Merry Christmas

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. And unto us a Savior was born.

May you have the most Merry of Christmases this year.

Holidays

It may be two days before most of the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and sits around together with family and friends to enjoy their Christmas meal, but I still haven't shared my wonderful Thanksgiving memories!

Just a month ago my family, Mom, Dad, and two sisters, came down to San Antonio to share Thanksgiving with me. It was absolutely fantastic to have them here and be able to share the blessed holiday with my family.

I was so excited also to be hosting the meal, meaning I was able to prepare everything and cook it all up for them to enjoy. I think I should start saying that feeding people is a hobby of mine, not just say I like to cook or bake! I cooked up a nice turkey with vegetable, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, bread, and jello salad. And for dessert, some of my homemade pies!

Here is our most delicious and tasty turkey right out of the oven. The meat just fell off the bone!

After a relaxing Thanksgiving day, we enjoyed Friday out shopping for Black Friday. I so love Black Friday shopping! It is definitely my favorite day to shop out of the entire year.

After a fast paced day shopping, we ended the night downtown to enjoy the lighting of the Riverwalk, check out The Alamo, watch the Holiday Parade on the river, and eat at one of the oldest Mexican restaurants on the Riverwalk. It was a bit chilly but we had a great time together.

Saturday came and we headed to Corpus Christi. We were able to drive by and check out a large Jersey dairy operation just 30 miles outside of Corpus. I know they have dairy cows down here, but I really didn't think I'd see beautiful Jersey cows out grazing just miles from the coast!

After seeing the dairy, we headed to the coast to hang out on the beach. We had packed a nice picnic lunch, walked up and down the ocean's edge, threw a football around, and overall just enjoyed a relaxing day on the beach.

It was most amazing to have my family down here and share with them my new home and everything else down here that was brand new to me just a few months ago.

Thanksgiving was blessed with my family here. Unfortunately, I will be unable to join them for Christmas this year and will be spending the holiday here in Texas with other friends and their families. I am so very grateful to have such wonderful friends who will be here to enjoy the weekend with and to be able share Christmas with them.

Have a safe and blessed Christmas and enjoy all the festivities bringing in the New Year!

Alone

After four months of living with the most wonderful roommate ever, I am now left alone in our apartment for the next month.

Brooke left yesterday morning to head back home for the holiday. And so I stay here in Texas.

It gets rather lonely without someone to hang out with at night, to cook for, or just to watch a movie with!

Hopefully the next four weeks will begin to fill with things to do and I keep busy while I await the return of my fantastic roommate.

A Week To Remember

Life is San Antonio is going great. I have great friends, a good job, and a quite pleasant place to live. The weekend before Thanksgiving proved to be an even more exciting time here in TX. I was joined by a friend from back home here in San An and we made every moment here memorable.


The first night of D's arrival began with some delicious food and then off to dance the night away. Cowboys Dancehall was the hopping spot that night and we cut a rug while enjoying the concert of Jake Owens.


Brooke, K, D, and I had a blast busting the moves!
I was so thankful to be given the entire weekend off and on Saturday I cooked up some spaghetti squash and cheese loaves and joined our neighbors and other friends for a late potluck like lunch. It was so fun to just hang out together and enjoy great food.





After our fill we decided to head up north to Austin for a night out on the town. Austin has a street slightly similar to State Street in Madison, WI, however, 6th Street in Austin really just has bars, night clubs, or even a couple comedy houses. Its definitely a street where anyone can find a place they would enjoy.





D, Brooke, and I enjoyed walking the street earlier in the evening enjoying music and also a live comedy show happening inside a window. We finally found a place to chill and enjoyed some Jazz music and met up with another friend, Sara. After awhile our neighbors and friends made it up to Austin to join us and we headed out to dance!


We had so much fun dancing and hanging out and just making the most of the night!
Great friends just make anything fun no matter what you're doing or where you're at!

After a fun Saturday night, Sunday proved to be relaxing by sleeping late and later taking a walk at a new park with trails I had never been to before.

And then it was Monday. Off to work for me and B while D headed out to explore the city.

Monday ended with some good food and a movie, "Grown Ups." Such a super fun good movie!

Tuesday was another day at work, but we were able to head to the Riverwalk in the evening and enjoy the sites there. B, D, and I headed downtown with our neighbors visiting brother, S after grabbing some delicious Bubble Tea!

It was a chillier night on the Riverwalk, but we enjoyed walking along the river, seeing the Alamo, and then taking the Riverwalk boat ride. This ride is a nice stroll in a boat on the river and our tour guide enlightens us with history and fun facts. Along the ride we saw a tree that was literally growing out of the side of a concrete wall. They say that any tree that wants to grow that bad should be left alone! We also saw a hotel where each of the rooms were make like boxes and set into place by a crane. This is different than just building the rooms all together with adjacent walls to each room.

