Merry Christmas!


As many of you know I am going to Ireland for Christmas! I leave bright and early Friday morning for Frankfurt to catch a flight to Dublin. From Dublin we will take the train to Belfast where we will stay until Tuesday morning. On Tuesday we will take the train back to Dublin and spend two nights at a hostel there before flying back to Frankfurt Thursday morning. 


That is the general itinerary for my trip. Once I am back to Bad Honnef I will have that day to unpack and do laundry before packing up a few things for my trip to Trier! I was invited to visit Sarah in Trier for New Years Eve! Trier is the oldest city in Germany and is supposed to be wonderful! I am really excited to go there for a few days. 


Well now that you know how I will be spending the holidays I will tell you a little about the past few weeks! 
First there was the Christmas market on campus Dec 8-11 which was great! I went everyday to enjoy some Glühwein and Bratwurst. It was extremely convenient to just walk outside my building and have dinner without having to cook! 


Last week the LEO Club had a Christmas party and the new member intake ceremony. I am the first international member in LEO Club Bad Honnef. The party was a lot of fun. After our private party was the Heaven or Hell party that I helped organize. :) This past weekend I went to the other Christmas markets in the area. Friday night we went to the Christmas market in Bonn and although it was raining and cold we managed to have a good time. After we went to Sarah's apartment and watched The Voice Germany. Saturday Anna and I went Christmas shopping in Köln which was packed! I was getting very frustrated because everyone was walking so slow. We had a great time and spent a few hours just walking around and going into shops. I was on a mission to find a specific present for someone so we went to the Christmas market to find it. The Christmas market was absolutely gorgeous. I will post some pictures below. 


We had a presentation this morning and the paper for the presentation is due tomorrow so my week has been full of classwork and meetings. I am looking forward to tomorrow when it is all over and I can just relax on vacation. 


Sorry this post is kind of scattered but it is midnight and I have been up since 6 and only got a few hours of sleep last night. I will try to post when I get back from Ireland before I go to Trier but I am not sure that I will have time. 


I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas & a very Happy New Year! 

                                              Enjoying Glühwein at the Christmas market

                                                 LEO Club Christmas Party/New member intake

                                                             Merry Christmas! 

                                                        Shopping at the Christmas market in Köln

                                                              Enjoying a crepe in Bonn

                                                          Christmas market in Köln

                                                       Christmas market in Bonn

                                                   Christmas market in Köln 

I have posted a link to a very important video I think everyone needs to watch. It doesn't matter if you are male/female or young/old. Just watch and you will understand. Please watch it before you read the rest of this post! If you don't then it won't make much sense.

http://www.mamamia.com.au/style/send-this-clip-to-every-single-woman-you-know/

What Jean Kilbourne talks about in this video is absolutely 100% true. Just a few weeks ago was the Victoria Secret fashion show and that night and the following day my facebook newsfeed and twitter were filled with comments about never eating again, making yourself throw up, and running to the gym to work out for hours on end. Don't get me wrong I would have had the same thoughts if I had seen it because you look at those women and think "why don't I look like that?" Kilbourne was correct in saying that people don't look like that. Sure some of those models do but that is an extremely small percentage of the worlds population. Those women are not healthy.

This is no longer just a problem in females, eating disorders are on the rise in males and it is our job to put a stop to this. Men need to tell the women in their life that they are beautiful no matter what size or shape they are and women we need to stop telling men that they need to be thin to be considered attractive.

I will be the first to admit that I have conversations with my boyfriend about getting in shape However my motive is not to find him attractive it is because we both eat whatever we want and don't exercise other than walking our dog three times a day.

I tell myself on a daily basis that I need to lose weight and get in shape. I consider myself lucky to be look the way I do because I NEVER exercise. I will exercise one day and feel great then forget about it for a few weeks. With that attitude I will never be in the shape I want to be in. I have been insecure about my body for a long time when in reality I don't really have a reason to be. I have been getting compliments on my legs from friends and even my moms friends since I can remember and I have never understood it. My calfs are huge! They are all muscle but still they are big and I never liked it until recently when I accepted that those are my legs and I better get used to it.

