Week 10

Monday (10/13/14)
Two months gone. so. fast.

Friday (10/17/14)
On Thursday Tamara's best friend Laura and her son came over in the afternoon and Laura mentioned possibly going ice skating all together on Friday (today). So we did! I've been ice skating many times, but on my bucket list I have that I want to try figure skating. Well today, I unexpectedly got the opportunity to cross that sucker off! There's an old coach that hangs around the rink and goes up and teaches anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they wanted any help or not. I LOVED IT! It was so cool to actually learn some proper technique and exercises to do, especially from a professional. You could tell he was just absolutely in love with his art. When we were leaving I thanked him and asked him his name. "Samuel." He wouldn't give me his last name, he said it wasn't important. 

Bodensee Arena

HAHAHA! Perfect timing!

Me, Laura, Svenja

Just another day in paradise.

Later for dinner, Peter's brother and his daughter came over for Swiss fondue! They made one pot with a little wine, and one without. It honestly threw me completely off when they asked if I would prefer it without, because I know if you cook a steak with wine or something, the alcohol cooks off. But in a pot of melted cheese? I had no clue. And I wasn't sure how the rule applied in this case so, I just went without to be safe... I kind of felt like an idiot though. Regardless, not gonna lie it was not very delicious. For movie snacks later, I made guacamole (avocado, tomato, garlic, onion, lemon juice, fresh lime, salt and pepper - combine all to taste). YUM. 

Swiss Fondue 

Saturday (10/18/14)
I went to a wedding reception today at the church. Mostly because Corinne said her friend had given her an old phone for me to use and she could bring it for me if I was going. But also, I had nothing else planned so, why not? My mom is gonna kill me... I went in jeans. IN MY DEFENSE, I got dressed up for that seminary fireside thing forever ago and I was the ONLY one in nice Sunday dress. I didn't want that to happen again and it was just a little reception so I didn't think it was a big deal. Wasn't a reception people. It was a WEDDING AND a reception. *facepalm* just let me die. I was mortified. I sat in the back row of the chapel and tried to make myself invisible. Thankfully I wasn't the only chick in pants, including Tania (the RS President). And what lesson have we learned? I'd rather be nicely overdressed than feel tackily underdressed. Sorry Mom. 

Elder Roberts and Elder Sanft showed up in the middle of the ceremony (where there's food, there's missionaries haha). As per usual I hung around them during the reception and later Daisy joined us. During the course of our conversations Daisy all of a sudden and completely nonchalantly says "¿Rebecca, quieres venir a Peru conmigo a visitar mi familia?" ...uh, say what!? She asked me again. Do you want to come with me to Peru to visit my family? ...wait, for serious? When? (Next year.) Um, YES! The answer is definitely YES. I was so caught off guard! She was so casual about it, like "Rebecca, do you want a cookie?" "Rebecca, wanna come to Peru with me?" SO EXCITED! Hopefully it will all work out between her plans, Peter and Tamara's arrangements, and my plans (cause I have SO many plans... haha)

Sunday (10/19/14)
Today in church Oliver - Sandra's husband - was one of the speakers and he also provided a musical number on an Alphorn (with organ accompaniment). Um, HOW COOL IS THAT!? Gonna go ahead and check that off mah list. 

xoxo,

     Rebecca

Week 9

Thursday (10/9/14)
Walk with the family.

Tamara, Peter/Svenja, Quentin, Finn 

Bernina Factory

I LIVE HERE! :D

Me, Peter/Svenja, Finn, Quentin 

Quentin trying to feed the cows

The boys walking home (the rest of us took a longer way)

Staying hydrated! :)

Svenja and Leon, one of the neighbor boys.
I'm pretty sure he has a crush on me... haha

Friday (10/10/14)
Well guys, I've reached an important European milestone: I've been on the German autobahn! Gotta tell you... doesn't live up to the hype. For some reason I've always imagined the autobahn as this huge six or more lane freeway with tons of wide curves/turns and people driving like they're pro race-car drivers. My imagination was WAY off. Most of it is just a two-lane freeway (two lanes one way, two lanes the other way). One lane goes fast, the other lane goes faster. I think the fastest we ever went was 160 KPH (just under 100 MPH). I could do that at home! I HAVE done that at home... 

*Side Note (mostly for my parents benefit): Don't freak out. I think I've actually hit 100 MPH like twice... sometimes I don't notice how heavy my foot has gotten on the pedal. 