It was a fun evening that we ended with a meal at the restaurant, Dicks. If you have not heard of this place, it is a restaurant that serves "free sarcasm." In other words, they make fun of you and are 'dicks' as waiters and waitresses. They do not serve the best food ever, it is just a different place to go for a very unique experience!

Wednesday began with work and ended with a little dancing with some of my co-workers in the evening.

Thursday was also another early morning opening the bakery. However, after work, D and I headed to Enchanted rock for a beautiful sight and splendid hike. This 'rock' below is what is known as Enchanted Rock and is a huge rock structure. D and I enjoyed hiking to the top, seeing the views from above, lurking in caves, and just taking it all in. The weather was so nice and we really had a great time!

Of course, we had to take loads of photos as well!!

After hiking up the big rock and heading back to San An, we got ready for 'Ladies Night' at Cowboys. Again we were out working the dancefloor and just having a great time! You can never get too much dancing if you ask me!

And then it was Friday again. Brooke wanted D and I to come to her class and give a presentation on cows and agriculture. So, Friday morning D and I headed to the school and talked to the 5th graders all about cows and milk and food. It was so wonderful to be talkign about agricluture again and teaching others about it. We even make ice cream in a bag with the kids!

After school was out and we were all packed up, we headed south to go CAMPING ON THE BEACH! Us three headed down to Corpus Christi to set up a tent on the ocean front and relax the weekend away. It proved to be so wonderful and relaxing.

We took our living room furniture, set up a tent, bundled up against the wind, and hung out on the beach. Brooke had even brought her guitar along and we sang the night away and enjoyed the crack of waves on the shore.

Saturday brought sunshine and another fantastic day. We headed out early to enjoy breakfast at the small dive of a restaurant attached to the pier. I enjoyed a tasty breakfast sandwich before we headed out down the long pier to enjoy the sun and ocean.

The rest of the day was lazy and great. We threw the frisbee and football around on the beach. B and D made a sand lizard while I wrote my name in the sand and took photos. We drove around the Corpus area to see all different colored houses and stopped at other docks and piers along the way. At one dock we watched a large ship out on the water and saw some dolphins surfacing the top as well! We ate at a local place and had shrimp and fish and fried oysters. The day ended with a nice nap on the beach before heading north back to San An.

We chilled the night away back at the apartment and proved to be quite lazy. Watched a couple episodes of "The Office," played the guitar and headed to bed.

Sunday brought breakfast and church and packing and then the airport. I had to send both my wonderful roommates away as D was heading back to WI and B was ready for Thanksgiving in IL. It was sad to see them both go and drive back to an empty apartment! We had such a fun week together! It was definitely a week to remember!

What's Next?

After moving down to TX in August, I had vowed to myself that I was going to make no more plans for my life. I was going to just wait and see what happened and go with it.

Well, I think it must be said that that vow has to come with some rules. Going with the flow can't just mean I don't know what is next until ten minutes before it happens. That just wouldn't work. Therefore, my vow is more of a-see how things go, try to live it all up as you can, and if something comes up or is offered that sounds like it might fit into the scheme of life...go for it.

With this said, I do have some 'plans' for the next 6-8 months, but with very minor details. First and foremost, the plan is to stay in San An until the apartment lease is up. Next, I will go back to WI. And the final 'plan' is to head back to Salzburg in May to my second home in Europe!

What actually happens between now and the end of my stint in Texas has not yet been drawn. I do not know what new friends I will meet, how many hours of work I will add up, or what new places in TX I will explore.

When I head home, I am unsure how many calves will be born, how many meals I will cook, or if I will actually ever leave the farm once I've returned to it.

Heading to Salzburg has just been decided and the minorest of details are unwritten.

I am enjoying life. I am looking forward to every day. The weather is beautiful here, I have an amazing roommate, I have visitors coming to stay with me in the next two weeks, and I am just taking it all as it comes one step at a time!

Friends

Friends make the world of difference in life.

Just a month ago I was pretty sure that I would head home to WI away from San Antonio as soon as finances and my roommate would allow me. However, finally, Brooke and I have made some friends, we've gone out and tried some new things, and we are settled in well enough that we are pretty sure we'll stay thru the end of our lease in February!

This is really exciting for me. I was really not liking San An and its quite nice now to enjoy where I'm at and just live.

This past weekend for Brooke and I had was super amazing. We started the evening off by helping one of our friends out by volunteering at a Red Cross Military Muster Gala. We were completely unsure of what to expect and ended up walking away with such a wonderful experience. We were put to work selling raffle tickets and ended up being able to mingle and talk to the guests while also offering the tickets for sale. It was so nice just to chat with the folks there and meet some new people.

We also helped during the Live Auction and handed out bottles of wine to the winners of the items and took down the bid numbers. It was such a neat event with super items for the guests to bid on. One of the items was a chocolate pearl necklace that had a market value of around $5,000. We really enjoyed the evening, met some new friends, and had a lot of fun!

