I am 16 going on 17... oh wait, I'm already 17.

Such a clever title............

(Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag)

...long way of saying Happy Birthday.

I…… am 17 years old.

--And I feel the same.

But I’m still really happy J 

I’m so grateful for what I have here – it was definitely  d i f f e r e n t  celebrating here, but this I guess… was my chance to see a new way of celebrating, just like I did during Christmas….

[[Just like I have been doing my whole time here… experiencing new things.]]

• Here, it’s super formal. Like, lemme tell ya…. While we were having our coffee and muffins/cake at a quiet table, following up with some bread and wine, I was thinking about what would be happening at that moment at home;

1. There would be kids banging on the piano making ‘beautiful music’,
2. Kids sliding the stairs with different objects,
3. The little girls playing in my room with lipstick/dolls that they found while jumping on my bed…
4. Dogs trying to steal food,

And so on and so forth. 

Once again, it wasn't better or worse.... it was just different. 

I mean, I will never have a birthday like that again.

Let me tell ya about what I got...

-Chocolate... looking forward to gaining some more Kilos ;) [no, really.. it's worth it]

-A book of pictures of my next city, Bad Homburg..

-A small notebook

-Socks that my 1st host mom knitted for me

-100 euros from my Grandma and Grandpa at home :)

Speaking of home, I got the package from my parents a few weeks ago and decided to open it early on Skype with them...

The two best things in that package...

Ramen...noodles!

And a bracelet <3

A bracelet that says "Love you most" on it.

My mom and I say that almost every time we talk before we go.

But I really think I'll always be the one that loves her most.
No...question...about it. <3

Can I rewind for a second?

--pff, it's my blog... I can do what I want!

The whole night I was a-okay... and then my host dad brought out just a simple little plate with a bunch of candles sitting on it....... and they sang to me. They sang one of the German versions of 'Happy Birthday'.

Well, I lost it...

(as you can see here... Ennie, my 1st host dog came too... so she was kind of my cover up so people "didn't know" I was crying"
The thing is... I don't even know why I was crying... was I sad or homesick or grateful or shocked or what? ... I think it was just a mixture of a bunch of emotions.

...Then, of course.. everything was great!

My to-be-host-sister seems pretty excited to have me as her big sister... and I really just can't wait :) I'll miss Leo, but my 3rd host dad said she is totally welcome to come over for a weekend... so I'm not worried one bit! <3

I leave this house....

in two weeks.

TWO WEEKS!

Time really does fly... I mean....... I was so proud of being four... and now I'm seventeen?!
And in Germany?!

Already about to leave to my third host family?!

And then go on a three week Europa Tour in April?!

just getting excited...

Things really have been going well though... the school and everything...

I'm in a 6th grade Englisch class... and they are all so sweet.
We're planning on having a little breakfast party next-next Tuesday since it'll be my last day with them.

Really, all of the school is great... I am doing this Casting thing... kind of like a talent show...

And when I was going to audition a little boy [no idea who he is] yelled "Kennadi ist hier! Kennadi ist hier!!!!"
Then all the kids were excited...
They really make my exchange something else :)

Anyways... I'm not trying to bore you or anything... just one more thing...

Tomorrow, I see my exchange students again! We, inbounds, are going to meet the German outbounds here! It should be a blast!

I'm gonna strut my little 17-year-old patootie ;)