TEAM BUILDING! :)

On Friday we had a team building day. It was from 9-4 outside. It was raining and cold, but it didn't stop us from having an awesome time! We were split up into groups and there were five different tasks we had to complete as a group. It was really fun to be able to work with everyone - it really is true that everyone has something different to add to the group. As you can tell from these pictures, my role on the group was always to be lifted, carrier, swung or thrown in order to complete the task. At every station there always seemed to be someone who had to be picked up or thrown across something and by the end of the day without even volunteering myself, I knew this was my job!

Our first task of the day was to create a spider web and we all had to get through a different hole in the web- we had to create 9 different holes and each hole could only be used once to get the person across. Since we only had 8 people, someone had to go twice, guess who that was- yup me! So I really had the easy job I just had to lay back and let my team lift me through the hole without touching any of the string. We were the first team done! :) 

Next, we get to a "bridge" that we have to get all of our members across without touching the ground. We have two platforms and one piece of wood. Well our first attempts were to see who would volunteer to just fling off one platform to the next with the tire. It seemed like it would work, but as you can see from the picture it didn't! After trying a few people and having them crash pretty badly, the GISMA staff told us we couldn’t do this anymore because someone is going to get hurt. 

So plan B- Emily and I decide that if we got two people on the tire one could stabilize the tire while the other person climbed off on the board. I thought it was a good idea! 

So I got on the top of the tire and held as tight as I could. Then Emily got in the middle of the tire. 

The plan was to then to slide the board under Emily while she is sitting on it and then I would walk off. Easier said than done! :) 

We have someone pulling me from one side by my shoe. Someone pushing the board into Emily trying to get it to the other side.

Well it didn't work out too well and Emily went down! Which left me swinging like a monkey on the tire. 

So they get the board through and I finally with help from the tree above and some gymnastics experience make it safely across the other side! :) 

Next stop- build a structure with broken plastic crates and climb as high as you can and then stand on top of the crates with no hands- Sounds fun huh! Well Brian went first and he got 14 crates (which at that time was the most anyone had done). We only had 15 crates total available to us. 

Well I went next. I was actually really excited about this one. There isn't a picture, but I got up 14 crates also! It was scary because your team had to hand you the boxes and once you got too tall they had to climb up the structure, which meant that it was swaying even more than before. But you just hold on tight and try to offset the extra weight! 

Next we had to build a car with wood, rope and wheels. They elected me to be the driver since I was the lightest and we had to race through the course with the other team members pushing us. Besides running into a tree / wall it was a great time! :) I was laughing SO hard I couldn't steer. This was hilarious to watch everyone!  


But that wasn't the end of team building! One of my classmates had us all over that night to celebrate finishing the first week of school! The team building continued- you bring the cups, I will bring the snacks, someone else bring the coke, lime, drinks.... you get the idea! See you really do use the things you use in class in the real world! :)

I was getting ready to go over to his place and was talking to Todd. My doorbell kept ringing. The bell is located down the hall through the locked door so that visitor can't just come in. Because of this I couldn't see who it was. I was running late so I was trying to just ignore the bell and finish getting ready. Well that wasn't possible it rang NON-STOP for about 2 minutes straight and it is the loudest most obnoxious ring ever. I figured it must be one of my classmates that really need something. So I grabbed my keys and walked to the door. I didn't see anyone there, but I saw a package sitting on the floor. I walked over and picked it up. I thought the mailman had FINALLY delivered my package that my parents sent me two weeks ago. Then I looked up and saw Todd standing there!! He surprised me!!!!!!!!!!!! :) It was so great!!!! 

When I was talking to him on the phone he was breathing heavily and I asked him what he was doing, he said just running around. Well really he had no idea what floor I was on so he ran up and down the 7 flights of stairs trying to figure out what room I was in. The only bad news was he only could stay for 4 hours and then he had to go back. He got the call on his way here that he had to be back at work at 4 AM! :( But I was SOOO surprised to see him! Long story short he got to meet all my classmates, which was so awesome! We had a great time! 

