Wandering in the Wild Wood

Dear Reader,

           When we were little my cousin Tate and I always had vivid imaginations. Whenever she was in town we explored, traveled, and investigated everything together. Our only limits were our wild imaginations. Today we are traveling the world together, exploring the woods, investigating wildlife, and imagining the stories behind all the magical places we're seeing.  

The Wanderess Wandering in the Wild Woods

           Today was a beautiful day. It was freezing cold and raining almost the entire day. There are only two buses to town on Saturdays: one really early in the morning and another really late in the evening. Basically if you want to go into town on Saturday you will have to be there all day. This morning, Tate road her bike into town to get groceries to make lunch. While she did that I made a video log for my close friends and family to watch.

            I did a bit more writing today as well, mostly brainstorming. After Tate got back we visited for a little while and ate some delicious chicken fajitas that she made. Then we decided to go for a walk to explore some of the woods around the village. On our way out of the village we picked some tiny apples from a tree on the side of the road and they tasted so good. It was still freezing and rainy but everything was so beautiful that we hardly noticed. We were exploring and wandering for about 3 hours.

           The first place we saw was an old building that had graffiti all over it. Someone had written "Way in the Hell" on the window.  We think it was supposed to say 'way into hell'. We knocked but no one answered. Apparently the devil wasn't home.  

 

"Way in the Hell"

            Then we went on this dirt path off the main road and found some pretty interesting wildlife out there. Every place we saw and every creature we discovered got a new more exciting name. In our explorations we met some incredibly kind critters, found some yummy fresh fruit, and some amazing places. I took over 117 pictures on our little adventure hike, but I’m only going to share the highlights with you. 

This is Harold the Sunset Slug.
We both got to pet him,
but then he got scared so we left him alone. 

This is Mud the Crawler Beetle.
He was originally thought to be
a swimmer beetle but then he almost drowned
so we changed his name.

          After we reached the pavement we got to a cross road and took the path that looked less traveled. It was covered in mud from the rain. 

Tate choosing the right

We found an old barn and the door was unlocked.

We explored it.

Then we climbed onto the hay and explored upstairs.

Tate in the second floor of the barn

Me in the barn

          We broke into a really old barn. Yeah, I realized that sounds bad, but we found what looked like an abandoned barn in the middle of the woods, which was in total disrepair and it just happened to be unlocked. How could we resist? After we explored the cool barn and took a ton of pictures in there. We made our way back to the village.

The road back to the village

         The whole journey through the woods which we have now deemed the Wild Wood, was approx. 7 kilometers. and we were thoroughly soaked through from the rain when we got back to the house, but it was totally worth it. I feel fantastic. It was beautiful and inspiring. I am amazed by how easy it is to love this place. There isn't much to do here but everything is so magical. My writing has taken off and I feel closer to reaching my goals everyday. All is well in Germany, but I suggest to all of you back home that you find a place a little cooler to go on an exploration expedition. Or just wander, you never know what you might find. 

     Love Always,
          The Wanderess
         

When Life Gives You Lemons Make... Thai Curry?

Dear Reader,

           

  Sometimes it can be difficult when things don’t go the way you expect them to. The trick is turning unexpected disappointments into inspiring experiences. Sometimes things are out of control and they don’t go according to plan. In those moments its up to us whether or not we are going to make that into something good or just sit and wait for good things to happen. 

            Today, the plan was that I was going to go into town and meet Tate who went into town earlier. We are sharing a room for the weekend, because there’s some sort of a teacher conference in the village this weekend and the Hostess accidentally overbooked the house. Tate wanted to get to town early so that she could get some work done at the archives before showing me around town, so she rode her bike instead of taking the bus.

After Tate left, I got up. I did my regular morning routine, reading a chapter in the Old Testament and a section of the Temple Prep pamphlet, then saying my prayers and asking for inspiration, like I usually do. It seemed like a regular morning to go into town and do some regular grocery shopping. Maybe pick up a bottle of shampoo. I made myself a sandwich and got ready in time for the 11:57 bus.