Anyhow... yep, took the autobahn to get to THE BALL! I met Corinne at the train station in Weinfelden at 10:00am and then we walked to Dustin and Larissa's apartment (we took their car). These people know how to road trip! It was such a blast! They had all kinds of yummy snacks and the best music assortment - mostly oldies, Disney, and musicals - for such a long drive (5 hours). Once we got to Irrsdorf we went to our hotels to check in (Larissa and Dustin stayed in one, Corinne and I stayed in another one because there were no more rooms available in the same place when Corinne was making reservations) and then we all went to Larissa and Dustin's hotel to change and get ready for the ball! It wasn't what I was expecting. When you hear the words "ball" and "Austria" combined into a sentence describing an event, there's a certain image that enters your mind. At least in my mind. I'm thinking a grand old ballroom and people dressed like they just popped out of the 1800's. Or at the very least, something like the ball scene from The Sound of Music. Fancy dresses, fancy suits (tuxedos)... This "ball" was held at a school. When Corinne said it was free if you registered beforehand, that should have been my first tip-off. It turned out to be a church event. Hahaha! *facepalm* It was still REALLY beautiful. The decorations were lovely and it was pretty fancy for a church event. It was catered (the only thing you had to pay for was the food/drinks - which was delicious), there was a live band for dancing, and there were even some performances. It was really well done. And I got to dance a couple of times towards the end of the night. Sandra's husband Oliver kindly danced a "Viennese" waltz with me, and later on another dude that the group knew asked me, after being bribed. (After one dance he said I looked "destroyed." Well aren't YOU the charmer.) I must admit throughout the night I got more and more agitated. Probably a combination of being in the car all day and the frustration of not understanding most of the conversation that was going on around me (AND this thing went until like 2am... OHMAHGOSH BE OVER! haha). I was definitely feeling like I didn't belong. It's an emotional tug-of-war. You can't expect everyone to always accommodate you and/or your language needs, but it's difficult at times to keep that frame of mind and not think people are being rude. I'm trying though! It's all a learning experience.

Rolling hills of Austria

Larissa, Dustin, Corinne

The ladies!

The "Ballroom"

Our table 

Dinner: Wiener Schnitzerl (Pute) mit Kartoffeln und Salat 

EFY group? Kids doing a line dance haha.

Ballroom couple; danced the 5 standard dances.

Candy Bar EVERYONE freaked out about.
It's not a typical thing like the States, where
everyone has one at their wedding reception;
most of the candy wasn't even that good.

Violinist

Dancing (photo by Sandra)

Saturday (10/11/14)
I had showered last night so when I woke up around 9:30am I simply threw some clothes on, cleaned up, and went downstairs for breakfast. Corinne was already there. I just had some awesome bread and jams and an egg (sunny-side up) after the owner offered it. Yum! After paying - for both of us, it was only €80 so we each paid €40, which is €16 cheaper than the first hotel she had tried to book us at; not bad! - we went outside and Larissa and Dustin came and picked us up around 10:00am and we headed back to Switzerland! I slept for most of this car ride; I was legitimately tired, but also most of the time I didn't feel included in the (German) conversation anyway and I was tired of trying. I'm sorry. Real life, real talk. It happens. I'm not perfect and it's not all rainbows and sunshine all the time. 

The "hotel" where Corinne and I stayed:
Kirchenwirt Irrsdorf, Familie Schinwald

Cool looking church

These mountains were way more majestic and grand
than the pictures are showing....

Pretty sure that's a tunnel either for a train or cars...

Dustin and Larissa were kind enough to drop off both Corinne and myself at each of our residences. As soon as I got home, I had about 20 minutes before hopping in the car, again, with Tamara, Peter, Quentin, Finn, and Svenja to go over to Claudia's (Tamara's twin sister) for a little "game night." Tons of fun playing games and eating together. Claudia, just like Tamara, is super sweet and she does everything she can to make me feel welcome.

Sunday (10/12/14)
We had some American visitors in church today! From... UTAH! haha. They were businessmen who work at dōTERRA. It was a lot of fun chatting with them - everyone (not just me) really likes when people visit. One even bore his testimony during Sacrament meeting (fast Sunday)  and Sandra ran up to translate it to German for the congregation. It was great. 
After church Daisy invited me over for dinner, but her and another lady, Patricia, decided to have it at Patricia's place instead. So I went with Patricia and her two daughters with another lady in the ward who dropped us off at their apartment. Daisy never showed up (there was an emergency with a friend she had to help with) which was a little awkward. I felt like I'd self-invited myself to have dinner with someone who hadn't asked for company. But it was fine. Patricia and I chatted (Spanish) and I helped her make dinner while the two teenagers acted like... typical teenagers haha. I believe Patricia is Peruvian, but she has the air of a beautiful Spaniard - very regal and proud. It's extremely intimidating. She made an AWESOME tuna fish soup, and rice with veggies. Dessert was this weird healthy jello/custard-y stuff with cloves... it was.. very strong. I didn't like it at all. And I accidentally swallowed a clove because I was trying to just swallow the stuff without tasting it too long. Oops. While we were cooking, she also had me try some vegetable juice she churned out; it could have been worse, but I could only get down about half the cup. Bleh. After lunch we watched Mormon Messages videos and then I politely excused myself to leave. Patricia walked me part of the way to the train and once I recognized where I was I went the rest of the way on my own (after thanking her for everything of course!) 

