A Normal Post About My Normal Life

Well, lookie here; a post that isn't being written right before or after a big trip. Could it be that I'm getting once again into the habit of doing normal, charming posts? I kind of hope so.

So! I've been sick since about Wednesday. After being under self-imposed house arrest (barring groceries runs) from Thursday to Monday, I had to return to work today--not because I was under obligation to do so from the school, but because I knew I would go absolutely insane if I stayed in my flat any longer under such conditions. And a good thing, too, for Frau Doehrmann gave me a little birthday gift on behalf of the school: a plant with pretty-smelling flowers that I hopefully will not brutally murder (I don't have a green thumb) and some really awesome-tasting Stroopwaffeln. Best thing ever? Quite possibly so. Additionally, it was nice chatting with Suzana (yay, I now know how to correctly spell her name) during the break and then working with her on the new schedule.

Yesterday, I unknowingly bought cheese that stinks like smelly dog farts. Muenster cheese is no longer named so, for I have now renamed it Smelly Dog Farts cheese. It's currently stinking up things like nobody's business in my fridge...in an air-tight container, of course.

Also yesterday, Maryle and I have begun the process of planning our big spring break trip: London-Lisbon-Madrid-Barcelona-Basel/Freiburg-and back to Celle. Needless to say, I'm quite excited. I'll let you know how that goes.

Oddly enough, I've taken up drawing again. I started a few nights ago on a pseudo-self portrait, and it turned out pretty well. Maybe it will tide me over until the weather is lovely enough for serious photography.

I know it's a short post, but it feels good not to document a trip or apologize for not having updated. So, here it is: a normal post about my normal life.

Herbstferien

To start, I cooked myself a hot meal tonight. Okay, so it was only a can of soup, but my sister recently berated me for not eating enough. So, I thought I'd do a change from the roll, deli meat, and cheese that has consisted of my dinner for about three weeks. (Hey, sometimes I added mustard into the mix.) This might have you wondering why I haven't gained weight, but also keep in mind that I walk roughly four kilometers at least five days a week and consume mainly coffee, tea, and whatever the teacher's lounge contains. (This is a lie. I do eat breakfast and lunch.)

Of course, now I have to clean dishes, and I don't wanna.

So. It's now Fall Break. This means two weeks of...I don't know. A Hannover trip is in the works, so hopefully I'll visit some friends early next week. Perhaps a Bremen day trip, too, since that wouldn't be too expensive. It's just that this break has come so suddenly, and, having only worked three weeks at Klein Hehlen, I'm not ready for one. I still want to work.

I suppose my main fear of this break is that I'll become depressed, as I won't have much to do. This is a valid fear. I have many destinations I'd love to visit, but it's really too late to ask anyone if I can come for a few days and mooch. So, in a somewhat less elegant way than is usual of this blog, I'm going to occupy my time by making a list of desired destinations during my Fulbright tenure.

In no particular order:
Hamburg
Bremen
Weimar
Frankfurt
Dusseldorf
Dresden
Cologne (again) and Aachen
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
Brussels, Belgium
Anywhere, England
Amsterdam, The Netherlands*
Paris, France*

*Yes, I know. I'd rather visit the countryside of these countries, but come on, people. ART MUSEUMS. The Louvre... I'd love that.

I'm not going to be able to go to all of these, mainly because of money and not enough time. But, the least I can do is visit the German cities, since train travel is very convenient and, if one burrows enough, affordable. I have friends/family in Florence, Rome, Brussels, and near the London area, so there's always a possibility... If I don't eat or buy anything at all. I only slightly jest.