The rest of the evening on Friday was spent going out and having a fun night with the neighbors. On Saturday, we were able to go over to some friends' place for a BBQ. AMAZING! We were served slowly cooked ribs from a woodsmoke grill and grilled corn on the cob. We also watched Toy Story 3. If someone has not watched this movie yet, do so very soon. It is such an incredible movie that is funny with an engaging story and it brings loads of tears at the end. I never thought a Toy Story movie could be so moving, but it truly was a great movie.

I was busy at work on Sunday morning just to come home and relax the rest of the afternoon. It was just so nice to have friends around to share the weekend with and know that there are others around that will be there for you.

Life is going well. Work still keeps me busy and Brooke and I are enjoying our friends! They do make life so much better and more enjoyable!

Chilly Texas

Believe it or not, one can get chilly down here in Texas! It definitely stays warmer longer down here, especially in comparison to my northern home, but it also gets chilly.

We went to a new restaurant last night, Mi Casa Tamales, with some friends of ours. We had gone in order to watch a band play a gig last night that Brooke and her friends knew. It was a beautiful evening, don't get my wrong, but I got cold! The outdoor heater element that was by our table was not in full working order and so my t-shirt and jeans did not completely suffice.

However, we had a great night. The band played good ole songs like, "Purple People Eater," "Build me up Buttercup," and other favorites. I tried an interesting Mexican dish called, Carne Guisada. It is a beef stew served with beans, rice, and lettuce that you put in a tortilla. It was good and it was something new, but I don't believe I will ever be ordering it again!

So as the weather cools down here and I find myself trying to remember a sweater, I still continue to work 6 days a week and hang out with my fantastic roommate. Nothing has changed much after my quick trip home for my brother's wedding and I quickly was back into the swing of things when I returned. The lows here in San An are only around 55 degrees and not freezing like back home, so I won't complain too much and will try to enjoy the coolness of the nights.

6 Weeks

I can hardly believe it, but come this Friday, I will have been here in Texas for six weeks. I never thought the time would pass this quickly. However, between finding a job and starting to work most everyday, I've found some things to keep me busy.

Most days I find myself up by 4 am to get to work by 5. Its an all day affair and I eventually make it home mid afternoon. Its been busy at work and tomorrow will be my first day off in two weeks! I really enjoy work and am not quite sure what I'll do with myself tomorrow! I've taken on doing some catering deliveries and find that fun, exciting, and a good addition to my day! I am so thankful to have found a great place to work!

After a full day, I finally make it home to enjoy the fantastic company of my always amazing and wonderful roommate!

As usual I've been cooking almost every night and Brooke is continually being my guinea pig. The other evening was no different. I have never really been one to make soups, but really wanted some the other day. Therefore, I grabbed some ingredients out of the fridge, skimmed over some recipes and managed to create a quite tasty creamy vegetable soup. I've also been bringing the crusts from the bread at work home and making some amazing croutons! They were a simple but super addition to the soup!

Besides cooking and working, I've also been keeping the apartment cleaned. We've managed to get out and go dancing a couple evenings at the big Cowboys Dancehall. Brooke and I are gradually meeting new friends and try to squeeze in some time with them throughout the week as well.

Just across the road from our apartment is a new establishment that is a Hookah and Bubble Tea shop. It has become Brooke and my's new favorite place to go for a quick treat. The bubble tea is fantastic. This is a tea that is originally from Taiwan and gets its name from the bubbles that form at the top after you shake the tea up. There are so many flavors to try, too! Brooke and I have made good friends with the owner and try a new 'smoothie-style' bubble tea every trip. Our favorites have been Avocado and Honeydew, Strawberry and Yogurt, and Caramel Vanilla. If you've never tried bubble tea, I highly recommend it!

Besides all that, I have kept busy these last six weeks and can hardly believe I am heading home soon for a quick trip for my brother's wedding next week! It will be so nice to go home and see everyone! I am so looking forward to it! Until the next time, Take Care!

Eggplant

I love grocery shopping. Anyone who has met me probably already knows that.

My roommate and I go grocery shopping together. On one occasion we decided to buy an eggplant. We just figured we would try out a new recipe and see what we could come up with.

I did just that. I attempted to find a recipe that included ingredients from our refrigerator and cupboards. I couldn't quite find a recipe that matched all of our supplies. So, I just whipped some ingredients together and hoped whatever I came up with would be edible.

Its always exciting when I pull things out of the cupboard, throw them together, and they end up tasting fantastic! It always a fun and delightful surprise. The eggplant casserole ended up tasting very good.

I hope everyone enjoys delicious meals and treats every day. Food is so good and should be always enjoyed!