The Bus Stop

I left about fifteen minutes before the bus was meant to arrive and wandered through the village until I found the bus stop, which was right next to the school and across the street from the organic grocery store. Then I waited at the bus stop, but even though I had checked the schedule and was there a little bit early, no bus came. I waited for a while at the stop hoping it was just late, but it never came.

            At first I was disappointed. I’ve still never been into town during the day, even though today was my third day here in the village. But instead of staying disappointed I decided to make good of the beautiful weather and inspiring atmosphere. I crossed the little stone street and sat down on top of a brick fence in the shadow of a large tree.

At first I people watched. At just after 1’oclock the kids got out of school. Apparently all the school ages get out with in a few minutes of each other because the high school age students walked past me first, then the middle schoolers. Then a bunch of young adults, just a little older than me, walked past me in the opposite direction that the school kids had gone, and a few minutes later walked back the way they’d come, but now with small children in tow.

The School

            It got really loud when the middle school aged students got out of school so I put my headphones on and started listening to music. I noticed that even without being able to hear the people going by I could still sort of tell what they were talking about. I don’t speak German (though I have almost mastered counting to 10) so I wasn’t reading lips.

I was watching body language, and I can tell you its universal. I saw a boy teasing a boy younger than him. Their interactions looked like a sibling relationship. I saw their mother drive up and scold them out the window. I saw a group off girls waiting nearby for a friend, maybe to get out of detention. They kept checking the time and looking over their shoulders, before returning to the conversation. Finally I saw their friend show up. She was carrying a slip of paper that she stuffed in her bag and she looked incredibly unhappy. They seemed to ask her what happened. She rolled her eyes and started recounting the story as they walked off.

The Tree I sat under

After most of the people were gone and I had finished my people watching, I pulled out my notebook and pen to jot down some notes for my writing. (For the people at home who have been reading my novel I have finished chapters 4 and 5 and chapter 6 is coming along nicely). I got really swept up in the story and my scenery started to inspire me. The wind going through the old trees in the forest. The buildings around me all painted in bright colors. The universal interactions of the people I had just watched. The way the sun would shine warmly for a few moments before sliding back behind the clouds in the silver sky. I got 5 whole pages worth of brainstorming and notes taken care of, which is a great thing for me. 

Then Tate rode her bike back into the village and met me at my little spot next to the bus stop. I told I’d been sitting there for a few hours and that no bus had come. She decided to wait with me for the next bus so we could get groceries in town. So we crossed the street again and waited. But the bus never came.

I didn’t get disappointed this time though. I suggested we walk down the street to what the villagers call the palace. I wanted to go see it yesterday but it was raining too much, so I hadn’t had a chance to see it yet. We went down there and checked it out. The palace grounds aren’t very large and the palace itself is a lot more like a large house than an actual palace, but it is very pretty. In fact it gave me more inspiration for my novel and I might have to go down there again to take notes.

The Palace

I know I'm immature
but Organic Chicken Meatballs
are Bio Chicken Balls here

 We walked back up the hill to go back to the Hostess’ house, but we hadn’t been able to go shopping in town because of the lack of buses so we stopped in the organic grocery store and bought something to share for dinner tonight. Tate made pasta last night so it was my turn to make dinner. We looked around and I almost bought a box of chicken balls just because of the name but I decided on something a little more appetizing. Thai curry rice with scrambled eggs and ham in it. I had the eggs and ham in the fridge at the house but I got a rice-a-roni sort of mix for the Thai Curry. 

When I went to check out they wouldn't take my credit card. They tried to explain why to me in English but they ended up just telling Tate in German because it was easier for them. The store is very small and they can’t really afford a credit card machine so they don’t take credit cards. Normally I don't carry cash and in this instance I had to pay with cash. But today that was okay because I had the cash I was going to pay for my bus ride with. And what do you know? It was just enough to cover the cost of dinner. 

