After a long day of tidying my
apartment, hanging sheets, watching children, and exam preparation, I
am finally sitting in my favorite spot: the corner of my bed atop a
pile of pillows. The window is opened just wide enough to share the
sounds of the night outside while offering me a taste of spring air.
It's the end of January and the rain storms have been marching
through Cologne all week, but that is no sure sign that winter has
been fought off for very long. I am savoring the air, however,
because that momentary ambiance of spring brings joy to my senses and
my fingers as they write.
 |
| Just after midnight! (Oldenburg, Germany) |
January was quite eventful I suppose,
looking back. Bjoern and I celebrated our first New Year's Eve
together alongside 25 other friends in Oldenburg, Germany. We shot
off our own fireworks, despite my personal aversion to the idea, and
kissed all the way through the midnight minute as the city around us
sparkled and cheered. Since Christmas, the necklace he gave me has not come off my neck; there is a silver airplane charm dangling and constantly reminding me of both my wanderlust and the words he whispered, "the airplane keeps us together and kept us apart." Those machines might make me shaky at takeoff but they connect me to my future, my love, my joys in life; I can never take that for granted!
 |
| My birthday dinner from left to right: Rita, Charlene, Bjoern, Me, Katrin, Ornella, Marta, Sayra, Juan |
On January 9th, I celebrated my 22nd
birthday in Cologne. I invited over several of my closest friends
from my time here so far, cooked them my favorite dinner of
fettuccine Alfredo and a salad with homemade Ranch dressing from the
seasonings sent with love from my mother back home. It was a
wonderful time as I chatted with friends from Germany, Mexico,
Russia, France, and Poland; opened presents from their own home
countries; ate traditional, American recipes; and reveled in the
recognition of how truly intercultural my community has become. We
danced the night away in a local place near Zulpicher Platz and,
sometime at the end of the night, Bjoern took me in his arms, kissed
me fondly, and announced: “I am going to kiss you on your birthday
for your next 80 birthdays, starting today.”
 |
| Tulips, croissants and fresh orange juice. Welcome to Amsterdam |
After a brief visit to me in Cologne,
my darling Irish friend Emma and I left on January 17th
for Amsterdam aboard the luxury bullet trains called the ICE
(Inter-City Express). We remained in Amsterdam for 4 days and had an
absolutely grand time of things, further details of this trip will be
provided in a location bio later on. While alone aboard a regional
train to explore some traditional windmills, I helped two exchange
students find their way and we ended up spending the next few hours
together eating mustard soup, tasting cheese, walking across frozen
canals and chatting about our own cultures and experiences abroad.
Chi and Tony, from Taiwan and Spain respectively, shared with me
about their current program in the Netherlands and how they are
teaching languages while focusing on international studies. I am
constantly left in awe of the people in my surroundings; not a dull
moment exists once you open your eyes and introduce yourself to
someone new.
 |
Currently, final examinations at the Fachhochschule are dominating both my schedule and mental capacity. At the same time, though, I am somehow finding time to write letters; file my taxes; conduct research for my internship; indulge in a bit of painting; coordinate rent agreements for next year; read Rich Dad, Poor Dad; research the stock market and add some new investments to my portfolio. I suppose there is never a moment when I don't have an idea or something to do, but I don't feel overwhelmed in the least. On the contrary, I feel finally able to open up, relax and embrace the opportunities that lie around every corner. Trust me, Europe and Cologne alone have quite a few corners. What will I find next?