Working as a nanny & babysitter I realize that I am a huge influence to the kids I watch. I once used the phrase "oh no I am on a diet" when a 10 yr old girl offered me a cookie. She was confused because she didn't think I needed to be on a diet and since then I have begun to say "No thanks I am trying to eat healthy." I learned a lot just from that conversation. Kids are learning to go on diet earlier and earlier because they see the people they look up to on diets. Kids think that if their favorite star, mom, babysitter, sister,  or cousin is dieting then they need to as well. It is our job to teach kids that this is not a the way to live.

Yesterday I worked out and today I am extremely sore but it is the kind of sore you know is good because it will get results. Tonight I am going walking with two friends and I already set up a time to do the workout from yesterday again tomorrow. I don't want to be thin, I want to be healthy. Being thin and being healthy are two very different things. Being healthy is eating the right foods, exercise and living a lifestyle that is beneficial to your mind and body.

Feel free to express your thoughts and comments on this topic by commenting below!

This post is random and I bet some parts don't make sense but it is just my thoughts and feeling on the matter. Like I have said in other posts I know I am a terrible writer but you just have to deal with it! :)

Finals = No Fun

I have a final on Monday morning which means no fun this weekend! I was invited to go to the Christmas Market in Bonn but decided to be good and stay home to study. I cleaned the whole apartment this morning which included sweeping, mopping, and wiping down everything in the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and the storage room. Then I went grocery shopping to get a few things since stores are closed on Sundays.

I still can't get over how rude some Germans are. If I am in the states and another lane opens up to cash out I will let the people who have been waiting longer than I have go in that line. In Germany people push their way to the front of the line. This old man was waiting in line behind me today with two items and when the other line opened up so he walked over to it when this middle aged man with a cart full of stuff almost ran him over to be the first person in the line. Unfortunately I can not speak my mind about this to people because I don't speak German plus I can be rude but not that rude! Things like that just make me mad.

After grocery shopping I finished decorating my room for Christmas. It isn't much but I don't see the point in spending a lot of money on decorations I will only use for one year. I know some of my family and friends want to see pictures so I will post a few at the bottom.

When I woke up this morning I found out that a bomb was found on the bottom of the Rhine river in Koblenz which is a city 45 minutes away by train. Everyone within a mile radius was asked to evacuate so they can try and defuse the bomb. Apparently this happens every once in awhile in Germany. Personally I think it is crazy! Here is the article about it: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/315385

Well that is all for now. I should probably get back to studying to prepare before the girls come over at 6 for a study session. Hope everyone had a great weekend. 

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I can't believe it is already December. Three months ago today I just arrived in Germany and was getting my apartment organized and unpacking. It has been quite the adventure so far and I can't wait to see what is next. 


Today it snowed back in Buffalo and as much as I complain about snow, the first snowfall is always beautiful and I am sad I missed it. I have been listening to Michael Bublé's new Christmas album (courtesy of Bob) and it has definitely gotten me in the Christmas spirit. I decorated my room with lights, garland and some window decorations. 


What is your favorite part of the Christmas season? 
My favorite part is spending time with family and friends. There is always so much going on during the Christmas season and although it can be hectic I love every minute of it. This year will be a different kind of hectic. I will be extremely busy doing stuff for school but I am definitely setting aside the time to visit all the local Christmas markets with friends. I've come to realize that the little things in life really do matter and just taking time out to take a walk around town to look at Christmas decorations makes a world of a difference. 


Last year I made dozens of Christmas cookies and took them with me to my various babysitting jobs for a fun activity with the kids. I made homemade frosting of all different colors, covered the table & countertops in newspaper and let the kids go to town decorating their cookies. They all had a blast decorating the cookies. 


I am missing the Sabres Christmas party which always proves to be entertaining but mostly because I can't skate but each year I give it a whirl. I haven't been to a Sabres game since they played in Berlin and haven't been to the arena since before I left. This is by far the longest I have gone without going to a game and the arena in over 3 years. Last year I spent New Years Eve, my anniversary, and Easter there.  I really miss being there mostly because that's where all my friends are. 


