Welcome 2012..

“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something you have left behind. Let it be something good.” –Unknown

I read this quote today on pintrest and I fell in love. I came home with Matt today after a day of exploring and I really feel like this captured the point of today. We had a wonderful conversation over dinner and discussed life in Germany for the first time. You would think this type of connection would have come earlier, but it didn’t and I’m sorta glad for that. We were given the opportunity to reconnect as one and get on the same page. We talked of how relaxed the way of living is here compared to home in the states. We talked about how America dominates the entertainment world. We talked of working on enjoying life here together. We talked about my cathartic nature to write only about every negative thing in life instead of anything positive. We talked about both of our struggles with adjusting.

It all started when we were out exploring. We decided after a day of not leaving the hotel and wearing our pajamas all day that it was time to get out. We planned on just taking a stroll to a local hotel about 2 miles away. The path we chose cut through a super muddy field and when we finally got through the half mile of murky goo, my new boots were gross enough to make me look like a homeless person. I don’t know how I managed it, but I was caked from the soles to just about my kneecaps. It was awful because I didn’t notice it until I got some funny stares. L Matt was charming as always and suggested we stop so I could clean up and stop my meltdown to continue our adventure. As we trekked down to the hotel, we walked though an entirely cool park. The weather was cold today and I loved every minute. After perusing the park, we popped out at our destination! I have never seen a hotel looking this glorious in such a random spot. Matt told me that an emperor built it for himself in 1904. It’s crazy how something this old can comfortably sit next to modern architecture as well.

Such beautiful scenery!

Dear Alfred, I am in the mud, be proud!!! 

Muddy boots :(

Some sweet house we walked by after the trail.

Sweet house #2.

 

Entrance of park, taken by my phone. :]

Husband + Ducks.

Misc statue #1.

Misc statue #2. Creepy kids!

This is awesome. 

Random theater in Park.

Side of hotel destination.

View looking out from the hotel.

The hotel. 

Sidewalk of the hotel, completely modern, but looking back you see this crazy old structure!

Walking into Downtown.

I really like buildings. :)

Different views to show you just how cool and movie-like it is here!!! :D I love this part.

This is my favorite picture of the day. It's of Little Italy (I think), and it's dedicated to my sister Christina, who would totally love it here. I mees you seester!

Overall we walked about 3 miles but it was worth every muddy step!  Downtown Wiesbaden is like going somewhere out of the movies because it’s all so clean and close together with these awesome cobblestone walk ways. It was nice to get out and see all the local shops and restaurants, especially little Italy. J

Going back to our talk, we were able to see what life could be like together here. It’s so much slower, and I think it’s refreshing. As much as I loved being in a fast paced environment, I feel like we are getting a chance to take a deep breath and soak it all in. Dinners here at a restaurant easily last 2 hours. I have been practicing eating slower and taking time to talk to whoever I’m with and enjoy their company. The servers hardly come to the table, which may seem rude, but if you look at it as time to be with your friends and family, it seems rude to interrupt that. Tonight, because of such customs, Matt and I were able to find our voices and see where we were at after almost a month of being here. He spoke to me about all the good things about Germany, how he copes with being away from his family, and how I should open up more to him. As I’ve said before, I’m left at home a lot alone, and I guess my resolution for this year is to be more proactive. We have this awesome camera that I pretty much suck at using when it’s on manual, and a whole new language to learn.

Speaking of being proactive, I register for school tomorrow. This week is pretty much going to consist of applying to financial aid so I can keep moving forward with my Bachelors in English. Another area to focus on, has been our future puppy. For those of you who don’t know yet, we have decided to get a German Shepherd!!! Yayy!!! If you know me at all, you should know I am obsessed with dogs. I think they see directly into your soul and can fulfill your life in a way no human can. I’m on my second book on training puppies and we have a breeder in place! If all goes well (keep your fingers crossed!), we should have a female puppy at the end of March. That’s about all the good news I have for now, but let me know if there is anything else you would like to know about.

Let the exploring begin! xoxo