I am in Germany, do not fear.

I have been in Germany for a grand total of: 2 weeks. Yes sir. It has been very... interesting... to say the least.
If you didn't know, the first 24 days of this adventure was/is to be held in a language camp, which just so happens to be in a Monastery built in the 1200's in a tiny village by the name of: Hedersleben in Saxony-Anhalt.
Hedersleben is a very, ehm, peculiar village. It feels as though it's just the leftovers of the DDR. The people still look like they live in the 80's...All the streets are kind of dirty and the teenagers here kind of resemble them. Just kidding, but not really.
When I am not around the old crumbling-down buildings here, I honestly feel like I am in Iowa. All the corn, all the smells, all the cows, the weather, the roads, the tractors... I'm not complaining actually, it's absolutely gorgeous. Actually it isn't as hot as Iowa, thank goodness.

Language camp is good. Almost all the Americans meet my liking and also the Thai kids. Yes, there are 6 kids from Thailand here. And one of them is my roommate. She is probably the funniest/coolest roommate you could ever have. Her name is Meaw pronounced: Meow, and that alone should just tell you how cool she is.
The teachers are great, they refuse to speak to us in English. So, therefore I am forced to speak the language and forced to make a fool of my self. Just kidding, that's a bit overboard, but I have made a fool of myself plenty of times and I'm fine with it because I learn from my mistakes all the time. I feel like my German is coming along, even though some children's books are still a struggle for me to understand and sometimes I have no clue what someone is trying to say, or I have no idea how to answer a question... but all is well. I love this language, and this country. And that is the exact reason in why I came here

Well, through this time I have been to the amazing city of Leipzig, saw the Thomas Kirche, went through a DDR museum, ate the most amazing thing my tongue has ever made contact with: A Doenner. I explored an old crumbled down, abandoned meat processing factory while getting my legs covered in stinging nettle. I have ran through a corn field in the dark, in the rain while losing my shoe. I have walked endlessly. I have ran barefoot through the rain. Met some swag people. Have eaten some amazing food. Tried new things. Climbed over countless walls. Have learned a vast amount of knowledge. To say the least, I love it here and as for now, no regrets.

And here is a picture of outside my window...

And be thankful you're getting this post because internet time is very limited and I would actually rather be doing other things at the moment.

I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello hello

Well, I feel like I won't blog anytime after this (before my departure, I mean.)

I depart Utah in 3 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes... It's funny because it really isn't hitting me hard, yet. Everyone is saying goodbye and my mind is becoming confused. I don't know why they say goodbye, I just want to say hello.

Nah...

But, I can say that when seeing my Timpview schedule that Timpview so kindly made for me and then suddenly thinking I will not be there attending those classes, but only in spirit.... It's a bit weird and sad at the same time, if you ask me. My heart has truly grown attached to that school and thinking that I have to part with it is a horrible thought which should never ever be thought in any circumstance. (Eh... That's a bit over the top, but still, I will miss it.) And also, thinking about not running cross country with some of my most favorite people in the world leaves me devastated, distraught and lost.

But, words cannot even describe how much excitement is filling my soul for all the many new souls I will get to meet and shake hands with. All the many new places, faces, stories, I will get to encounter... It's mind-boggling, honestly.

I think it was about a week ago, I decided to hike slate canyon with only a journal, pen and water on my back. I hiked a total of 3 hours up and just sat down and thought, while staring at a bit of Provo... It finally came to my realization that I wanted this exchange so bad, I didn't only want it but I needed it. I really want to meet so many people and learn their ways. I want to come back from this exchange saying it was entirely worth it and saying that I am a person with many more gallons of knowledge in my brain. I want to come back not a new person, but a better one. One that understands things more fully, one that is more grown-up and ready to take on anything in the world. I want to write my message on the wall, my message on the wall with sharpie... "Yeah McKenna was here, McKenna was here." - I dare you to look up the song: Begin to Hope by Regina Spektor, just so you can understand me-

The time is ticking and ticking. The nervousness has almost completely emptied out of my body. Drips are only buried deep down inside of me.

I think it was a month or two ago, when I asked myself, "McKenna, what in the world did you get yourself into this time?" and then I kept having continuous nightmares about a language barrier, strange people, my strange family in Provo.... I kept having second thoughts and cold feet. But, now. Now, my dear friends, I feel really ready to embrace it. I want to embrace it.

I guess this is a goodbye to: Provo, Timpview... my friends, family, my American self, my normal self (not really) and everyone else wishing a goodbye. But, this is a hello to the new me, to Germany and to all the many opportunities to come my way. So, Goodbye, but... also Hello. Just as this picture above sort of depicts..... and that one really good Beatles song which happens to be my title for this post.

Bis später!

Oh and 100 thanks to the Bonneville 10th ward for such a grand going away party. And, thanks to the future cereal party, the Timpview Cross Country team is about to give me and all my fellow team members tomorrow. Couldn't have asked for better goodbye.