Thank you for reading a very random blog post! :) 

                                   Logan and his "tandy tane" last year 

                              Cousins on Bretts 21st Birthday

Boys will be boys

                                 Cookies 

                             Bob decorated our new house. Sad I missed it! :l 

VICTORY

I received paperwork about a month ago telling me that my visa was ready to be picked up and I finally went and got it. My first attempt to get it was last Monday but the hours on my paperwork and the actual hours did not correspond. Today I went again and took a number and when my number was called I was told I was missing paperwork. This wouldn't be much of a problem except they couldn't tell me what I was missing because they don't speak english and I speak very little German. I went back to my apartment brought my binder full of all the paperwork I have received since my arrival and headed back. I was told that I still didn't have the correct paperwork but they ended up figuring it out after a few minutes and I was given my visa and sent on my way. I am so happy to finally have it. 


I am the first person from the school to get their visa. Everyone else is still waiting for theirs and time is running out. Our temporary visas were only valid for 3 months and that ends this week/next week. I just hope that everyone gets theirs so nobody has problems traveling. 


This past week was pretty busy with school work and what not. Thursday I went to the Thanksgiving Gala dinner and it was a lot of fun. It was obviously different than being home with family and friends enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving feast but it was as good as it could get living in a foreign country. We didn't get done with the dinner until midnight but I had agreed to go out to the club so I went home to change shoes and skype for a few minutes before heading out with the girls for the night. 


The rest of the weekend was pretty boring I skyped, studied, did homework, read, and went to the movies. I went to see Breaking Dawn in Köln with some friends. We had a great time and I was able to get my ticket, a drink and popcorn for 10 euros. Talk about a cheap date! 


Monday I spent a lot of time on Amazon looking at the cyber Monday deals! I bought some DVD's, presents, ordered my kindle touch and bought some books for my kindle. 


This week I have a lot of work to do. Friday I have an assignment due in Public Relations. My destination management class decided to take our final during mid-terms because our class finished this week so I have that exam on Monday. I have a group project due Tuesday. A big project due Wednesday. Our marketing research project is due on the 21st and we still have so much work to do on it.  The Christmas Market on campus is next week and I am super excited for it. Some of us are planning on taking a trip to Maastricht, Holland Dec 10th-11th. Just a short trip to all get away together however it might be too expensive to go for just one day so I haven't made my mind up yet. 


I can't believe tomorrow is the beginning of December and Friday will mark 3 months since I arrived in Germany. Time has flown by, before I know it I will be heading back to Buffalo for a visit. I miss everyone back home so much. It will be very weird to be away for Christmas but I will be home for a visit soon after. 


Well that is all for now. Hope to hear from you all soon. 

Thanksgiving week

Thanksgiving is here! I love Thanksgiving! What could be better than celebrating with the four F's family, friends, food, and football? I am so bummed that I won't be home but I am lucky enough to be going to the Thanksgiving gala dinner at school that night! 


Thanksgiving also brings Black Friday. I am not a Black Friday shopper unless there is something I really need or has a great discount. I've bought cameras, a GPS, movies, books, and shoes on Black Friday but I do not go out at midnight or earlier to shop. Once I start making money and have a family I may give it a try but for right now I don't have that many presents to buy so I am content going and relaxing instead of stressing about being able to get it and deal with crowds. 


Here are a few links for those of you who are planning on doing some Black Friday shopping but haven't done much research. 


http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/142099/37/Black-Friday-Stock-Lists--Doorbusters-for-47-Stores


http://www.theblackfriday.com/


http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/142102/37/Black-Friday-Store-Maps-Where-The-Deals-Are


If you have any helpful links please post them in the comment section. 


So this weekend I got a great care package from my parents! It was HUGE and had so much good stuff in it. I got Homemade Pumpkin Cookies, Franks Hot Sauce, Kraft Greek Dressing, Ken's Caesar Dressing, Mini Hersey's Cookies & Cream Chocolate Bars, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Sponge Candy and so much more! I was SO excited! I just love getting care packages! I finally dug into the Cheez-Its Bob's mom sent a few weeks ago and they were so good. I ate them slowly and enjoyed every one because I knew once they were gone I couldn't just go to the store and get more. 


