Like I said in a previous post, I'm not the biggest fan of biking but I'm going to have to get used to it. But I do especially enjoy biking after a Weiss beir or 2 at the beer garden :)

There is also not a lot of fast food options like in the states. Where there is a McDonalds on every corner in America, there is a bakery here in Germany. Yes bread is not the best because it is a carb ("Is butter a carb?" Mean Girls reference, sorry just came to mind) but the bread is fresh and usually organic. There are lots of markets and fresh fruit and vegetable stands around the city and in the different towns. The vibrant colors of the food are so enticing and I think I've eaten more vegetables since I've been here than ever before, but hey I'm not complaining. But I do have to say I'm a sucker for good chicken fingers and french fries so I'm currently missing my Zaxby's, Chick fil a and my favorite Mexican food, Qdoba! 

5. Germans love their gardens 

If you live in the city, land is very rare. Even in small towns outside the city like where we live, land is very rare. So when you do have a little land in your backyard you cherish it! Germans love to plant flowers, make sure their grass is always cut and have nice furniture to relax and enjoy the day. It is usually a nice temperature outside so Isabella, Rivers and I are always playing in the little backyard. While Brandon and I were running the other day she took me by the train tracks and there was this huge piece of land sectioned off and you can buy some of it and create your own little garden. You can plant flowers, vegetables, or set up furniture to have parties. It is actually a cool concept because so many different people are connected by this plot of land all because they love to be outside in their garden. 

This is not an observation but instead something that I'm dealing with everyday. Brandon and I went into the city on Tueaday and while she went to yoga I had a coffee and walked around and went into a lot of different stores. Most Germans can speak English at least a little bit but I cannot speak German. My last semester of college I took an introduction to German class so I could learn the basics which has helped a lot to know certain words and understand a little of what people are saying but by no means can I speak German. Krcelic is Croatian and my grandmother and dad have always told me I looked very Eastern European with my blonde hair a blue eyes; well Germans also look a lot like this. So when I was walking into the boutiques and shoe shops, I was greeted with a "hallo" and I would respond the same, so the salesperson would assume I was German and could speak the language, ha jokes not the case. If they would start talking to me in German I would respond with "oh I'm sorry I don't speak German" and then we would usually converse a little in English. Once I left the stores I would say goodbye in German which is "tschuss" which means see ya later. The few words I do know in German I try to speak as often as possible just to show I am trying to make an effort. But as I walk the streets wether in the city or our town, I sometimes enjoy not understanding the language because it leaves the mind to wander. I have to use my imagination to guess what the sign is saying or what peoples conversations are about based on their facial expressions. I also can't use my phone unless I have wifi so I'm not constantly checking Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram and instead I really pay attention to my surroundings, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. 

Before I end this post I want to give a few shout outs

1. All my ΧΩ girls! Spending my last semester all day everyday with my best friends was amazing and now it's sad to not all be together. But know I miss all of you and wish y'all were all here with me! LICO!

2. To my sister! So excited for your journey to Mexico this summer! I know you will enjoy every minute and I can't wait to hear about all of your fun adventures. Love ya long time little one!

3. And to my parents! Thank you for supporting me during my last 22 years and especially through college - GO COCKS! And again THANK YOU for allowing me to go on this wonderful journey, I wouldn't be who I am today without your love and guidence! Miss and love y'all!

Living the Life

So I've been in Germany for a few days now and I'm still getting adjusted to the time difference. For everybody who I text at my 8am, I'm sorry because it's your 2am.  I've loved every part of Germany so far! The first full day I was here I was woken up at 5am (thanks Isabella) so we colored, watched German cartoons and tried to occupy ourselves until Rivers woke up around 7.  They went to school and I went back to sleep. Brandon (the mom) and I went to pick up the girls from school (they go to "kindergarten" which is just another name for preschool) and we drove around so I could get a feel for where they lived. We went down to the river and while Brandon was explaining that German's throw themselves a going away party and she and Chad decided to do a river/float party.  As she was explaining what it was, one floated by. It is this huge woodish type raft with a band and a bar and everybody drinks and floats the river, it actually looks a little frightening but so fun! We then went to a little beer garden by their house and while Brandon and I had a casual afternoon beer, the girls played on the swings. I'm amazed how consuming an alcoholic beverage by a playground in America would be totally illegal, here it is encouraged.

On Saturday we decided to have a picnic in the English gardens. If you have never been to the English gardens or never heard of it, google it right now! It is beautiful! The Engligh garden is bigger than Central Park but has kind of the same vibe to it. It is this huge land of green green grass with a lot of trees, a river, people picnicking, dancing, kicking the ball, laying out, or just enjoying the day. We enjoyed a nice picnic with our pretzels and beer!

We then went into the Chinese Beer Garden, it is one of the biggest beer gardens in Munich and very touristy. When I was in Germany last year, our bike tour rode through that area and stopped and had a beer. Again we sat by the playground so Brandon, Chad and I could enjoy our beers and the girls could play. Nights are filled with coloring, playing in the yard, watching cartoons, and reading lots and lots of books!

On Sunday we went to another beer garden close to the house. Brandon said this was one of the nicer beer gardens and very kid friendly. Again it had a huge playground, a massive trampoline, swings and a train. We met another family that has kids in Isabella's class. Ferdinand and Isabella immediately took to the playground leaving Rivers and I to explore our food selections. We decided on a pretzel larger than her head and an eis (ice cream). 

Sunday seemed to be some sort of German festival so the music was playing, and Germans were decked out in their leiderhosen and dirndls. Then we biked back home, if you know me you know I'm not a fan of bike riding. It is just a little challenging for me and I'm just not very good. So after a few beers, I became a little more fearless on the bike which is probably a good thing. 

I have a good feelings about this summer. Germany, I like you a lot! 

I'm off!

I've never written a blog before but I'm kind of excited to start this one. Even though I just graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Public Relations, writing is not my strong suit... so this will be a good time to get some practice! 

Most of you know I'm traveling to Munich, Germany this summer to be an au  pair for a family that used to live in Greenville. Chad, the husband/dad works for BMW and their family has the chance to travel to Munich to live and work for a few years at a time - lucky for me because I get to spend the summer with 2 wonderful little girls named Isabella and Rivers! 

As I sit in the Greenville airport ready to board my plane, I'm thinking about all the wonderful things I'll get to experience this summer. Stay tuned for my exciting au pair adventures!

xoxo