GRADUATION

So I graduated from High school!

It was a super busy weekend but at the same time fun. On Saturday morning I went to the adapted softball Minnesota state tournament to volunteer. I was officially the one of the 3 announcers in 3 different gyms and it was pretty funny and a bit hard for me to announce all the names. Some kids have normal names but I totally don’t know how to pronounce wired names. Anyways it was a lot of fun, because these children with disabilities get really into the games and I was also able to see my swim friends again.

On Sunday morning I had to wake up early and my friend Brittany came over to do my hair and makeup. She did an awesome job and I think I just looked amazing. I left my house at like 10.30 to go to Sam´s swim meet at the University of Minnesota. Coon Rapids graduation was at the U of M Ice Hockey Arena 5 min away from the pool, so we walked over to the Mariucci arena after we watched a bit of Sam´s swim. She did really good and made it in almost every event back to finals.  At the arena I met some of my junior friends who volunteered there and they helped me to find the way to the place where all the seniors met. (Thanks for that). We lined up and we had to stand in a line for around 55 min. That was hard especially with High Heels. We took some pictures at 12:05 we left the back of the arena to get seated. We went out by last so that we don’t need to line up again, when we get our diploma. After a few speeches they started handing out the diplomas. I was more at the ending so I knew how to walk and they actually pronounced my name in the right way. Another surprise was that no one tripped or fell which was good. After the school song ended we threw our hands in the air. It really looked like High School Musical and it felt really cool to be a part of the Coon Rapids graduating class of 2013.

After the ceremony we went out to eat to celebrate my graduation. At night there was the Senior All Night Party so I had to change within 3 min, because our schedule was so busy and packed. Rob is doing a sea cadets program so he was at a private airport to help. You think military is always on time, but not the American Navy. They were 1 h and 15 min too late! We were really mad, because it messed up our whole schedule, because Sam´s finals stared at 6 pm at the U of M pool so at the end we had only 15 min to get there. We made it on time but we walked into the pool area and Sam was starting. We stayed for both of her swims and then we drove back to the High School, but we stopped at Starbucks to get a giant coffee for me. The Senior All Night Party is a party for all the Graduates from 8:00 pm until 5:00 am. We were able to bowl, play games, and get nails, hair and makeup done. I spontaneous decided to get a haircut, so they cut me banks. We also played bingo, poker and got tattoos. At the end there were a comedy show and a hypnotist was there. I normally don’t believe in that, but the people were doing awkward stuff that they normally wouldn´t do. 

I got home at like 5:00 am and I went to bed right away, because I had to get up to go to school. All the seniors are normally out of school, but I am an exchange student and I have a sophomore class so I had to go, because I still had to take the final. 

I actually didn´t feel so bad after 2 h of sleep and I think coffee actually saved my life that day. My only all senior class was English 5^th hour, so I asked my favorite teacher if I could help him during class and he said yes. 

My last week of school flew by, because Wednesday and Thursday were only half days and we went out to eat after it. I already took all my finals except my final in US history. It wasn´t really had so I got an A.

It was really hard for me to say good bye to some of my teachers, because they are so good and fun. I wrote a thank you note for every teacher that I had throughout the whole year and bought Milka chocolate for them. They were all so happy and it made me so sad, because I know that won´t see them for a while.

This weekend we were in Bemidji for a retirement party and it was fun except the fact that Mucki (our dog) puked on me while we were driving up north. We stay in a cabin at a lake and the rest if the family stays in a cabin next door, so in the evening we had bonfires and sat outside talking. It is nice to spend time with the family, because my time is running out…. 

Everybody who doesn´t know I am leaving on the 26^th of June and yes I am excited to see my family and friends again, BUT I don´t want to leave because I love it here so much! 

I am not counting down and it would be nice when no one would tell me how many days I have left, because it hurts even more. 

I would like to thank my teacher, for being always here for me and helping me. You guys were really patient and sometimes challenged me but that helped me to become a better student.

I would also like to thank my friends, who accepted the way I am! You guys helped me to become a member of the community. I love you guys a lot and I had so much fun with you!

I also want to thank my family for opening their world and house for me! You guys loved me and I love you guys so much! I had such a fun time with you and you showed me totally new aspects of life and you shaped me and I became a much better person because of you! 

Thank you also to everybody else! Every person that I met made my year so much better and I honestly hope that I will have really fun few weeks! It would make me super happy if you would come to my grad and farewell party.

Thank you so much

Love you

Canada

So right now I am on the way to Canada. 