Thai Curry

I feel like things today didn’t go according to plan but in some ways I’m glad they didn’t. After spending yesterday stressing a bit about the cost of things in Germany and trying very hard to grasp onto some inkling of control over my life here, I realized that my life doesn’t have to be about making plans all the time. Sometimes it’s okay to just go with the flow of what happens and have faith that the things you experience will be good. I think life is a balance of making choices and also allowing things to just happen to you. When disappointment comes our way, we take control by deciding how we’re going to react to it. I kind of understand the saying when life gives you lemons make lemonade. Except that I think you can really make something completely different out a a situation. It might not be what you planned, but sometimes different things are good too. So for my lesson for the day I'm changing it, even if my version is a little long winded. When life won’t send you the bus you need to go into town, just make Thai curry and write a novel instead 

     Love always,

           The Wanderess

       

The Hostess' Home

Dear Reader,
 
          Making someone else's home your home is a little odd. What makes our houses become homes?  I think of Las Vegas as home because it's where my family is. I think of Cedar City, UT as my home because its the first place I had to rely on myself to live. Maybe home is something that takes time.

Das Hochstift Paderborn Portrat einer Region- Ferdinand Schoningh

     

This is a map of the Paderborn Region taken from the inside cover of a book that I found on the shelf of my room in The Hostess' house. The red dot marked Paderborn is the town I refer to when I say 'going into town'. And Borchen- the red dot underneath Paderborn- is the village in the forest where The Hostess' house is. Woot Woot for geography!  

         Our Hostess is a very nice woman and I like her home, but it isn't my home. Despite that, I am trying very hard to make myself feel at home in her home because I know that's what she wants. I walk around without shoes on (even though I wear shoes at home all the time). I put some of my things in the bathroom. I got my own groceries to put in the fridge. I did some productive things, like reading my scriptures and brushing up on some key German phrases. I met the other people staying in the house. I've been using this house the way I would my own home. I even gave myself a quick tour of the first two floors so I would be more familiar (though I haven't been in the attic yet).

The view from my current room

My current room

The Bathroom

The Front Entrance

The dining room and view to the backyard

Kitchen and view to the shed in the front yard

          But what actually started to make it feel like home was when I was downstairs after dinner and decided to just sit down and start playing the piano without asking for permission, which isn't something I'd be very likely to do in someone else's home unless I was very comfortable there. I played most of the songs that I know and sang along with them.

The Music Room

          Apparently The Hostess' husband used to play the piano all the time before he died and it's rarely been played since. She used to love the music and the quiet has made her so lonely. That's one of the reasons she decided to host. The Hostess was so excited to hear someone playing the piano that I think she didn't even notice how badly I was doing because she told me that my playing was good. Then I started singing and she was so impressed by my voice that she went into Tate's room to rave about it in German, before coming to tell me that she thought I sounded lovely.
          Music is an amazing thing. Somehow by making her home more like the one she'd once had there was a brightness and life in it. Even as the sun went down, my playing and singing was bringing some sort of inkling of light to the hostess. My songs in english brought a German woman home to a younger time. And that made me feel at home.
         After it got dark I stopped playing in case any of the other guests wanted to sleep early. I went into Tate's room and we talked. We caught up on funny stories about the family, church, and school. I'm really glad that I'm here with her. She can keep a good conversation, because she's very intelligent and has reasonable opinions. But she's also content with moments of silence and can do things alone. That's good because sometime I need hours to myself to write or relax. But last night we just talked and laughed and had such a good time.
          Before we went to go to bed, The Hostess asked to talk to us. She wanted to explain that a play is coming into the town soon and that she'd be willing to drive us into town for it if we are interested in seeing it. She also talked to us about our living arrangements while other people are coming and going in the house. The room I'm currently in is temporary and I'll be moving across the hall next week to a room with more storage space so I don't have to live out of my suitcase quite as much. That might also help me feel more at home.
          Then she mentioned how she heard Tate and I laughing earlier and how she is glad that I am here, so that Tate has someone to laugh with because she was always just doing her own thing alone before I got here. The Hostess thinks its nice that there is laughing in the house again and that we've got each other to laugh with. I agree with her. It's always nice to have someone you can laugh with when you need to laugh. Did I mention that I already really like The Hostess? I think that knowing I am doing things to make her home more enjoyable to her is really what makes me feel more at home. Service is the key to love after all. And isn't home about finding a place filled with people or experiences that you love?