Movies

I love to watch movies. They take you to a different place. Movies can suck you in and when the movie finishes you can barely remember where you are.

I like all movies. I like comedies, and action films, and dramas and all others. However, it seems lately that every movie that I or my roommate and I choose to watch is a failure. We have been here in Texas for three weeks and I don't think we have watched a single good film.

If anyone has suggestions, we would greatly appreciate them. Brooke and I would love to watch some good films, however, we just can't seem to pick them by ourselves!

Little Children and My Blueberry Nights are just two movie selections that were failures. If anyone likes these movies, I don't mean to offend. However, I wouldn't recommend them for anyone who has not seen them!

I hope others are having more success in movie picks and enjoying the new semester of school or the beginning of a beautiful new season!

Rain

Yesterday I experienced my first Tropical Storm. Not only did I stay in my apartment and watch it, I experienced it first hand out on the road driving.

Hermine showed up out of nowhere if you ask me. We've had three weeks with barely more than ten sprinkles and all of a sudden I wake up and its pouring rain outside. And it doesn't want to stop!

I really didn't think anything of it, its just rain, right? So I headed out to give plasma. The way to plasma was not too bad. However, just as I am finishing up with my last drawing cycles the wind picks up and it looks real wet out. Unfortunately I really didn't think it was going to let up anytime soon, so I dashed out to my car in the rain mess. Twenty feet later and safely in my car, I was soaked!

Back out on the interstate. And now its getting bad out. I am finally understanding why Texans don't like to drive in the rain. The rain here, especially storms, is like snow to us in the north. We were driving about 30 to 40 mph on the interstate. Visibility was about 20 to 30 feet. You'd be driving along and then you were driving through a huge puddle on the road. For some reason the water here has nowhere to go. It can rain for 3 minutes and you'll find yourself hydroplaning already.

Besides the rain and the flooding and the slow speeds, there are actually people driving WITHOUT their LIGHTS ON! I couldn't believe it. Also, there were so many vehicles that had one light out or a brake light that didn't work. It wasn't just one car either; it was one every ten cars that had a problem with their lights. Also, some people would have caution lights on, others weren't staying in their lane...and at this very moment at 7:55 am someone has set off a car alarm in the parking lot. Anyways, these are just a few reasons why I believe Texans are not the best out on the road.

I eventually made it back home safely and stayed in the dry comfort of the apartment for most of the rest of the day. I was able to watch the trees blowing back and forth, the wind splashing loads of water against the windows, the rain flow continually over the ground with nowhere to go, and had the lights flicker on me and the power go out momentarily. I did get some cleaning done as well as other tasks done in the kitchen, so overall it was a productive day.

The next time though that a tropical storm comes through San Antonio, I think I will stay in unless I need to go out! And when I say need, I mean if I have to work! Stay safe and dry!

Welcome To Our Apartment

Welcome!

Brooke and I have definitely found ourselves a pretty comfortable situation here in San Antonio. We may share a room and only have a few pieces of furniture, but we have managed to make our apartment our own! Its as good a home away from home as it could be!

Working

I have successfully landed a job. And after my first day, I love it!

I have been hired on at Panera Bread to eventually be an early morning bakery opener. I had my first day of training and work yesterday and had a very wonderful experience. The menu and choices at Panera are a little extensive, so it will take some time learning everything.

However, the other employees and managers are such nice people and all have super senses of humor. I really think I will enjoy my new job and am looking forward to that fact.

Working will start to fill up my days and keep me on the move. I am looking forward to that as well. In the meantime as I get settled into a new routine, I am still learning new things about San Antonio and Texas and trying to make the most of my time here.

A Wonderful Roommate

Who gets as lucky as me to live with an amazing and wonderful and sweet person, TWICE? After sharing a small bedroom in Salzburg, Austria for three and a half months, Brooke and I became pretty comfortable with each other. Now in San Antonio, we are back to being roomies and I am loving every minute!

I get to be her 'wife' while she is off student teaching by cleaning the apartment, baking cookies, and having supper ready at night. I know it won't always be this fun and exciting when I eventually get a job, but when Brooke comes home every day, my day gets increasingly better!

It is so nice to share a place with someone that you can always have a good time with. No matter what challenges come my way this fall, I know I'll always have someone there to help me through it all!

A Tad Lonely

With my roomie off student teaching and me jobless, being in a big city with nothing to do can make a person get a little bored and feel rather lonely.

I have applied to a couple deli or coffee shop establishments and am now playing the waiting game. I don't want to go find another job before these places get back to me, but then again I would like something to fill my time as I do wait to hear something!

I tried to give plasma. Haven't been successful in that area yet either. I stopped by the other day and they told me to come back today. Guess what? They inform me again that they are full at the moment and can either wait around for 2 hours or make an appointment and come back on Saturday. I hope Saturday works out!

