June .......16?

Considering yesterday was "where all the bad people go" today was a gentle breeze equipped with colorful butterflies and an everflowing stream of chocolate. I woke up and enjoyed my favorite meal of the day, breakfast. I've been introduced to a delicacy that I spread on all my bread, a sort of chunky nutella. It's heavenly. Christopher and I walked to Robert's house (again) and walked with Robert and Clay to school. When we got there, we met up with the rest of the "Amis", including Herr White (I guess that's what we call him?) who, we were told, is suffering from jet lag. We immediantly saw opportunity..

Our journey began as we walked towards the third building of the Gymnasium. We had already seen and been in the Sporthall and main building, the building we visited today though was for the 11th and 12th graders that are nearing the Abitur and freedom. The rooms were tiny and quite, but there were lots of stairs. There are lots of stairs in general in Germany, I might as well just add I'm living a rapunzel life at Christopher's house- highest room in the tallest tower (three sets of stairs to the bedroom).
After visiting the third building and taking a moment of sympothy for the sad system of schooling in Germany, we set out for the 5k walk. (I don't want to kill you with suspense, so I'll go ahead and exlpain that last note. In America, our school is paid for and upgraded basically with taxes and such. Here in Germany, no one really wants to pay for the schooling so when a wall is rotting or stairway is creaky... you just have to suck it up and keep walking.)
We walked... and walked....and walked some more. We walked up hot stone roads and through mud-drenched woods. We walked up hills and down hills. We walked on the left side of the highway and in between pretty houses. We walked near construction and through a meadow. We walked through the blistering heat and the freezing shade. We walked.
Hours later, we arrived at a cute little place where we Kegled? Keglen: A game similar to bowling, but also very different. This game consists of two lanes, narrower and shorter than your average bowling lane. Instead of ten pegs, there are only nine kegles (?). Instead of a big ball you squeeze your fingers into, there are small balls you hold on to and roll under a rope.  We split into two teams, red and black. Our first game was basically a count-up-your-total-scores competition... the only catch was if you reached a double number (11...33....88) your team had to start back at 0. Then, we played a game where you had to knock down certain numbers and everytime you knocked down that number, it was erased off of your to-do list. Red fought hard with all their little hearts, but proved to be no competition for the dominating black team.
Then we ate brats.
Dear Axel,
Thank you very much. The food was delicious.
After eating, we walked once more. We walked all the way up a hill to an over-priced ice cream shop where we all stood aroud eating soft ice cream. It was delicious. Then, we walked some more. We walked down a hill to a buffalo viewing place. Here, though, they aren't called buffalo. They're called something else.
We eventually hiked to a spot where we saw a small numbered but big sized buffalo family. They heavily breathed for us for a few moments before walking away.
Then, and I know you won't believe this, but we walked some more. We walked back to the road and up the hill. I want to spend a sentence or two on this hill..... it was unlike any hill I've ever walked up before. I love Germany and am counting down the days until I return, but I pray I never, ever have to walk up a hill like that one ever again for the rest of my life. If you've never been to Germany but plan to go one day, be prepared to walk. and walk. and walk.
In the end, everyone survived, some more than others, and we collapsed on the side of the road at the top of the Hill where we waited for our partners to pick us up. Some people went to visit a castle, but I came home to relax and write my last blog. It's been a pleasure..

Jenny Price
(P.S. This is me mentioning Hungry Shark)