Cough, Cough, Hack

You know, I would like it if this kennel cough would go away. I'm pretty certain that it's eventually going to become parvo (yes, I know the two are unrelated), since I've had it since Barcelona.

OH HEY, how about that. So, yeah, that, um, Osterferien trip, there. I should get on that. Like, right now. Since it's been, you know, a month since the onset of that trip.

Yeah. Sorry about that. Isn't it funny how, when we actually have things about which to write, we really don't want to write at all? That's what I've been suffering lately, but that could just be the parvo talking.

Suffice to say, my Osterferien was very much an adventure, seeing as my travel partner in crime and I hopped from Hamburg, to Hassocks/London/Brighton, to Lisbon, to Madrid, to Barcelona, to Backnang/Murrhardt/Stuttgart, and then back to home, sweet Celle. Every location has at least one story behind it, some misadventures, and back pains, and each and every one of them should be recorded.

Good luck with that. Snort.

Seriously, though, I'm going to devote my day off to making individual posts about each location, so expect to be reading a lot, if you are one of my faithful followers. Additionally, faithful cult followers: HEY LOOK, I'M UPDATING; ISN'T IT GREAT? (COUGH, COUGH, HACK, DEAD)

But, before I go into things of yestermonth, here's a healthy helping of reflection and looking toward the future. You're going to have to eat every bit of it in order to get dessert, so suck it up and scarf down your peas.

It is now a little over two months before I head back to Huntsville, and though this is lingering in the back of my mind and slowly driving me insane by the mere thought of it, I really will be glad to be back. I have come to this decision, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Why? Why would I look forward to coming back and I not staying in Germany? Isn't that mundane? No, I don't particularly see it that way. My time here in Celle will be just enough because I'll have learned what I've needed by that time. This isn't to say that this is all that I need to learn from being and living abroad, for that's simply not the case, but for this particular time in my life, and for this particular experience, I find that all that I've learned has set the foundation for what I will contribute in my life. No, I don't have a firm grasp on exactly what that is, but this Fulbright grant happened for a reason and has undoubtedly shaped many aspects of my maturity and future growth. I simply don't believe that going back to Huntsville will stunt any growth whatsoever, and though I know I will not stay there for a long period of time (grad school be a-callin', fools), it's a pretty cool place to be. And I like it.

Huntsville. Land of the cult sticks (Green Mountain, July '09).

Admittedly, it will be great to reunite with friends and family and to have a solid social circle (say that three times fast), and I have been homesick every now and then. It's natural. But, I'm also really looking forward to the next step in my awesomeness, particularly when thinking about future studies and occupations. I'd like to study abroad (which I've actually never done), or find a specialization that allows me to travel and actively do something within the community, like teach English or whatnot. That would be, quite simply, awesome-sauce.

So, as I reflect on my accomplishments of these past months and determine just how this experience will contribute to what I'll do in the future (though I have only a small idea of how it'll pan out), I have no regrets. I like what I've done, and I look forward to seeing what I'll do later. Again, maybe it's the lucidity that kicks in right before parvo snuffs the light out of my puppy allegory, but things are lookin' up.

Yeah, that was difficult to swallow. Good job, though. Now, for dessert. Hamburg misadventure, here we come.

...after I purchase groceries. Being true to nature, I have no food.