I am a junk food lover and it has been tough living without it but SO much better for my body. I have lost a few pounds since I got here and I am working hard at getting toned. Today I made a 3 egg omelet with mushrooms and red peppers. It was so delicious. It was just as enjoyable as junk food but much healthier. I always feel so much better about myself when I eat something healthy. I am hoping to continue down this healthy path when I get back to the states. Bob might not be thrilled at first but since I do all the cooking & grocery shopping he will have to learn to like it! (Love you babe ;) 


Well readers that is all for now I have a running date to head off to so that is all for today. 


Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving if i don't write again before Thursday. Good luck to all you Black Friday shoppers too, get me something good! haha

I'm back!

So I took a little break from writing but it wasn't on purpose. At first I was waiting to write about the Penn State scandal that broke last week and then the internet on campus decided not to work on a nightly basis. I think the internet is back up and working again so I hope to be posting more frequently. 


The past two weeks have been crazy! Let me start at last week! 


Monday - Thursday was my regular schedule of going to classes, doing homework, doing group projects, and going to LEO Club. Wednesday was insanely busy with classes & meetings.  I drank coffee for the first time since I got to Europe and had 2 red bulls. (Sorry Mom!) 


Friday is a different story. Friday was the start of Karneval. Karneval is a mix between Mardi Gras and Halloween. Crazy costumes, lots of drinking, singing, and partying in the streets. I had class in the morning so I missed the official kick of at 11:11 on 11/11/11 but I went to Köln later in the afternoon. By the time I got there EVERYONE was drunk. I was not drinking so it was kind of annoying to be around a lot of drunk people but also quite entertaining. I ended up seeing some friends who were going shopping. I ended up leaving the drunks behind and going shopping and out to dinner. It was a great night. I had a lot of fun! 


Saturday and Sunday I was very lazy and didn't do anything other than homework and read. Monday I was very busy trying to finish a project that is worth 30% of my grade. We had the presentation for the project on Tuesday morning. It went really well. 


I have finally figured out what I am doing for Christmas. I am going to IRELAND! I am going with two of the exchange students from Northern Arizona University. Deborah one of the girls I am going with has an Aunt that lives in Belfast. We will be flying from Frankfurt to Dublin on December 23rd. From Dublin we will take the train to Belfast until the 27th. On the 27th we will go back to Dublin until the 29th. We fly back to Frankfurt early on the 29th. I am so excited to go to Ireland! :) 


I have also signed up to go to the Gala dinner next Thursday. There is a Gala Dinner every month and it is a different theme each month. This month is American Thanksgiving! I am super excited to go hang out with friends and eat a meal similar to one that will be served at my families Thanksgiving dinner. 


Well that is it for now! I will hopefully post again soon! 

Food Addiction

I have a real addiction to food. I am ALWAYS eating. Sometimes it is a full meal other times its just snacking but you can almost always guarantee I have a snack with me wherever I go. God only knows why I am not 300 lbs. I really should be from my lack of exercise and love of food. 


I have been reading about food prices in WNY skyrocketing and decided today would be dedicated to food. I have a few links to share that will hopefully be helpful. 


This first link I just found yesterday but it is amazing. 
https://secure.dinnertool.com/
Join DinnerTool to make mealtimes easier for you and your family! Find, store and even upload your favorite recipes and create and save shopping lists and weekly meal plans in your account. Never struggle with the question of "What's for Dinner?" again by searching our thousands of recipes. Make quick, easy and healthy meals for your family with help from DinnerTool!


This second link is to a tumblr.com account this very inspirational girl writes 
http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/
Be sure to check out all of her tabs on there. She has great advice on everything. 


Goodhousekeeping.com 
Good Housekeeping has great information about recipes, eating healthy, dieting, and everything for your home. I find their website to be extremely helpful.


Today I made a delicious meal for dinner and it was very healthy.  
I cooked up some penne pasta. 
Heated a little bit of olive oil in a pan. 
Chopped up some fresh garlic and put it in the pan with the olive oil. 
Next I diced up a tomato and put the tomato in the pan. 
After about a minute I added the penne in and stirred. 


I put it all in a bowl and put some fresh parmesan cheese on it. 
YUM! You can also dice up some zucchini with the garlic and cook those together. 
It was super quick & easy. 


When I am home I love to use my crockpot! You can make so many great things in them! One of my favorites is a pot roast. 


Buy a chuck roast that is going to feed everyone you are serving. I like to buy one a little bigger so I have leftovers for the next day. 