Week 7

Monday 9/22/14
Went visiting teaching today! Tania, the Relief Society President, is my companion. We met with Alexandra. 

A cool little story:
To get to Alexandra's house I had to take the train to Kreuzlingen, and then a bus the rest of the way. So I get to Kreuzlingen and I have like 4 minutes to find the bus stop, which I've never been to at this station. So I'm looking around desperately for a sign, and I find one, but I can't tell if it's pointing down the hall, or up the stairs haha *facepalm* COME ON SIGN! And in my head I'm thinking that I don't have time to check both... I'm looking down the hall, and then as I'm looking bring my focus closer in front of me, who do I see? The missionaries! Elder Annen and Elder Strauss. I quickly ask where the bus stop is and tell them I'm on my way to go visiting teaching. They point me in the right direction (up the stairs) and I made it to my bus just in time. I need to stop freaking out all the time :P God's got my back. 

I still can't get over how much I can understand with the help of the Spirit. It's so much easier for me to understand church related discussions than "normal" ones. I guess it just comes a little easier when you are doing God's work. Tania went back and forth between translating German to English for me, then English to German for Alexandra, but she can understand a lot of English on her own. I'm so grateful for everyone's patience and help as far as language and translation goes.  

Friday 9/26/14
Happy birthday to my beautiful Momma! Your mom can have the world, because MY mom is the BEST mom in the friggin UNIVERSE.

Tamara and I went to lunch today with Svenja at a restaurant here in town, that's right on the lake. When we walked in I felt SO underdressed - it was pretty fancy, but it wasn't like Tamara and Svenja were dressed up either haha. Tamara had veal (I think...) and I got a steak. It was DELICIOUS. Mm, SO good. 

See & Park Restaurant

(sorry for the stupid grey dot... grr)

Helllloooooo Fall! :D

Saturday 9/27/14
So today is the day Sister Buchanan had arranged for us to go to the Meersburg Castle! Elder and Sister Schwabe (from Australia) are a missionary couple over the YSA's on the Swiss side that she also invited to come. They contacted me on Facebook yesterday and offered to pick me up! That added about an HOUR onto their travel time. They were so nice and willing and lovely. It was such a pleasure to meet them. So yes, they picked me up and we had a great time chatting on the way to the ferry in Konstanz. Like a CAR ferry. I've never been on one before! It was SO cool! haha. We took the ferry straight across to Meersburg and then met up with Elder and Sister Buchanan and their "son" Derick, and on to the castle we went! I literally hugged the walls when we first walked inside. I was touching HISTORY. Can you imagine the thousands of people and lives throughout CENTURIES that have walked in those halls?! You can FEEL it, you can feel THEM. Such an awesome experience. To say that I was thrilled would be a huge understatement.

On a big ol' car ferry!

Huge working waterwheel

Poet Annette Droste-Hülshoff (1797 - 1848)
She lived in the castle at one time and
wrote poetry about the beauty of the Bodensee.

Meersburg Castle, owned and lived in still today!
"...oldest inhabited German fortress" and almost everything
has been kept original! So freaking amazing!

Don't know who this bust is...

I had to take this picture, coming from a
family of gun and knive enthusiasts :)

Kitchen

Beautiful painting on wood panel

How would you even fight with one of these swords?! They
are HUGE. I'm tired just contemplating it...

Just waiting for my knight... Psh, NOT!
I'm LIVING & ADVENTURING! :D

The lady poet's room. I feel a kindred spirit.
(Sister Schwabe and Derick on the left)

The caption/note underneath these writings says:
Handschrift von Wilhelm Grimm (left)
Handschrift von Jakob Grimm (right)
:D!!!! I died a little. SO COOL!

Bakery

Baptismal font. Priests used to live here too.

I can see where Annette got her inspiration... breathtaking.

Dining Hall
(Sister Buchanan and Sister Schwabe on right side)

Trying to be artistic haha. I like it! 

Dungeon

Left to right: Elder Buchanan, Derick, Elder Schwabe

Castle chapel. Bling bling!