Welcome to North Dakota

It’s kind of sad, because I have only 3 more days of school left and I am going to miss Friday…. On Monday we have Memorial Day and that’s why we have a long weekend. Sam has a swim meet in Winnipeg, Canada and that’s why Liz, Allison and I drive 8/9 hours up there. I am happy to get the Canadian stamp in my passport and I will have my 6^th state on my state list, because we drive through North Dakota.

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50 m pool

Today I had my last pep fest, which recognized the seniors and talked about being a future leader. During pep fests we sing the school songs with the marching band and the grades compete in different games against each other and it gets really intense, because it’s all about pride and who is better

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Liz and me

The seniors are officially not allowed to make a senior prank, but everybody knows they are going to do it anyways. But we would get in trouble so we do it after graduation on June 2^nd, because everybody wants to walk at the graduation. We will get our cap and grown on Tuesday and than we are ready to finish the school year with a senior pick nick. We are all very excited because chipotle, a really good Mexican restaurant, caters at the pick nick.

All the seniors get out of school earlier so everybody needs to write their finals early. The finals can change only 5/10 percent of the grade, but for some people it decides if they pass a class or not.

Supporting BVB in Canada

Anyways I can’t believe that this year is almost over. The last weeks just flew by and it’s so wired to think that I will leave in a few weeks. But I don’t want to count down, because I want to be sad. Instead I want to enjoy every day.

Yesterday I had my last Lacrosse game and we did an awesome job. We won 12-2 which is pretty good, because our defence did a nice job keeping the ball away from the goal. So thanks girls.

i got back into the USA

I don’t know yet if I am going to be able to actually see the Champions league game live, but I recorded every pre and after show and of course the actual game, because I want to watch it when I get back on Monday. I will figure out the result of the final, because twitter is going to explode that day.

Now i hope that the weather stays nice, because it always changes and we already had a tor

nado watch, but nothing happened.

There is o much going on....

The back of my dress

Brittany and me

My last entry was about prom and I can tell you guys that it is fun, but not like a movie. It is a lot of fun to get hair, makeup, nails and everything else done, but it is over after one night! Minnesota is a bit wired, so we had to take our pictures in the snow. Everybody would be like whatever and its not so bad, BUT as a girl in high heels and with a thin dress it is a big problem and not a lot of fun. 

Our dance was at a nice place, but we didn’t have a lot of decoration. The dance was fun, but its not the normal regular type of dancing so it was a bit awkward.

Overall Prom is fun, but in America and in a movie way overrated.

“Now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you

Let's hear it for New York, New York,

New York”

rockefeller center

Central Park

The song empire state of mind is so true cause this street makes you feel like a completely new person and all the lights everywhere inspire you! I had a lot of fun in New York and we saw so much stuff. My friend Brittany and Sam both traveled with me and there were around 50 other exchange students from mostly Germany but also Japan, Finland, Argentina and Estonia. The 1^st and and the 5^th day  were only traveling days, so we only had 3 days actually in New York to do stuff and I can say we used our time. The first day we started at the New York Library where they filmed “the day after tomorrow” and other famous movies. We walked over to the Rockefeller Plaza, where they put up the huge Christmas tree over Christmas and we saw the NBC Studios and other famous buiding like Trump Tower on the way to central park. Central Park is giant, but it is only New York Cities 5^th biggest park. While we visit the decided to study at the columbia university in New York (if i win a million dollar).

The Hard Rock Cafe Times Square

Every young girl knows gossip girl and the scenes where they sit in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and we tried to get a picture like this and it doesn´t work, because the steps of the MET are just to crowded. The Met is a nice museum and they have a lot of stuff in 19 different curatorial departments, but honestly it is kind of like every other museum just in way, way, way bigger.  In the evening we went to Times Square and oh boy Times Square shines bright like a diamond. They already had a countdown for the next super bowl in 281 days with seconds. The food at the Hard Rock Café was amazing and we didn´t had to wait like other people, who waited around 2 h, because we were V.I.P.s. 

The next day was rainy and cloudy and that really sucked, because we went up to the top of the empire state building. You take 2 elevators to get up until the 86^th floor amd you can also upgrade your ticket to go to the 102^nd floor. It was high enough for me and in didn´t want to go higher, because my ears already popped during the 80 sec. elevator ride. It was hard to take pictures, because the hair where all over your face and didn´t stay how they were suppose to be, because it was so windy and rainy. 