Put the chuck roast in the crock pot. 
Add baby carrots and chunks of potato. 
Add 1 or 2 cans of french onion soup. 
Pour a bottle of your favorite beer over it all. 


Put the lid on and cook it on low for about 8 hours. I like to turn the meat over 4 hours into it just to make sure it is cooked all the way through. 


Take the roast, potatoes, and carrots out of the crock pot. I put them in a container that is oven friendly and turn the oven to about 200 degrees to keep the food warm. 


Then I put the juices from the crock pot in a pan and make gravy. 


Add a salad and a loaf of bread to the table and you have a whole meal and not a lot of work. 




What's your favorite recipe? 

Random

Today I am writing about some stories I have read online. Feel free to comment on any of the articles! 

First up Ryan Fitzpatrick's decision to wear his wedding ring while playing football. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/sports/football/quarterbacks-unusual-call-wearing-his-wedding-band.html?hp
I first noticed this last year and thought it was a great thing. If he wants to wear his wedding ring to show that he is a loving and devoted husband then he should. I don't think people should find it odd since it obviously doesn't impact his ability to play football. I understand why he wears it but I understand why other players do not. It is risky to wear a ring when playing a sport. There are so many things that could happen, you can lose it, you could get it stuck on your finger, and you can ding it up pretty bad. 


Next up is Rude Trick or Treaters
http://www.parenting.com/blogs/parenting-post/erin-zammett-ruddy/halloween-etiquette-did-your-kids-have-any-last-night?src=soc&dom=tw
I obviously was not home for Halloween this year but spent the night on skype with my boyfriend since it was his birthday. He had bought candy to hand out and was greeted by some nice & polite trick or treaters, some rude trick or treaters and some kids who didn't really wear costumes. I understand that as kids grow into teenagers their interest in dressing up can diminish however if you are going out trick or treating you have to at least dress up. One girl wore a stuffed panda around her neck and said she was Panda Express. Rarely did I hear a kid say thank you and when I did it was usually coaxed out of them by parents. 


Then there were parents driving around in their cars. From what my boyfriend told me it was sprinkling out but the fact that the parents were too lazy to walk around the neighborhood is ridiculous. I say get an umbrella and walk around with your kids. It is all part of the experience. I wouldn't want my kids to remember halloween as walking around the neighborhood while I drive in the car. 

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/11/02/rather-than-the-freshman-15-the-college-creep/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=blogmod
I never stayed on a college campus until this year so my freshman year was no different than any other year. I don't think I gained any weight but I know a lot of people who were worried about gaining weight once they headed off to college. I think this is a great article for self conscious people afraid of gaining the dreaded freshman 15. 

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2011/11/02/reader-consult-how-much-would-you-pay-for-a-pets-medical-care/
This is a hard subject to touch on. My boyfriend and I have the greatest dog named Manny. I would do almost anything for that little guy. I would spend as much money as I could on medical bills but I can't see myself putting myself in debt over him. He is an amazing companion and I love him but if his medical bills are going to cost more than I have, I just don't know if I would be able to do it. I guess it all depends on how old he is when something happens and what it is. I was a nanny last year and the family I worked for had a terrible accident with one of their dogs. They had the dog from when she was a puppy and for 12 years she had stayed away from the car when it was moving. One day last winter she stood next to the car where the dad couldn't see her and he ran over part of her hip & leg. They couldn't lose her especially when the husband was the one who hit her. They spent a lot of money on medical bills but would do it all again. I say I would do as much as I could afford but I guess I wouldn't really know until I was put in the position, which *knock on wood* I hope never happens. 


http://wyrk.com/a-real-man-never-hits-a-woman/
I know this has passed already but I thought I would share this with everyone. It is a real problem in America. I know people who have been abused in a relationship and it is a scary thing. I urge anyone who is being abused physically or mentally to get help. You DO NOT deserve to be treated that way. 

Getting in shape

I always say that I am going to get in shape and I never do. I just can't stand the thought of working out. I get bored and no motivation to do it. I've tried to get my boyfriend to exercise and get in shape with me but he has no motivation either. Neither of us are fat but we aren't toned and in shape. I just want to be able to look and feel good in my clothes. I don't want to sit there and worry about my "muffin top"  when I am at school, work or just out in public.

