Culture Shock

Culture shock should of been the title of my first blog when i was in germany but i never expierenced a culture shock when i went there..... but now that i am back I realize what a true culture shock is..

I missed my family and friends alot but i got so used to being in Germany that it felt like that was my life there. I will go over this later but lets begin with the trip back.

First I started off in Koln and said goodbye to my last host family as I walked through security. I than went to my terminal and than had to take a shuttle to my plane. As we pull up to this raggy plane that had propellers still and had burn marks down the side... I am already not a huge fan of flying and that just made it worse. On the trip to germany I was lucky having no turbelnce when i was in the planes.... well as the saying goes good things dont last, and it didnt. I was pretty much imprinting my hand on the back of someones seat and to make matters worse I had to use the bathroom BAD and all the shaking just made it worse..:S. My plane was late getting to Amsterdam and I had 5 minuets before my next plane left to Detroit. I ran in and all i could see was a bunch of glass so I went through the glass doors and I accidently got outside somehow... I was freaking out because I didnt know where I was and my plane was leaving... I ran back inside and went to the first girl I saw she was sort of helpful but never told me how to get in.... I than thought back to what Rotary told me to do if all else failed.... so I found the nearest Guy who worked there and put some tears on and said I dont know where I am and my plane is leaving and this guy pretty much ran me through everything... I was lucky that I didnt have to wait in line to get my Visa stamped either he just ran through stamped it and than ran me to my terminal... it was really nice... Lucky I made my plane before it left :D... the plane ride back was really long and I couldent get to sleep for the life of me... I knew mom said to sleep but I just couldent. After a long plane ride we were about to land, Well the plane was coming in really fast a little to fast and when he tryed to put his wheels down on the ground he only got the left side on the ground so the plane was sidewards and I looked out my windown and it looked like the wing was about to hit the light posts on the side of the runway... once again the guy infront of me probably got annoyed because I was gripping so hard on the back of it... but finally I was done. I got on my last plane to Denver and it was the home streatch. Once I went into the Air port... I ran out of the plane and almost starting crying when I went into the terminal.. I than realized that my family wasnt there I never told my family this little story but for a split second I actually thought they forgot about me.. I than look over and realize people are heading to a train, I than remember that you have to take a train in this airport. So I followed everyone and than I went through a second set of glass doors, and turned to my right and I once again didnt see anyone in my family... than all of a sudden I heard someone SCREAMING HANNAH, I turn and see the whole family waiting for me with Picket signs, balloons, and roses... I could barley make them out from all the tears coming out.. everyone welll almost everyone was crying :D... even my older brother and sister came down to pick me up from the Air port, and my older sister actually flew in that morning to come pick me up, you can just imagine how loved I felt. I began to told my family it was so weird being on the plane because even though i did speak english to Margy and Clint i never heard it from other people... and on the plane rides just to hear constant english was really shocking.... I started telling them alot of stories and gave out souvenirs at the hotel.. and than tried to sleep.

The next day we went indoor skydiving, and it was so much fun... we were in a tunnel thing that blowed air up from the bottom and you had on this suite that was to big for you and you just floated... it was actually alot harder than it looked. I never knew that it took more than just jumping out of a plane to sky dive. After that we went to the mall so I could find a graduation dress and than once we were done shopping we said goodbye to my oldersister dropped her off at the airport and went home. Halfway home someone called my new cell phone... oh yeah that was my coming home preasent a cell phone :D... i was very happy.. well anyway my best friend from my town called me.. I was so tired and felt bad that I barley talked I found out later that she felt like i didnt miss her,,, and that the whole time I have been gone that I am all she talkes about to her family and counted the days till I came back :D..

On Sunday we went to church and than had lunch with my sister Rachel and my older brother and his kids and his wife. I can hardly eat after being back I think I could literally just survive off of air because I am never hungry I think its probably just like when I went over to germany how I had no appetiite for weeks... well im learning to enjoy not being hungry because I know ill put on weight once I become hungry... huummph. After eating I went to a soccer game, and found out that I am signed up for soccer and am playing this thrusday that was a suprise. When I was at the soccer game some of my guy friends came up and it was just like old times talking to them... than we went to a movie and now im going to school this morning..

well about the Culture shock thing, its feels to me like I just woke up from being kocked out and all the people are the same but everything I once knew is differnt. Everyones taller, older, more mature, the signes have changed in Ogallala, knew people live here and I dont know anything and most of all everyone has stories that I can relate to because I was not there for them. Its differnt being back not just becaue of the english but because I really felt like I was going to live in germany my whole like.. I knew i wasnt but it felt like I was. Its like I am starting all over again or like I moved to a different town except for the fact that I know peoples names here... but I dont know them anymore as a person... it will. take me awhile to get into the swing of things and hopefully this weird feeling like being the new person will pass but I am happy to be able to see old family and friends,,, but than again I do miss my new family and friends over in Germany and I dont think I will ever forget them, or my exchange year that really just changed my life.