Other than job hunting and plasma seeking, I have been practicing playing the guitar and am really getting excited about becoming better. Brooke already knows how to play and is a great teacher!

I am sure things will pick up in pace here soon and I will be trying to keep up. For now I am trying to occupy myself and enjoy the down time. I try not to text too many random messages to people in order to conquer the alone time, but I figure soon I won't have time to talk to anyone so I better take the chance now!

I hope everyone else is well and keeping up in life! If anyone needs a reprieve from their home world, come make a trip down to San Antonio. I am sure I can find things to entertain you as well as myself!

San Antonio

I have lived in so many different places, seen so many different things and met so many different people. Living here in San Antonio is proving to be another new and different experience.

As initiation into becoming a resident of San Antonio, my wonderful and amazing roomie, Brooke and our new buddy, Matt, took me out to the Riverwalk first thing Friday evening when I arrived. Everyone had said it was fantastic and very beautiful. They didn't lie. It is a very neat narrow river running through San Antonio that is lined with a beautiful walk and multiple restaurants.

We ate at a great mexican restaurant, walked around by the river, and even headed over to see The Alamo. It was a relaxing, yet fun night.

Again on Saturday, Brooke and I jumped right into life here as we headed out of town to go tubing down the Guadalupe River. It was Matt, five other student teaching girls and Brooke and I. All we did was float down the river, chat about life, and enjoy the sun. We were able to make the 'horseshoe' float twice.

To round out the day, we all stopped at Whataburger, a classic Texas burger joint. The burger was quite tasty, but I completely forgot about the warnings of Texans and them liking lots of mustard. Whoever informed me about mustard in Texas was not kidding. The entire top bun of my sandwich was covered in yellow mustard. I like most all foods, but mustard is not a condiment of choice. It was even more strange to me that there was no ketchup already on the burger. I was able to wipe off some of the mustard and add my own ketchup, but will remember next time to say "No mustard, please!"

After a fun afternoon and evening out, Brooke and I laid low for the rest of the night. We did some house shopping and got some groceries in order to make our apartment more of a home. It is slowly coming together.

So, the first two days of San Antonio have definitely been fun and I am looking forward to the many other adventures that I will embark on!

A Long Road Trip

It’s 7:45 am, Wednesday, the 18^th of August, 2010, and I am heading out of the driveway on a solo, three day road trip to the southern part of Texas.

Only forty-five minutes away, I meet up with a good friend for breakfast. After getting our fill at Perkins and catching up some more, I head out again. Next stop, Manhattan, KS.

It truly surprises me how much you can get done in a short period of time when you know your time in precious. I got into Manhattan just before 7:00 pm and it felt like a rat race getting around to see everyone before the night ended. I was able to see most everyone I wanted to catch up with and ended the night at my dear friend, Kristy’s.

Thursday began again with a breakfast date with my “Kansas Family.” It was eggs and muffins before I visited the great Meat Lab and Weber Hall on campus. John and the other peeps of the Meat Lab were busy slaughtering lambs. I was a little jealous that I wouldn’t be helping again this year. But, it was soon back on the road.

Lunchtime found me at the cutest small town café in Durham, KS. Friend, Katelin, and I enjoyed a tasty meal and chatting. Extremely full from a Monterey (essentially a flat taco) and peanut butter pie, I was back driving, heading to I-35 South.

It wasn’t too much longer before I reached my destination of the evening, Nocona, TX. My newly wedded friends from Montana just moved down to Texas in June and it was a perfect place to stop for the evening. We caught up, had some supper, and called it a night. I was super exhausted from driving.

Friday. Woke up and headed out with Chrisley to check out the ranch she and her husband were living at. It was so neat to see cutting horses being worked with and trained. Horses truly are extraordinary animals and so very smart.

By 10:00 am I was finally on the last leg of my trip. It was a pretty quick drive of 6 hours, but the traffic in Texas is incredible. There may be a lot of room for the cars, but there are still so many people that the lanes of the highways fill up fast no matter what time of day it is.

Finally, around 4:00 pm I arrived at Brooke's and my apartment! It was so amazing to be greeted by Brooke and see her again! I was so happy to have made it here safely and to be done driving for a while!

I have so much more to share and will hopefully relay everything to everyone in the next week! I am happy to have made it here to Texas and am sure learning lots!

Just Being Me

As a college grad, most people would expect me to go out and find a job related to the field of study in which I have a degree in. Have I ever followed the ways of normalcy? No. Not really.

A year ago in October, I was visiting my roommate from Austria in Illinois and she informs me that she was going to do her student teaching in San Antonio. So, instinctively, I say that I might just go down with her and hang out there for awhile.

Well, ten months later, guess where I am? San Antonio, TX.

Why State Fair?

I was not going to work again at the WI State Fair this year. I was going to go out and do new and wonderful things. I was going to grab life with both hands and let it take me for a ride. Needless to say, I was back at Gate 5 on Aug 3 ready to work another amazing fair.