Front of the House

Garden in the Front Yard

          The house is quirky and lovely. The view is so inspiring. Everything feels comfortable, bright, and warm. But what made me feel at home was having people in the home that appreciated my contributions and loved me for what I had to offer. Maybe this will house become even more of a home to me with time but for now I can tell all of you that I am taken care of.
          And that (despite the creepy path through the large dark field, past an abandoned farmhouse, deep into the woods, to the odd village of Borchen, and inside a bright colored house, that is still too reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel) I am safe and at home in Germany. And you might also be pleased to know that The Hostess is not a cannibalistic witch. She is actually just a very nice woman who likes me (and thankfully is a vegetarian who uses all natural and organic products and is definitely too much of a hippie to be a cannibal). 

     Love Always,
          The Wanderess

... Hallo Germany!

Dear Reader,

          After some very long flights where I luckily got plenty of sleep, I have arrived safely in Germany. My cousin, Tate met me at the central train station and we spent the rest 
of the day in Hamburg.

         

The first place we went was a church that we're pretty sure is Catholic. But on the outside had this cool sun and moon symbol that looked almost pagan. It's a pilgrimage church, so people traveling on a pilgrimage (most likely to Rome) can stop there on their pilgrimages. The organs playing inside were so cool and we snooped around and took picture for a bit. It was just a random place we found and I'm really glad we did. 

          After that we went to the government building there which was beautiful and is apparently bigger than Buckingham palace. We didn't go on a tour but we did snoop around there for a bit as well and it was gorgeous inside and out. 

          Then we ate at this little stand outside. I had a bratwurst with the weirdest "ketchup" I've ever had. It tasted like BBQ sauce with cinnamon sugar in it or something. It was weird but the wursts were still really good and Tate said that was the worst wurst she's had hear so the food must be good. Mine was all chopped up and buried underneath chips that were also drenched in the weird barbecue sauce. It was odd but I enjoyed it. 

          After that we went to the Miniatur Wunderland museum. They had miniaturized versions Germany throughout its history from Neolithic days through possible imagined futures and I think that was my favourite part of the exhibit. There were lots of funny and dark little scenes hidden in the miniatures and it was like playing a game of Where's Waldo. Then the dioramas showed the desolation of WWII and building of the Berlin Wall and the people tearing the wall back down. It was really cool to see this miniature versions of history. (Mom, you would have loved it I took a ton of pictures so you can see more when I get back).

Neolithic Germany

Medieval Germany

Germany under Nazi Rule

Destruction After WWII

The Berlin Wall

The Fall of the Wall in Berlin

         

They also had a Miniatur Amerika which consisted of a gingerbread looking town in Maine, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, a little town of pueblos that we are guessing is in New Mexico, the strip in Las Vegas, and Seaworld in Florida. Apparently that's what Germans think the United States looks like. 

Home Sweet Miniatur

          After we finished there we sat on a bench in the rain for a bit, I wanted to rest my feet and the weather was so pretty. I just had to enjoy my first German rain. Then when we were all damp and cold we went into to McDonalds to get a Hamburger in Hamburg.          Then we went back to the train station to get on a train to Paderborn where we are staying in a lovely little house that is very far from everything. Our host picked us up at the train station and we drove out of town and through a large dark field, past an abandoned farmhouse and deep into the very dark woods to a small village that I think is called Borchen and an odd little house. Basically I got in the car with an old woman is never met who was speaking a different language and took a creepy drive to stay with her in her house. I think this is why children in Germany needed fairytales, because I broke ever rule taught in Hansel and Gretel. But the most frightening thing about the house is that it does not have the wifi that was promised online. The bed was comfortable and it's a quirky cute little place, with a lovely view outside.         

         That was day 1 in Germany. For the most part I won't be updating the blog quite as often as I did before because wifi is a lot more rare here, but I will do my best to keep everyone fairly up to date on my activities. Until next time! 
     Love Always,          The Wanderess

P.S. Sorry if there's grammatical errors in this post. I typed it on my phone. Also the pictures took forever to upload because the modem is so old. Dad, I will never again complain that our internet is too slow.