The rest of the weekend was FULL of studying! All day Saturday and Sunday! Since I will be out of town next week I want to make sure I am ahead of all the reading and assignments so I had a lot to do this weekend! I got it all finished though and actually tonight (monday) after my team assignments that ended at 6 I had NOTHING else to do! That is why I have time to write you! 

Just checking in! :)

Well I have survived by first week of class! It wasn't easy, but I survived! I am exhausted already! This is going to be a very challenging but rewarding year. I am taking Accounting, Quant (basically Stat), Organizational Behavior and Project Management right now. We were assigned into teams of 5 or 6 for the first module. I really like my team. There obviously are ups and downs when you are on a team, but the overall feeling is good. We work really hard and get things done early which is my style! We were the only group that met all week long for long amounts of time and the other groups thought we were crazy but we have already finished all the assignments due next week, the case study and accounting project that isn't due for another week. So while everyone else is meeting this weekend, I will have some time to study on my own and get my reading done for the first couple days next week. It is a good feeling! We agreed before time to try our hardest to not have to meet on the weekends so in order to do that we have to work really hard during the week.
My schedule this week was basically wake up at 7 go to class until 12:30, eat lunch while reading material for my group, meet with my group and stay at school working on projects and homework until about 7 pm and then come home eat dinner while reading the material for the next days class- finish up around 11 or so and do it all over again. If feels like I have two jobs and I can't ever stop thinking about them. I can't just go home and have a glass of wine and relax there is always ten things going through my head that I need to be doing.
It has been so different than college. I am actually really interested in what we are doing- even the accounting (which I NEVER thought I would say!). So far I am really happy that I decided to go back to school. I have already learned so much and I have a lot more to go! :)

The weather here is horrible! It is going to rain for about 10 days straight. It hasn't stopped raining today for one second. It is dark and gloomy out! And riding to class in the rain isn't the most fun thing in the world! We have a team building activity tomorrow from 9 - 4 outside, rain or shine! And lucky us it is going to rain ALL DAY!

Todd and I are going to bruges, belgium next weekend! I only have Friday class until 12 and I have Saturday and Sunday off and Todd has the weekend off also for labor day! So we are taking off! :) I can't wait . It looks so beautiful there! I heard the chocolate is to die for, so I will be in heaven! :) It is a lot like Venice with the city in water. This is what sold me: "Its canals, cobbles, ornate gables and belfries come together in picture-perfect proportions. Strolling in the fairy-tale streets and lanes of Bruges, crossing canal bridges or walking beside the dark shimmering water, especially in the evening when spotlights pick out landmark spires, is like wandering inside a work of art. "

My German hasn't improved any. I got Rosetta stone but I don't have time to spend using it right now. It takes forever to get through each lesson. And I don't have much time to interact with the Germans here since I am inside all day working. The students are planning to go do something fun out in the city tomorrow after our team building which will be fun! I am so happy with the people in my program. We all get along and learn so much for each other. I have never had the opportunity to interact with so many people from different areas of the world. It is really cool to learn about the culture from all these places.

Random- so i knew that germans were really into recycling, but I guess I didn't realize how much! In order to take my trash out I have to walk outside and put them in the bins. There are four bins each with different things that go in them. Well I have taken my trash out 3 times since I have been here and every single time there is someone who stands there and watches me. They will be walking by, see me with my ONE white trash bag and just watch me to make sure I don't put it all in the trash bin. So I stand there and open my bag and pick through my trash and put the glass where it goes and the paper where it goes... Don't get me wrong, i love that they are this into the recycling I think the states could improve on this- but to stand there and watch me until I have put the last thing into the right colored bin is just a little strange to me. I know by now that I have to do this, I don't need someone watching my EVERY move! It makes me nervous- what I put paper in the blue bin instead of the yellow are they going to come down and yell at me?! From now I am going to walk down there holding my individual boxes and paper separate and hopefully that will help!

Well I hope everyone has had a great week and I am sure you are as ready for the weekend as I am! :) I just hope your weekend isn't as rainy!

Orientation Week

Don't have time to write, but I wanted to share some pictures from Friday's orientation. We went on a tour of Hannover and then to the bike race that was in the city. We had a great time!!!