In early spring when I received an email from my boss in the Ag dept. of state fair asking if I wanted to work Gate 5, I just could not turn him down. And when the AM supervisor for the Real WI Cheese Grill was offered a promotion she couldn’t miss, I was quick to take the position and be back to my normal duties.

The Cheese Grill is most times a super, fast-paced stand where grilled cheese come flying off the grill every second. I work with amazing people keeping the lines to a manageable distance and the grilled cheese hot and tasty. The crew I work with always impresses me and we work like a well oiled machine together to get through each of the eleven days of the fair.

After the 7 am to 3 pm shift, it was back up to Gate 5 till 11 pm. Gate 5 is almost like home. It is so familiar and comfortable. All the people from the past 2-3 years were back and this fair at the gate was best yet. We all know our own jobs, as well as each others, so when cars get backed up and customers get too excited, we all know how to handle it. We also have so much fun joking around, singing, dancing, teasing, or just chatting up a storm. But mostly it just feels like fun and games and a little work.

It only lasts two weeks, but the State Fair is such a happy time. People come to the fair expecting to see all the animals, eat the delicious not-so-healthy-for-you food, take home free goodies, take home not-so-free goodies, enjoy cold beverages, and walk around just seeing the sites. The Ag exhibitors who come through the Gate are so nice to work with. They come from all over the state and it’s wonderful to get to know them and their faces throughout the fair.

Sleep becomes treasured during the fair as long working hours cut into the bedtime schedule. Food also becomes scarce as throughout the work day you just don’t stop to take a break to eat anything.

But, I enjoy every day of the fair. I love the exhibitors, the grilled cheese crew, and my home at Gate 5. When I take the chance to walk around the fair with a fellow cheese grill worker, ride the sky glider with a good friend, stay up late to hang out with other workers and ag staffers in the Ag Oasis, or just stay longer and talk with someone, the fair becomes complete.

It has not been decided if I will return for yet again a fifth year at the State Fair. If I do, anyone will be able to find me at the grilled cheese stand or working Gate 5.

A Summer Past

The new couple! Jonah and Chrisley!

Summer is such a wonderful time of year. It brings warm weather, picnics, family get-togethers, new life, and lots of fun. For me, my favorite way to spend my summer is at home.

This summer I was at home again after graduating from K-State. I was able to come home and take care of all the beautiful Jersey calves. I love babies. All kinds. So, working with calves is one of the best things to do.

Besides loving and caring for the baby calves, I also do a lot inside the house. We joked this summer that I was my Mom’s Wife for the summer. I did most of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. One may not usually find those jobs exciting, but they worked for me!

All of my summer wasn’t work and no play; I also watched a lot of movies. Anyone who doesn’t know that public libraries have great DVD selections, needs to check it out for themselves. Julie and I brought home five movies at a time and never had to pay a dime for any of them.

Some of our favorites were Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Eragon, The Blind Side, Leap Year, and Whip It. We watched Precious, a movie that received many awards. It was definitely not what we expected. If you really want to see it, watch it. But we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

Books are a girl’s best friend if you ask me. Julie and I worked our way through the entire Narnia series this summer. Amazing books is all I got to say! They take you to a new place on incredible journeys through another world. Many times at the end of series it is a sad situation knowing the books have come to an end. Narnia adventures ended in a way that just made me smile. It was beautiful and I would not change anything about the books.

So working at home and living it up with movies and books filled my summer with other random adventures such as a wedding in Montana, State FFA Convention, and the WI State Fair. It was a successful couple of months! A super time to live.

Summertime

I cannot believe at all that I have not posted anything on here for almost two months!

A quick recap:
- took last finals
- worked final days at Meat Lab and Dairy Bar
- said good-bye to many friends
- packed up my apartment
- Graduated!
- had a super celebration with family and friends in Manhattan
- drove back to WI

And now I have been back in WI for about a month and it surely is beginning to be summer around here. Every day is nearly the same thing. I feed my baby calves night and morning, clean the house, bake or cook, read books, watch movies with Julie, run errands, or just take a nap! The heat is definitely here and so is the rain. Hopefully it doesn't stay this wet all summer!

Few plans await me this summer. Those that I do have include attending State FFA Convention, driving to Montana for a wedding, feeding more calves, working at the WI State Fair, and then driving to TX in August to start a brand new adventure!

It may be a month or two before I write again, but I hope everyone enjoys their summer! ENJOY! TAKE CARE! GOD BLESS!

A Future With Plans

I was unsure for some time whether I would decide what to do after I graduated from University and set out into the 'working world.' First off, for me, I've been in the working world all my life. The only thing changing from my schedule of 16 hours of college classes and 30 hours working will be dropping the 16 hours and adding 10 more. I enjoy working and graduating is the only thing standing in my way to working...without school!