After our castle exploration, we all went and had lunch (I had spaghetti with pesto) together here: 

It was great to be outside eating great food with wonderful people in the sunshine. Afterwards, the Buchanans' and Derick left, and the Schwabes' and I did some wandering and window shopping.

This is Mainau Island. Elder Schwabe told me it has the
best botanical garden he's ever seen. Definitely want to
go see for myself! 

What a FANTASTIC day so far!

After our fun outing, the Schwabe's dropped me off in Konstanz because I was meeting up with Corinne, her sister Nicole, Hector, and Benjamin (a.k.a. Beni... boo boo boobooboo :P ahahaha "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" anyone?!) for dinner there later in the evening. I wandered around a bit to kill some time.

Struggling street performer. No, really. He tried to get his act
going and cars kept driving through so he gave up. Sadness.

I love how everyone is taking the time to just sit,
and LISTEN. This performer wasn't a great singer,
but he created a GREAT atmosphere. 

Fancy boat. Fancy people. Fancy party.
Complete with red carpet. Oooh.

Street view. Could have done a better job. Mah bad.

I finally met up with everyone and we took the bus to Meera Restaurant which had an assortment of Singapore, Thai, and Indian foods. OHMAHGOSH. SOOOOOO GOOD (it's ranked #2 of 210 restaurants in Konstanz on TripAdvisor). I definitely HIGHLY recommend it myself. The service was fantastic, the prices were awesome, and the food was scrumptious (I had the Chicken Thaisiyana). The only warning I have for you: the nonalcoholic specialty drinks - partake at your own risk! haha I think between all of us we tried one of each of them. They're all awful. One was especially bad; it literally tasted like mouthwash. Not worth the 5 euros at all (even the coconut-pineapple-y one I got). DON'T DO IT. You've been warned.

It was a blast though! We all had a great time together. 

Sunday 9/28/14

Today was the Primary Program at church. OH MY CUTENESS! They were SO precious. I can't even handle it. I teared up several times; the spirit these little children bring is enormous. They are so steadfast; it's so humbling.

Elder Strauss has been dubbed my official translator for Sacrament meeting every week, as requested by the Bishopric (and he usually translates for me in Sunday School as well) haha. Poor guy. He seems willing though, and I appreciate it so I guess I should just stop feeling bad about it. Larissa or Tania take over in Relief Society.

Speaking of RS, I read a quote today for part of the lesson, in DEUTSCH! (Larissa helped me out with a few words, but I DID IT!) Here it is:

"Mut hat viele Gesichter. Der christliche Schriftsteller Charles Swindoll schrieb einst: 'Mut ist nicht auf das Schlachtfeld begrenzt ... oder darauf, dass man in seinem Haus tapfer einen Einbrecher schnappt. Mut wird in Wahrheit im Stillen geprüft. Er wird im Innersten geprüft, wenn es darum geht, treu zu sein, wenn keiner zusieht, ... allein dazustehen, wenn man missverstanden wird.'"

You can plug it into Google Translate if you so desire :P I'm getting braver at attempting to talk in German. I still can't say much, but what I can say, I'm trying to incorporate into conversations - sometimes it's hard to remember to try because people that know me usually just automatically talk to me in English (or Spanish). 

After church I went with Beni over to Germany - a couple from the ward who live there gave us a ride - so we could walk over to Daisy's for lunch with the missionaries. We were pretty early so we both helped her make lunch (big pan of veggies and beef with mashed potatoes). When everyone arrived we all just sat around and ate and talked. Daisy can understand English, she just can't speak it very well anymore, so a lot of the conversation was in English, with splashes of Spanish and German. 

I love the missionaries of this ward. It's like I left my four brothers in the states and got to adopt an additional four! Elder Strauss loves to give me a hard time, but I don't think he's used to having someone, especially a girl, give it back to him... and I do. My family would be proud of my sarcastic and witty development :P Elder Sanft (Tongan, from California) gave me the BEST compliment on the bus back to the train station - Somehow the fact that I lived in Hawaii for awhile came up and he said that made a lot of sense because he didn't really get Utah vibes off me, but that I was also more open than Californians (you know, they're nice, but not necessarily open to people). Anyway, he said I was definitely part Islander. AW! Made. My. Day. 

From top to bottom: Daisy's son, Elder Roberts, Benjamin,
Elder Annen, Elder Strauss, Elder Sanft.

Daisy & Moi! 

Elder Strauss opted out (dumb) so this turned into
an American Elders pic... USA! USA! USA! :D

I had pomegranate for the first time! It's yummy!

Oh hey! ...Beni stole my camera haha. 

xoxo,

     Rebecca