This is where the graduation will be! Everyone wears formal dresses and suits and we have dinner right on the water!

On the Bus for the Hannover Tour

In our assigned seats for orientation, these were the two students I sat next by (Sergie and Brian). You can make a wish at this statue - Hopefully mine comes true!! 

Some of my classmates! Representing Germany, Spain, US (NY, DC, SC), Canada and Ukraine

The guy in the green was who we cheered for the whole time and he was really good! He ended up in third place we think, but he may have finished better than that. We couldn't understand the German over the loud speaker when they were announcing the winners! 

The bikers in this race were very well known and famous. Most of them have been competitors in the Tour of France. 

The bakery right by the race where we had dinner! 

And the work begins!!!

So long vacation and traveling!!!! I started school this week and I am already wondering how I am going to survive these next 11 months. When they said intense, they were NOT kidding. I knew it would be hard but in the back of my head I was thinking- it can't be THAT hard! Well I may have been wrong! First of all the grading scale is forced, which means there are only a few A's, majority B's, and then C's (if you get a D or an F you are done- start packing your bags). So it is going to be very competitive and there are really smart people in my class!! This is a good thing because it will force me to work as hard as possible but I am also nervous about this challenge! More than half of the students were engineers so we will see how my Risk Management Degree sizes up against that! ha!

We met the Dean, professors and some alumni. They all gave us advice on how to survive these next 11 months. The Dean seems awesome and so do all the professors. They are here to help us get through this and learn as much as possible. They went over some really great opportunities that Purdue offers like  study abroad and internships. I am most likely going to do the internship in India. It is going to be a lot of work, but people said they get the most out of it! It is also only $200 instead of the thousands of dollars for the other ones and since I have no money that seems like the logical decision! I would love to go to China, but it is very expensive. I would travel to India for two weeks and work for a company there. I will be traveling in May- do you know how hot it is going to be in May in India!!!!! VERY HOT!

There is also a consulting job during the 3rd and 4th module on top of the normal classes we have. They have warned us how much work this it because this is an optional job, but I think I am going to go for it. I have never had any consulting experience and I would be really interested to learn more about it.

We were assigned to groups for the first module (accounting, quant, observational behavior, project management). I met with mine today and got to do some group work. I think I have a great group. I was a little nervous about being put into a group, but it seems like there shouldn't be any conflicts in our group and we should be able to work together nicely!  I have three males and one female all of us from different parts of the world and with lots of different experiences and backgrounds.

I am sure these 11 months are going to go so fast so I am really trying to not wish them away, but it is really hard right now to not wish it were Oct. 12th after my Accounting final!

Ok enough about the hard boring stuff!! Before all this really begins we have been encouraged to get together with everyone outside of orientation and begin making relationships. On Monday night I went a girl who lives in my building and graduated last year. She is awesome! I wish she was in my program! She has showed me ALL around and has given me lots of tips about the program. She came down to my room and invited me to Sushi and told me to invite my other classmates- I emailed everyone but since half the people don't have internet in their place they didn't get it until the next day! Jessica (who is from DC) and her boyfriend met us and also another alumni from last year. We had a GREAT time. The sushi was really good. I was nervous about sushi in Germany, but for that dinner I felt like I was back in Buckhead. It was a modern place with english speaking waiters. Just what I needed!! The menu was hard to read though. Normally sushi menu's can be a little confusing, but try that in German! I didn't really know what I was getting, but it was good!

Then after our first day of orientation we all decided to go to Jack the Rippers (an English Pub). About 15 - 20 of the students all came and I invited the Courtney and Ray, the two alumni and we all had a great time. It was fun to get to know people in a more relaxed setting.