Today I decided to really start exercising. I didn't last that long about 30 minutes or so but at least I tried. I always feel great after a work out! I have been running once a week with a friend but we skipped last week and this week so I am going to have to start going by myself to keep it up.

I found two good websites that are good for working out in a dorm or a small space. My apartment is pretty small so dorm workouts work best for me. Below are two links with some good exercises if you want to work out inside.

http://www.onlineclasses.org/2010/01/10/100-easy-and-awesome-exercises-you-can-do-in-your-dorm/

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/dorm-room-workout-routines?page=2

I like to take a run then come home and work out a little before stretching and cooling down. The one exercise I can't do are crunches or any variation of crunches. My lower back problems really act up when I do them. Today I did planks, jumping jacks, push ups, and squats. I felt great after! I am excited to continue tomorrow!

Let me know what your favorite exercise is! I am always willing to try a new type of exercise.

Until tomorrow my friends!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite days of the year but now that my boyfriend's birthday is on Halloween I like it even more. Some of my favorite childhood memories come from this holiday. My dad has always been so creative and he even made our costumes when we were little. The most memorable costumes he made are Mrs. Potts & Chip from Beauty and the Beast. We still have the costumes at my parents house. He has also made some great adult costumes one of which won a costume just a few days ago. I will post a picture at the bottom of this post.


Today I decided to continue school after I get my degree. I took Intro to American Sign Language while at ECC and have decided to become a certified ASL interpreter. It will take years to complete the program because classes are only once a week and I have to take 4 levels of classes then do training programs. I hope that with whatever job I find next summer will allow me to take the classes.


Pretty short post today but I don't have much else to say other than Happy Birthday Robert! I love you. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

The Girl Behind the Blog

I've discovered that I have lots of new readers from all over the world. It is no longer just my family and friends who read this. I decided to write about me today so that my new readers have a better understanding for the "girl behind the blog."


My name is Brittany and I am 22 years old. I am from Buffalo, NY however I am currently finishing my duel degree program in Bad Honnef, Germany. I have twin brothers who are 16 and an older sister. My parents are absolutely amazing. There is nothing they wouldn't do for our family. My parents come from large families and I love having a large family. They mean the world to me and some of my cousins are my closest friends. 


I have an amazing boyfriend. I truly believe we were meant to be. I know this sounds super cheesy but we accept each other for who we are. I NEVER thought I would find the one at such an early age. We have an adorable dog named Manny who we adopted from the SPCA almost two years ago. They are back in Buffalo waiting for me to get home! Hopefully working on the house while I am gone. (Hey a girl can hope!)


"It's not where you been, it's where you're going. It's not who were back then, it's who you are at this moment." - Jimmy Wayne, Where You're Going
I am a strong believer in second chances. People make mistakes and I believe they can learn from them and change. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I do not trust easily and once you've lost my trust it is hard to get it back. I do my best not to judge people. You never know what someone is going through in life. Don't be so quick to make assumptions about people. 


My goal in life is to help others and to make the world a better place. I have worked with many foundations including Hunters Hope, Make-A-Wish of WNY, Brian Moorman's PUNT Foundation and many others. I would like to work in nonprofits after graduation however I am keeping my options open to whatever I can find! 


Many people ask with my passion for helping children grow and learn why I am not becoming a teacher or a childcare provider... truth is there are so many people who want to be teachers and not enough teaching jobs. I would much rather put my passion for helping others into my job. The foundations I have worked with serve children so I put both passions into play in one job. Plus school stunk! I hated school until I got to college. The only classes I like in school were gym and business. I don't miss high school one bit. I hear people saying that they miss it and I laugh. I don't miss HS or the people there. I rarely talk to people I went to HS with but don't think this is a sob story. I wouldn't have my life any other way. I have the most fantastic friends and I am so lucky to have the support system I have.


Well that is pretty much me in a nutshell. Any questions?

To all you Parents & Caretakers!

I have decided I am going to start posting more stuff on my blog. I will be posting about anything and everything. I have always sent out an email when I've posted stuff before but I will not be doing that anymore. I will only send out the email when I post about living in Germany. 


