Greetings from Germany!

I apologize. These pictures are not in order, but I can't figure out how to move them on this German computer. FYI, the keyboard is much different as well. But I will fix them as soon as I can. I just figured I should post something while I'm in this beautiful country.

I've been in the Germany for a little more than 24 hours, and I've already visited 3 towns. Berlin, Leipzig, and now I'm in Chemnitz! I've taken rides in a plane, train, automobiles, bus, and numerous subway cars. Right now I'm sitting in the bedroom of Sara, our former exchange student who lived with us more than 10 years ago. Julie, the other former exchange student, picked me up from the airport. 

It's been an amazing experience for me to have them show me around. I don't speak German, so this would have been very difficult for me to find my way around. (I love it when people sneeze because I know the proper response, and I've also been able to dodge people asking for money because I honestly have no idea what they are saying.) But I've been picking up a couple of words and phrases, one of which is, "Where is the theater?" But the word I've learned for theater is not a term they use anymore. I still think it's fun to say.

Sara and Julie fed me and showed me around Berlin, then Sara and I went to Leipzig and visited her boyfriend Mathias, who just happens to love Wilco. (I told Sara that that automatically made him cool.) We hopped on a train this morning to come to Chemnitz, which was formerly Karl Marxstadt, I believe (even though I'm positive I spelled that wrong). Her dad picked us up from the train station, and we came to her house. It's been so great to see her family more than a decade later. The family has even expanded since I last saw them because Sara's sister, Nora, has since married and she has an adorable little girl, Helena. 

This trip has been especially great because I think it's an eye-opening experience whenever one steps into the unknown. If I did not have Sara or Julie with me, I would be so lost. I just happen to have the luxury of having awesome translators. It's also been great to watch Sara's family. They have been so kind, and impressively accommodating as far as language is concerned, but they remind me so much of my own family. This is just in German. Auf wiedersehn!