So, for my future, I have planned to head home for the summer and enjoy my family, baby calves, Wisconsin, and life. I will also try to squeeze in some overdue trips to visit friends. At the end of the summer in August I will head back to the wonderful Wisconsin State Fair and take position again at Gate 5 greeting those wonderful agriculture exhibitors! I just couldn't stay away!

And then for the big news, I officially will be heading down to live in San Antonio in the middle of August. I had an amazing roommate in Austria and I now get the chance to be roomies with her again! I have been thinking about what types of jobs I really want to have. I have decided I am truly looking forward to having a job at a coffee shop! I think the prospect of greeting 'regulars' every morning in a foreign to me city is just exciting!

I haven't figured out my plans for more than 8 months out, but I am sure I will find some new opportunities to explore and embark on many more adventures!

24 More Days

Is it sad that I just posted a countdown message six days ago and I feel like its been a lifetime? These last few weeks are just slowly sliding by like molasses. I guess I should be thankful that they are not flying by, because I still have plenty more to get done! However, I am so looking forward to the prospect of no more lecture halls, homework assignments, or lengthy exams requiring studying.

These last few weeks I am enjoying time with friends, checking out places of Manhattan I have yet to discover, and still working away every week.

The weather is definitely shaping up and its getting warmer and warmer everyday! Its almost too warm for me sometimes! But its nice for walks and bike rides!

Keep it real, ya'll -- :) --

May 15

30 more days till my college gaduation!!

I don't think I could have any more anticipation for another date at this time!!

In just thirty days, I will walk across a stage and officially end my college 'career.'

After...
...4 Universities (Montana State University, Salzburg College, Kansas State University, Hutchinson Community College)
...2 US States (Montana, Kansas)
...2 countries (United States, Austria)
...2 majors (Animal Science, German)
...2 languages (English, German)
...4 living situations (dorm, host family, townhouse, basement apartment)
...8 roommates
...2 cars
...131 or more college credits
...and only 4 YEARS
...I WILL GRADUATE!

Old Friends New Memories

Yesterday afternoon I arrived for the first time in three years back in Bozeman, MT.

I had left Montana State University in order to see the rest of the world and end out my college years at Kansas State University. My reasons were many, but I am not sure how strong they really were. Montana is a great state with beautiful scenery and amazing mountain views. The people are all super nice and you can find good food around every corner. However, I felt like there was more world out there, I thought I needed a different agriculture program at another institution, and for some reason I started resenting Montana while I was a freshman here.

While I do not regret in any way transferring or changing my initial academic plans, I do wonder how different my experiences would have been had I came back to Bozeman after my stint in Austria.

It has been the most amazing time back here with all my friends from three years ago. So far it almost feels like I never left. Everyone is a little older with some changed views on life or whatnot and there are a few new faces in the mix, but overall, a good time to be had.

It is so easy for me to walk away from things. I have met so many people in so many places and have just walked away from most everyone I know in order to pursue new challenges and opportunities. I must never forget, though, the amazing friends that I leave behind and continue to keep in contact with them.

I am fully enjoying all my time back at MSU for a few short days. We reminisce about the good old days, but at the same time, we are making new memories and growing stronger relationships and ties that will keep us in touch for many moons to come.

Friends all over the world are such treasures to have. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful ones!

Final Stretch

I have seven more weeks until I graduate. I am not sure I'm gonna get everything done...
...fly to Montana
...finish 4 more Accounting Homeworks
...take 2 more Accounting Tests PLUS an exam
...learn more German
...pass 2 more German Tests
...Watch over twenty 20-minute Swine Science lectures
...take five more Swine quizzes
...write five more swine operation reports
...take two Public Speaking Exams
...actually attend class
...give three more speeches
...write a Lambing report
...pack up my entire apartment
...attempt to put belongings in car
...buy an outfit for graduation
...AND PASS COLLEGE!

I hope I can do it...
...I think I can!

I Cried Today

I cried today because my sister went back to WI.

I cried today because I know my family loves me.

I cried today because I know Jesus loves me.

I don't like to always admit it, but I cried today, and it was ok.

A Unique Hobby

Some people like to spend their free time playing sports outside, watching movies, going to Aggieville, reading, or sitting around catching up with friends.

Me, however, I have a different sort of hobby. I like to go to grocery stores. Now, this means I like to go to grocery stores for the heck of it, whether I am buying or not!!

Currently, I enjoy stopping by Dillons, Ray's Apple Market, HyVee or ALDI for a quick trip around the store. For me, grocery stores are like a shrine or museum. I can go to a store and spend fifteen minutes staring at the specialty cheese section just thinking about how tasty each brand or variety would be.

Its an odd hobby, but I sure find joy in it!!

Breakfast of Champions

I have found some good deals on fruit these past couple weeks and was able to bring some home. I also broke down and bought myself some amazing granola. Granola is the best cereal I could ever eat.

