Check Check Check

My papers are all done. Grades are very acceptable.

Clothes donated to Red Cross. Various items sold to next year's AYF kids.

Bags almost packed, walls unusually bare.

Rollerbladed one last time -- last minute exploring. As I glided around I quizzed myself on Freiburg neighborhoods, recited them out loud, did pretty well.

It's weird. As the end approaches (tomorrow), the beginning feels so vivid. The emotions, sights, smells, tastes are so fresh. It was so awkward, so scary -- now I couldn't feel more comfortable.

Emotions I've been encountering as I close this chapter and anticipate the next:
excited
dread
entralled
overwhelmed
calm
free
lonely
happy
scared
excited
numb.

I don't know how to sort out my emotions right now, maybe next post will be more clearer.

Colmar / wunderschoen Breisach

On Saturday, I went to Colmar (in France) for a day adventure with Andrea, Chris and Gabe. It often amazes me how easy it is to get to another country from southwest Germany. Yet once we cross the border Rhine, things change drastically. You go from slightly knowing what's going on to having no idea. I'm pretty used to being limited by the language barrier that resorting to body language is quite easy for me. Pointing, smiling and trying your various phrases (bonjour, sil vous plait, oui) can get you by no prob. The city was quaint, cute, clean, wonderful; the list goes on. Musicians on the street playing little French tunes while people chat at little (ancient) cafes. We strolled around the city for a couple hours, bought ice cream, chatted.

While we were waiting for our bus, we enjoyed a little Frisbee tossing. The game got more and more active and an hour into it, poor Andrea reached too high and completely dislocated her shoulder. It was kinda scary to find someone to call the ambulance to take her to the hospital, but luckily we found someone. The emergency response team in France is much faster than in Italy, I can say that for sure. Only Chris could fit in the ambulance, so Gabe and I waited in the park for further instruction.

Our best option was to continue back to Germany and wait in Breisach for the other two (the trains from Breisach am Rhine to Freiburg continued later). Gabe and I decided to explore Breisach and stumbled upon the most gorgeous views of possibly my whole european trip. The sky was exploding with bright sun beams from the evening sun filtering through the fluffy clouds. The french and german hills were unbelievably clear and we climbed up the hill to this old church and looked over the shining Rhine. A double f**king rainbow appeared in the sky. I clearly don't understand fate, but something magical existed in that moment.

(credit to Gabe)

Tomorrow I plan to do a little camping this week and I'm super excited! Paper, what paper?