All is going well here... I've been keeping pretty busy lately. Yesterday, I spent the day in Ravensburg with Isabell (she's one of the English-speaking women I've met). I was quite proud of myself too, as I took the train to Ravensburg to meet her. It was my first time using the train on my own (The previous times that I've taken the train, I've managed to be with someone who actually knew what they were doing! :)). Initially, I had a difficult time with the ticket machine, as it was written entirely in German, so I had no clue what to do... After standing in front of the ticket machine for about 15 minutes, getting increasingly frustrated with it and practically punching the touch screen with my finger over and over again, and having a line of about 6 people behind me who simply stared at me without offering to help, I finally had to ask the girl standing next to me for help. (Germany is one of those countries, where the people tend to avoid confrontation. Brian explains their thinking process, in terms of conflict, as "If they avoid the problem, it will simply go away." And that appears to be exactly what they do here... yikes!). The girl ended up being able to speak English and she helped me with the ticket machine. I was extremely thankful for her help too! I managed to purchase the ticket and run to the assigned platform, with literally one minute to spare! Phew...What a fiasco that was! The train ride was a bit nerve-racking too, considering that I wasn't exactly certain where I should get off (Ravensburg has quite a few different stations). But, I managed to figure things out and I arrived at my destination safe and sound... and I proceeded to have an enjoyable day of shopping. :) The trip back was much easier. Being that I knew what I was doing by then, I was able to purchase my ticket and get to the platform at a much more leisurely pace. :) I have to say, I was quite happy when I arrived home yesterday... I was pretty proud of myself for having managed to figure out the public transportation system. I'm viewing it as another milestone... Who would have thought that such small accomplishments could mean so much over here? :)
I had two more milestones today... The first one occurred when I drove the car home after class today, and I managed to get home without gunning the engine, speeding through yellow lights, or stalling the car... Hooray! :) I even stopped to get coffee on the way home, and I had to park the car in a very small space and then back it out when I left.... and I managed to do all of that without any damage to the car! :) The second milestone was when I stopped to get coffee... I ordered completely in German. I used a few sentences that we've learned in our classes, and this time I even ordered a different type of coffee that required more elaborate ingredients (i.e. a tall Latte Macchiatto, with skim milk, a shot of vanilla flavoring, and no whipped cream... I typically order a tall Mocha...). And the best part about that... she completely understood me!! How happy was I?! I managed to communicate in German! :) Ahh... the things that make me happy nowadays... :)
Well, on that note, I'd better get going. I'm going to attempt to drive the car to the gym today. It's a bit too cold (and icy) to ride my bike there, and it takes too long to walk... So, wish me luck! :) Once I get back from they gym, Brian and I are off to see the play that the English theatre group is putting on. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Plus, I'll get to see the props that I helped paint! :)
I hope you're having a great day! Miss you much!
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