Tonight I had a dinner at the school building with all the students, professors, families and alumni. It was a good time, but we all didn't stay too long because we had reading to do! The guys from my apartment building came up to me and said they were taking off because it was about to storm and since we all rode our bikes to class it is a good idea to try and beat the storm.  So I decided I better go with them so I don't get stuck in the rain- BAD IDEA! I got on my bike and at the first traffic light the sky opens up and it just down pours!! Not the normal German sprinkle- an absolute downpour. First of all the day before I had seen someone fall on their bike really badly so I was worried with the rivers we were riding through this was going to happen to me. And the guys were following me because I go a different way so they wanted to see how I normally get to class. So the whole way back I am thinking Please don't fall, please don't fall, please don't fall!!! How embarrassed would that be to just wipe out! Well I didn't fall :) :) Sorry I know it would have been a better story if I wouldn't have but I am still thankful I didn't! But we were completely soaked and all my school work was also. From now on I will bring a rain coat and also a better bag to put all my books in. The worst part of it all was that once I got up to my apartment the rain stopped and the sun came out!!

Well I need to get some sleep but I wanted to update you on my school stuff.

Guten Nacht!

Maschseefest 2010

Saturday was the Maschseefest and I met about 6 people from my building down in the lobby and we jumped on the train and headed towards the water where the festival was. The train system seem a little confusing, but I wasn't paying too much attention since I was with a group I was just following them! I have been riding my bike everywhere so this was my first time on the train. Everyone said it is easy, so I am sure once it gets cold and I am forced to figure it out, it wont be that hard! 

We arrived at the festival around 7:30 and there were already so many people. There was music playing and it looked like a carnival for adults. There was food everywhere! It smelled so good! Once we arrived, we went to the statue that the GISMA students were all meeting by. When we walked up there were about 20 students. We just walked around and introduced ourselves to everyone. They all seemed very nice and everyone has such a different story and background. It is going to be very cool to get to know everyone better and work together in teams where everyone has their own strengths.

Once we collected a good amount of GISMA students (about 30 or so) we walked into the fest and found some tables and all sat down and got to know more about everyone. There are several american girls which made my night! I thought I was going to be the only one! There is even a girl from the south! She is from Charleston (Em and Dean she doesn't know you, I asked! ha!). She is here with her Scottish boyfriend who is hilarious and definitely entertained us for the night! There are a few girls from Indiana and New York.  There are also girls from Spain, China, Japan and so many other places! Our class has students from 16 different countries! 

A lot of people have their significant other here at school, a lot more than I would have thought so I also got to meet boyfriends and girlfriends and wives and husbands. It was fun to learn a little about everyone! Some people have never been to europe before this and some people have been traveling around living in different places for years!

 I had the chance to speak to some students who just graduated in the class of 2010. They gave us lots of pointers and told us a little more of what to expect. They said you study / read / work in groups 7 days a week. There are no weekend breaks during the modules. Since we are doing what most people do in 2 years in 1 there is no time for breaks! They said there is no way you can do all the assigned readings so you have to pick and choose what is most important. Some of those things scared me a little, but that is also what I was expecting. They also said the accounting teacher we have is the same they had and that he is really great! He is hard and expects a lot, but he doesn't try to trick you which is a good thing! 

Overall, I had such a great time at the fest. I really liked meeting more people in my class. It will make the first week easier because there will already be some familiar faces.
The girls that I met that are in the dorms were all complaining. They said it is horrible! It is small, everything is made of metal including the bed and nothing works.  So, I am glad I didn't do the dorm thing even thought it is A LOT cheaper. I just can't imagine living there for a year! I am so happy with my apartment. I have so much room and it already feels like it is my home.

I can't believe school is about to begin. I am excited, but also nervous because this is going to be a very long, stressful year, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it. I wish there was going to be more time to travel, but it just doesn't seem like it! I do get two weeks for spring break so hopefully that will be a good time to go see some places.

Todd has been in the field for the last week, but I still get to talk to him which is great! This is a breeze compared to Ranger School! :) I usually get to talk to him once a day for a few minutes before he go to sleep. He has been very busy lately which is good! He may have to be in the field until the end of August so I am not sure when I will get to see him next. With me starting school and him living in the field it is going to be hard to find time in both of our schedules! And the "break" that I thought I had in October isn't really a break. We have a week off but have to stay in Hannover and learn basic German. I was planning on going to see him that week, but I need to learn German also so I will have to stay here. But hopefully I will get to see him before December! His parents are coming in September so hopefully I will get to see them also!