This morning I was looking for a small but hearty breakfast. Therefore, I came up with the best combination in a bowl: Granola, Apple chunks, Raisins, Banana slices, and Milk! How can my day get any better?

Global Warming

I understand that we need to try to be ahead of disasters and fix problems before they get out of hand. However, I feel as if the Global Warming issue has proved itself to be just another theory that's not true.

A friend of mine just made a super good point; the idea that the world is warming so drastically is almost like the idea that the "Earth was flat" or "the universe circled around the Earth."

I just found this way of thinking to be super interesting and figured I would share. Many articles in trusted newspapers and other sources have been noting that different ice caps are not melting and the average world temperature is not on its way to increasing by 2 degrees Celsius in the near future. I'd also just like to point out that this past winter has been one of the most 'normal' winters in a long while. We've had steady cold temperatures and the snow has stayed put in northern states, just like it is supposed to during winter.

Just something to think about...

Defend Agriculture

The Agriculture industry, especially animal production, has gotten some big hits lately from large anti-agriculture groups like PETA and HSUS.

PETA and especially HSUS have a game they like to play. However, we need to start playing their game, and beat them at it!

PETA and HSUS seek out events that have happened in animal agriculture that will help turn the public away from it. They try to find one specific circumstance, shove it onto as many people as possible, and try to portray those certain activities as if they are the norm.

When people hear, see, or experience something numerous times, they begin to believe they are true. Therefore, we need to strike back and play the game that these large organizations are severely beating us at.

Transparency is key. If we show the world what really goes on in the production of their food and clothing, people will begin to know the truth and the norm will be normal again. The world does trust farmers more than we sometimes believe. Let's strengthen that trust and keep animal agriculture strong!

We may not want to grasp this concept, but more times than not, us as producers, we ourselves, are the biggest obstacle in growing the agriculture industry into the future. Change is inevitable. Don't stand back and watch our livelihoods crushed by those who know not what is real. Stand up and take part in this game and show the world what they want and need to know!!

Kansas Weather

Everyone always says that where they live they have the most unique weather patterns. Out of everywhere that I have lived, Kansas takes the cake.

Kansas has the worst wind ever. It may look like a beautiful day, but once you step out, hold your hat on, because it'll probably be flying off soon.

Then you have those wonderful warm days that are legitimately beautiful. However, after you get a taste of some nice weather, the next day brings frigid cold temperatures and dreary, cloudiness.

And now today it was nearly nice out this morning, got colder as the day went on, and currently...its snowing. We might even see some freezing rain and sleet.

Oh what a wonderful unpredictable climate I live in here in Kansas.

Olympics

Leap year only comes every four years. However, who waits around to celebrate the arrival of this rare day? I sure can't think of anyone!

Now, what about them Olympics? I love the Olympics! Whether it be the Winter or the Summer Olympics, I try to fit as much of the Games in during the exciting two weeks as I can.

The idea that this one huge event brings the entire world together to watch different sports that rarely get much media coverage is just fascinating for me. From amazing speeds on the Bobsled, Luge, and Skeleton tracks, to Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller's downhill skiing, to the European dominance in the Biathlon and cross country skiing, to Shaun White's fearless snowboarding, and to Apolo Ohno and the Koreans in short track speedskating...there has to be something that will excite any spectator.

With only one more week of the Games left to go, I am already sad that the end is near.

Not everyone gets as pumped up about the Olympics as I do, but we all have to get excited about something, right?

Enjoy the Games!

My Sister

My little sister has to be the most creative and amazing person alive.

She has just started her own blog. It is way better than mine.

Check it out:
http://dailycollegeknowledge.blogspot.com/

A Worthwhile Purchase

On Sunday I decided I needed to find some way that I may be able to drink more tea and other blissfully amazing hot beverages. Therefore I set out on a mission to fulfill that decision.

At Target, I purchased a $20 Electric Kettle. This wonderful little appliance has already paid its self off in usefulness. I don't think I have ever spent $20 so wisely on an impulse buy before. This magnificent little pot heats up my water so quickly and efficiently, I don't think I have gone a day yet since Sunday without at least two cups of tea or cappuccino!

Its amazing how little things in my life can really excite me!

An Ending

It has been quite a while since the last time I was able to sit down and wrote a bit about life. However, it seems that even as I quickly tap out a short update, I have many other things I should be doing.

All of these other activities I should be getting at probably have to do with the one thing that is on my mind, Graduating! The end has finally come--I will graduate in May.

I am overly excited about exiting the University phase of my life and beginning a new adventure. However, I have many things that I must accomplish in the next 4 months to reach that final goal.

I plan to update on my progress towards that beautiful and glorious day when I have a degree in my hand, but for now, I hope to sign off wishing everyone a super day and God Bless!