After the Empire state building we went to Grand Central Station, where they have the flash mob at the end of “Friends with benefits”.  It is a really nice and old train station, but we wanted to walk around on 5^th avenue so we left after we took some pictures. Our problem was we went into the wrong direction for about 25 min until we asked somebody. So there was no real shopping time on 5^th avenue and we probably couldn´t afford anything in a Chanel, Dior or Gucci store. We had a 3h walking tour through the finance district and over the Brooklyn Bridge and it was actually not so bad, because it stopped raining after 1 h. We saw the new world trade center, but not the 9/11 memorial. We stopped at Wall Street and saw the original bill of rights and the bible Washington used, when he got sworn in. Shopping in SoHo is fun, but china town at night is creepy that’s why we only ate there and then we left.

Grand Central Station

We weren´t able to go onto Ellis island , because hurricane Sandy destroyed everything and they reopen the statue of liberty on 4^th of july again. Instead we took a boat tour and it was fun. We got some pretty cool pictures, although the had to fight Chinese tourists for a spot on the boat. 

Statue of Liberty

After that we went to my absolute favorite part of the trip and I was looking forewatrd for that the whole time. THE UNITED NATIONS! We got to walk around in the UN building and it was fun to actually be in a building where everybody is foreign but at the same time a domestic, because technically the UN is a soil of 193 states and they also have their own post stamp. (Which I think it pretty cool, so I send out a few post cards with an unique post stamp!) 

In front of the Finance District

After that we went back to Times Square to buy touristic stuff like the famous I <3 NY shirt (we all wear it the first day back in school). 

After dinner we went to see “The Phantom of the Opera” which was an amazing Broadway musical.

Last Friday I had my first lacrosse game as a goalie and I would say we didn´t do that bad, because we tied 4-4. This week I will have 3 more games and it is actually fun, when people throw balls at you all the time and when you get bruises all over (a little bit of sarcasm). 

No I need to catch a with my homework, because I missed 3 days of school, but it is defiantly worth it!

peace keeper Alex

Love you guys!

Alex

And for all the BVB Fans: Times Square told me that BVB is in the Champions League final! Isn´t that cool ?!?!?

PROM!

light graffiti in photo & video class

My new trimester is so easy, so perfect for my last few months here. 

2 weeks ago was our Tri out week for lacrosse. In Germany lax (Short form for lacrosse) isn´t common so it was wired to play with a lax stick and ball. You also need to wear really attractive goggle and a moth guard… I tried out for defense man but I also said that I would play goalie. The first days we only had to do 4 drills like catching, running backwards, running zick-zack with ball and stick and running straight with ball and stick. On Tuesday we actually played against each other the whole time and on Wednesday we went outside and had to scoop the ball, throw it and catch it. At the end we all had to run/sprint a 400m which was so bad, because we are all out of shape and it was around 3°C.

goalie stick and regular stick

The other days we played again against each other and on Friday we found out what team we make. I am the B-squad goalie, because no one wants to be goalie. I like being s-squad because we have the nicest coach and 3 of my friends are on my team.

Last week we already practiced every day after school, but we can´t go outside, because it started snowing again!!! So we practiced inside and I get hit by all the balls, when I try to safe them. I already have 3 bruises (blaue flecken) on my lag and it doesn´t look well and it hurts.

a cute way to ask girl for prom is food/drinks

So today I just want to look good, because today is the most important day in the life of an American teenager! It’s PROM!!!

Some girls at my school are seriously crazy about it and they buy dresses for $ 700… I think that’s too much for a dress that I will wear only once. While I was dress shopping I found some super cute dresses but some were ugly. A lot of stores have super puffy Barbie dresses and you seem like a princess in them. For me it was hard to find dresses, because I am not a size 2 so all these cute dresses wouldn´t fit me at all!

I found my dress about 2 weeks ago I am in love with it! It is not the original color I wanted but it has an interesting back and I just love it!

For prom you should have a date, because one of my friends asked me with tea. Here I am basically the only one that rinks tea, so some people make fun of me (In a nice way).

Prom is almost like a wedding so you buy a garter, flower and nice shoes. You get nails, hair and makeup done and then you take a whole bunch of pictures with a group, your partner and alone.

my american garter (not the colors of my dress)

I am so excited for all of that and I am almost ready. 

My plan for today will be:

Take shower

Get nails done

Get hair done

Put dress on

Take pictures

Go out to eat

And go to prom

It’s going to be a long day, so I will relax for a while and then I will start my PROM day!

Love you all and you will see some pictures of me!

Alex

By the way I can watch champions league here!