Reasons why I hate New Jersey (besides Bon Jovi)

• Reading: Schedule for the next three weeks


• Listening to: Kids who should be quiet (I'm in the library)


• German Word of the Day: dösen


• Translation: snooze


• Example: Heute habe ich dösen zehn mal gedruckt./I hit the snooze button ten times today.

(Originally written 12. July. 2006)

When surprising one’s parents, it is best if one books a flight directly to one’s town. Otherwise, one could possibly end up in Jersey, change gates five times, have one flight cancelled, watch another flight time of 5:55 pm move to 10:20, 7:35, 8:00, 8:30, 8:40, and 9:40, be seen and completely ignored by a counter worker, and almost have a breakdown when, while eating salt and vinegar chips and accidentally rubbing one’s eye, Celine Dion comes on the radio. The combination is entirely too horrible for words.

Yes, I’m currently in Newark Int’l. My plane left Frankfurt at 11:20am (GMT +1) and we got here around 3pm (GMT –5) after being in a holding pattern for 45 minutes. I trudged through customs, where I was accosted by someone official-looking, who asked me, “Miss! What’s that?” in reference to my luggage. My LUGGAGE. This is an AIRPORT. It is a SUITCASE. Maybe he was new.

After practically no sleep – it’s up to 22 hours awake now – it is not very fun to have to sit at the window and pretend that I”ll be getting on one of the planes that are docking. Originally I was to straight to Detroit from here, but I’ve been rerouted to Detroit via Cleveland. All I wanted to do was fall into the arms of my boyfriend and surprise my mom at work. Well, mom is on vacation and Matt is driving the three hours to
Cleveland to pick me up. If I ever get there, that is.

Yes, kids, if you didn't know it, you know now: I'm back in Michigan. Only for a few more weeks, though, then it's back to Graz to continue with the German-speaking.

I did a lot of traveling (Berlin, London, Hamburg -- check out Flickr for proof) before I left, and it made me realize that I don't have one "home" -- I have a hell of a lot. Well, four, to be exact. I was concerned that my reverse culture shock would hit me again, but it hasn't come to me at all. Sure, the bread sucks and I feel odd/lazy when I don't seperate my garbage to recycle, but other than that? It just feels like one of my many homes. This could be because I was only in Austria for 4.5 months instead of a year, but I like to think it's because I'm finally getting used to living all over the world.

I like it.