I am well aware that I am not good at writing. In fact I find myself to be a terrible writer however, I like to just write stuff down in incomplete sentences that sometimes have no structure. I should really work on being a better writer but for now you will just have to deal with it! 


Here is a really cool website that I found! You can order temporary tattoos for your kids in case they are lost. If I was still a nanny I would order these for our trips to the zoo, amusement parks, parks, and various outings! What a great idea! 


They are also available for medical conditions! If you child has a medical condition you can use these tattoos to let people know what it is in case it happens while your child is with another person. 


http://tottoos.org/


Also check out http://www.motherinc.org/ It is this great blog all about being a parent. 


Some of my readers might be wondering why I am posting about parenting. Just to be clear I am not planning on having kids anytime soon! I have been a babysitter/nanny for the past 10 years and I miss all the families I babysat for back in the states. I researched things about children and taking care of kids for years and I guess it is still a habit. 


Hopefully some of the families I used to babysit for are reading this and can use these links. 


This was a good break from doing homework & searching for jobs after graduation but now its time to get back to work. :) 


If anyone has ideas of what I can do after graduation please let me know! I will have a Bachelors in Event & Meeting Management and a Bachelors in Travel & Tourism Management.  

They all went down to Am-ster-(shh) I must not say that naugh-ty word

Some of you might be thrown by the title of this post. I think any kid from East Aurora will understand I was a bit reminiscent of my time spent at Camp Ska-No-Ka-San when in Amsterdam. We would always sing song on the bus to and from camp and those are the lyrics from one of the songs. The song is called Three Fishermen. Google it if you are interested in knowing the actual song. 


If anyone know someone in Europe that would be willing to take me in for Christmas please let me know! I have not found anything to do for Christmas yet and want to figure something out soon. :) 


This week was one of my favorite weeks so far in Germany. Bob's mom sent me a care package last week and it arrived on Monday however I needed to go to Bonn to pick it up from customs. They pick random packages to search and they make you open it in front of them and they look through it. Depending on what is in there you are either free to take it or have to pay taxes on the items in the package. I was lucky and didn't have to pay any taxes! It was a great first care package! She sent snacks, halloween/fall decorations, and a Nicholas Sparks book! I was so excited! :) 


Wednesday morning Sam and Claire met me at my apartment and off we went on our adventure to Amsterdam. We had to take the regional train to Köln before getting on the ICE train to Amsterdam. Total travel time was about 4 hours. The train station in Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful. Once we left there we headed out in search of our hostel. We ended up going the wrong way but figured it out quickly. 


Once we checked in at the hostel and let everyone know that we had arrived safely we headed out to see the city. First thing we went to see was Vondelpark which was this beautiful park in the city. Great place to just walk around and relax. After the park we went to find the I AMSTERDAM letters. There was a large group of Americans taking pictures there and we had to wait for awhile because they took a picture on every letter. We each took pictures on a few letters before heading back towards our hostel. We decided to go to the Anne Frank house. I don't know how to describe walking through the house and reading all about what happened there. It was an incredible experience that I will not forget. The emotions I felt were so intense. 


After the Anne Frank House we went to dinner at this cute restaurant around the corner from our hostel. When we finished we went for a walk through the Red Light District. It was only 8 o'clock so there wasn't a lot going on. We headed back to our hostel after that. The hostel had a great cafe that you could hang out in. That night none of us slept very well. 


Yesterday we went on a New Europe tour or Amsterdam. It was the same tour company that we used in Berlin. Our tour guide Julian was fantastic. He took us all around the city and told us about the rich history and gave us some great tips. After the tour we went to the flower market and the flea market. Claire wanted to get some fresh stroopwafels. Stroopwafels are 2 very thin and small waffles/biscuits with a caramel syrup between them. They are really good. 


After we found stroopwafels we headed back to the hostel to relax before dinner. We went to a Thai restaurant for dinner. I had never tried Thai and as many of you may know I do not like trying new foods. I did enjoy the Thai food though. I ordered shrimp and white rice because I was nervous I wouldn't like anything else. I did try Claire and Sam's food though and it was really tasty! Now I can be a bit more adventurous when I go to a Thai restaurant. 


While we were at dinner I remembered that we were going to check out the English bookstore earlier but had forgotten. We decided to walk over and see if it was still open. It was and I was able to get some books for really good prices! 


This morning we got up and had breakfast at the hostel. That was one of the great things about our hostel , it provided breakfast everyday! Yesterday was eggs with ham on bread and today was pancakes. They also had cereal and fruit you could get. 


If I had to pick a city in Europe to live in I would pick Amsterdam. It was so beautiful and the people were so nice. Everyone spoke english which made life so much easier! I am so happy I went there. 


After breakfast we walked to the train station to catch our 10:34 train. Once we were back in Köln we waited about 20 minutes for our train to Bad Honnef. It was 8:40 a.m. back in the states when I got back so I had just enough time to vote from my laptop and a few school computers before the 97 Rock Funniest Halloween Costume contest was over. My dad won it! In case you missed me emailing everyone I could about it, my dad entered the contest on 97rock.com and won a trip for 2 to see the Bills play in Toronto this weekend. He also has an overnight stay at the Delta Chelsea. My parents both work extremely hard and long hours so they really deserve it! CONGRATS Dad! I love you! 


Well that is my post all about Amsterdam! Today was beautiful and 64 degrees out. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same so I think we might go hiking tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do for school because projects are going to be due in a few weeks. Nothing exciting is happening this coming week. 


I just want to wish a Happy Birthday to my wonderful boyfriend Bob! He turns 26 on Monday. I love you & miss you! 


Hope everyone has a great Halloween! :)


-Brit 

PLEASE VOTE

Please go to 97rock.com & vote for my dad contestant 16 in the funniest costume contest!! Vote everyday!! 

PASS IT ON!! :)

Ready for a break!

This week was a stressful one to say the least. 

We had a project due by midnight on Thursday. I emailed it in at 11:50. We thought we had finished it on Thursday afternoon but in class she showed us some examples of other projects and we realized we had to add some stuff. It was stressful trying to finish it all by midnight. School ran my life all week but now I have a week off and I plan on enjoying every minute of it! 

Saturday the girls and I went to Bonn on a shopping trip! They have TK Maxx here. Same as TJ Maxx but with European brands. It was much bigger than the stores in America. The prices were discounted but I think they were still more than in the States. I bought a new skillet for the kitchen. It was only 10 euros! 

Yesterday I just hung around the apartment all day. Watched a tv show online and skyped a bit. 

Today we went on a tour of a hotel called Kameha Grand. It is a really unique hotel in Bonn. I have posted the link to their website below so you can see some pictures. It was really great to make a connection at a hotel here in Germany. You never know where you will end up! 

http://www.kamehagrand.com/index.php?app=content&contentid=1&menuid=1&languageid=2

After the Kameha we went to the Haribo store in Bonn! It is pretty big and just full of candy and chocolate! It was crazy seeing all the different kinds of candy one company makes! We each bought a few things then headed back to campus. 

Once we got back to campus Wendy decided to go to the store. She bought a bike over the weekend and asked me to lock her balcony door behind her so she could just leave thru there. When I tried closing the door it wasn't working properly. I looked up and noticed the top of the door is off the hinge. Last Friday Wendy was up at 2 a.m. and all of a sudden she heard this loud hand behind her... her door had flew open and two guys were there. When they saw her they ran away but must have broke the door because it had been locked. It was pretty scary. Once we discovered it was broken we went and reported it but it was so late in the day that it won't be fixed until tomorrow. Then tonight I found out that our friend Alessandra was in her room Saturday night and someone kept trying to break in through her balcony door too. She lives in the basement of her building and we live on the first floor. 
EDIT: Alessandra heard someone trying to open up her door from inside the building which means they had a key to get into the building. It was most likely a student going to the wrong room. We still have to find out more. 

We have decided to go talk to the building manager when he gets back from vacation. I don't like the fact that people are trying to break into our apartments. I came here because it is supposed to be a safe town. 

Tonight we went to a greek restaurant in town. We all ordered Döner and it was delicious! Only 3 euros for a BIG pita filled with chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber. The other girls had more stuff but I am picky and only like it with those three ingredients. :) 

Tomorrow I will be packing for our trip to Amsterdam! We leave on Wednesday morning and will be back Friday afternoon! I will post again when I am back from Amsterdam! I have posted a few pictures below! Enjoy! 

Brit