Well it is Monday already and everything starts tomorrow!!! This is my last day of freedom for the next year! I am sure it is going to fly by, but it is going to be a rough year!

The plan right now is to do the 4th module (March - April) in Indiana so I can get a job back in the states and most importantly go to Stocketts wedding!!! :) They said you can't get in a job in Germany unless you are fluent in German and since I am not going to have time to learn German and do well in school, it looks like I will be home before you know it!! I will keep you posted on that, but so far that is the plan.
My resume is due in the first couple weeks of school, so the job hunt begins already! I know I am going to be very sad to leave here after being here for a year, but since I need a job I will have to go where that is!

I will try to write on here every couple of days, but no promises now that my vacation is over! :( 

Old Town Hannover

Today I went all over Hannover. I rode around for about 3 hours straight on my bike, but I got to see some really cool things!


First I went to lunch with two guys in my program. We just went to the nearest döner place and had an inexpensive but delicious döner. If you ever ate at K Bob's in Athens a doner is similar to that. If not, it is normally either with steak, lamb or chicken in a large pita stuffed with cucumbers, herbs, cabbage, lettuce, tomato, onions and some yummy sauce. It is really really yummy and it is one of the most inexpensive things to eat here. It was only 4.5 euro for a doner, drink and french fries!


Ok enough about the food, the guys in my program seem very nice. Once is from Michigan and knew exactly where I was born and lived around that area. He left his wife at home in order to come get his MBA in Germany. He is a huge Big 10 fan, but I am hoping he will still watch some SEC games with me!
The other guy is from Indiana (the second guy I have met here from Indiana). He is also very nice. Him and his wife live right next door to me. I haven't met his wife but I am looking forward to that because I haven't met one american girl in my program yet! They said there are 16 Americans this year! More than there have ever been! So that is exciting for me.


After lunch I decided that there were still places I wanted to see before starting school next week that I needed to do today or tomorrow while I still have the time. I rode farther than I have since I have been here. I saw the zoo. I didn't go in because it was 23 euro per adult so I thought I would save that for when I wasn't going alone! But I did get to see these guinea pigs!! Kinda gross!

I saw the Hauptbahnhof which is every cities main train station. It was huge and had a mall connected to it. All the main train stations I have seen so far have been really pretty. It isn't trashy and dirty like you would think. There are nice restaurants and shops everywhere. This is where I will have to go in order to get out of Hannover for any trips.

I kept riding around old town and found the Marktkirche (Market Church) which was built in the 14th century and is an example of North German Brick Gothic style.

I wanted to get to the water where all the water spots take place so I kept riding. On my way I found the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) which was opened in 1913 after 12 years of construction. It was so beautiful. I have pictures from the front and the back.

Perfect place for a picnic! 

I finally reached the large artificial lake in Hannover, Maschsee. This is where the festival will take place this weekend. There were bars all along the river with food and drinks and stages where the bands will be playing starting tomorrow. It looks like it is going to be a lot of fun. The students that are in town already are all going to meet there tomorrow to hang out and get to know each other. I am looking forward to that. Wish yall were here to enjoy this with me, but I will let you know how it was on Sunday!

                           Bars and restaurants along the river getting ready for the Maschseefest

I tried to go to the bank on my way home, but I should have known it would be closed. I never really wanted to go into banking, but maybe I should reconsider. Their hours must be so nice. Here all banks close from 12-2 everyday and they are only open until 2 on Fridays and most are closed all weekend. Wouldn't that be nice! :)


Well that is it for my exploration for the day! I just got back to my apartment and I am about to lay down and watch some TV! I finally got to watch the whole episode of the bachelor pad and I have been watching entourage but that has been it. I found a new web page that has lots of shows that I can actually get from europe- http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/internet/
It has been my saving grace this week! :)


Just looked outside and it is raining. It rains everyday here. At some point during the day it will rain. Most of the time it is just for 10 minutes and is just a light sprinkle.


Hope everyone is having a great Friday!


Here are more picture i took while riding around today: