Today.

August 19th. Today is the day that I thought I would be boarding a plane to head to Germany for four months. It's crazy how your life plans can change so quickly and you're left to follow a different path than the one that you started on.

Today I am feeling sad and envious, I will admit that. Part of me wishes that I was sitting along side my ladies (and Gary) at the airport, anxiously awaiting to begin this adventure. Although I am feeling sad and envious today, another part of me is feeling excited. I'm excited to hear and see everything my 6 beautiful friends are doing while abroad, but also excited for what is in store for me this upcoming semester/final school year. I may not be getting the opportunity to student teach in Germany, but I have a great feeling about my placement here.

I have big plans for the upcoming year. Not being able to go to Germany now has made me more determined than ever to make some sort of big trip after I graduate. There are some plans in the works to go to California next summer with some friends for Comic Con. There is also an idea that has been rattling my mind for quite some time... the idea of backpacking across Europe. I'll have more on that later.

Fresh start.

It has been a bumpy couple of weeks. I was beginning to feel like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just felt like nothing was going your way and there is nothing that you can do to get out of this slump?

I have spent the past couple of weeks trying to get my life in order. Through all of the tears and confusion, I finally feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. For me, this light is walking across that stage in April 2013 and getting my college diploma that I have been working on for the past 5 years.

There are a couple things that I'm trying to sort through, but there are always going to be circumstances that try and bring you down sometimes. I have moved past the idea of no longer being able to go to Germany. I have been confirmed a new placement in Vicksburg at an elementary school and have already been in contact with my future mentor teacher. I have a good feeling about this upcoming school year, despite the struggles that I have gone through to get to this point.

I will try to avoid rambling on about giving some thanks to some awesome people in my life. Just know your love and support is recognized :)



I'll leave you with a song that has been lifting my spirits lately.

Feeling down

I started this blog with the intention of using it as a place where I could share my adventures while abroad in Germany. I thought that this would be the perfect place to share all of my adventures where all of my loved ones could go to one place to check up on me despite the distance.

Due to some circumstances that are beyond my control, I am no longer making this trip for the fall semester. If it was in the cards for me, trust me, I would be going. I don't want this bump in the road to change the path of where I was going with this blog. There are still so many adventures to be had even though I am staying in the states.

Although the idea is hard for me to grasp completely, I am trying to stay 100% positive and make the best of what has been handed to me. This isn't my only opportunity to go abroad. I have plenty of good years ahead of me to make a trip abroad and see the world in my own accord. It is definitely saddening that I can't make the trip with the lovely ladies and Gary and experience it with them, but I know that in some way, I'm meant to take a different direction.

Who knows? Maybe next summer a backpacking trip to Europe or a road-trip to the west coast are in my future plans.

Ever since I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert a few days ago, this song is really resonating with me. These bumps in the road happen for a reason. Life is short but sweet for certain. 

Who, What, When, Where, and Why?

Now for some of you that may just be stumbling across this blog, you may have a few questions in mind such as:
-Why is this chick going to Germany?
-Where is she living?
-What will she be doing in her free time?
-How will she be able to spend money?
-Etc!

I'm here to answer some of these questions as an introductory post as to what this blog will be about! My professor emailed us a list of questions/answers that a parent had asked, so I thought that I would keep any of my close loved ones in the loop in case they had the same questions.

So moving along...

Name: Stephanie Young but prefer to be called Sky
Occupation: Student in her final year of college at Western Michigan University
Purpose of trip: I will be spending my last fall semester as an undergrad in Heidelberg, Germany for student teaching.
Date of trip: August 19th, 2012 through December 14th, 2012
Where I'll be staying and cost: I will be staying on an American Army Base in Heidelberg, Germany. The apartments I will be staying in are the same apartments that our military family members are living in and we will have cleaning responsibilities for keeping the stairwell clean and not being too loud. The cost of living is $5 per day, coming to a grand total of $150 per month which will be collected at the end of our 15 week period there.
How will she have access to money: There is banking on the base, and I am still able to use an ATM to get cash. I will convert money before I leave and then convert as I go.
What will be going on in your free time? When I am not student teaching, I plan on traveling mostly every weekend. Something that I really liked was that they offer free tours through New Europe Tours in some really great places such as:
-Berlin
-Munich
-Prague
-London
-Amsterdam
-Paris
-Dublin
-Jerusalem
-Brussels
-Madrid
-Tel Aviv
-Hambur
How to keep in contact: I will not have use of my American cell phone, but I believe I can still use iMessage through my iPhone over a wifi connection. There is always Facebook, Skype, and emailing to contact me! I am also able to purchase a phone over there that I can buy minutes for.

This is all of the basic information that I have for  now at the moment. When I receive more useful/important information, you will be kept in the loop!

Auf Wiedersehen