Time

"How did it get so late so soon?" - Dr. Suess

It's been exactly 140 days since I got here, so exactly 5 months. School started exactly 140 days ago. and now, in a couple days, the first semester ends, and the second starts. 

Isn't it scary, how time flies by? I guess most people in my senior class are really excited to end this school year and go to college. It is so exciting to see what their plans are, and where they want to go. 

Me, I am just sad, and I don't want this school year to end. I mean, of course I miss my family and my friends back in Germany, but this, here, is what I wanted for so long, and I am not ready to let it go. 

I am sad, that this semester is over, but I am really looking forward to second semester. I have different classes, with different teachers, and different people, and all the classes sound like so much fun! 

Last week was the first birthday ever I spent far away from my family. I can't believe I am already 17. I mean, I only have one year left until I am an adult. Scary.

All my friends here and my host family put a lot of effort in making the day special and it was. It was a really great birthday. Lily and I spent Saturday and Sunday together and Christine made a fabulous dinner Sunday night. I got some really, really great, thoughtful and beautiful gifts, and I am so thankful for having the opportunity to spend this day with these lovely people. 
Jim was in Germany for the last two weeks of <january, which was kind of funny. 
He brought me two loaves of bread, because I am always complaining about all the soft, sweet bread here in the states. And, oh man, this bread smells just so good. 

But before the next semester starts, we have to end the last one - with finals. 

Fortunately, I don't have finals in all my classes, and as long as I pass, everything is going to be just fine, so I am not stressing out about it too much. 

Next week, we only have three days of school and then we have Thursday and Friday off. 

I hope, you all doing great, and enjoying your time!!

Kisses, Malin

I made chocolate cupcakes

My birthday decoration

I also made a strawberry Swiss roll

And Christine got me a cake from a market

 And I got flowers

Winter (formal)

Hey you! 

So, the last two weeks were sort of exciting. There were days which were more "ordinary", but all in all I enjoyed the last two weeks.

Last Friday we had a basketball game against Cresent Valley High school (CV). Games against CV are always super intense and excitng. The whole gym was packed and cheering was so much fun! We won the game and everybody was super happy! 

We have a new dance for cheer, so we danced it the first time at the game, and as far as I could tell, people liked it. That's great, because I personally, like it a lot. 

Nothing really exciting happened the week after that. I talked to some poeple I never really talked to and started spending more time with them, which I really enjoyed! 

We also had a game this Friday, which wasn't as intense, but still fun. We won again, but this time it got really close towards the end. 

We had to dress nice for school, to show the team some support (Idon't really get that part, but I don't mind, because all the other days during the week I mostly wear leggings, or something unexciting but comfortable (a lot of people here just wear yogapants and sweaters to school)). Without wanting to sound narsisstic, but I really liked my outfit :) I got new boots for christmas, and I wore them with overknee socks and my cord- skirt. It was actually really comfortable and warm and I felt good in it. 

On Saturday then was Winter Formal. I got ready with Lily and Anissa, a friend of Lily who graduated last year. Anissa is just a godess when it comes to make- up. She did both of our make- up and it looked so good. 

We went to Red Robin with six other people, so we were a pretty big group. The dance itself was ok. It was in a private middle school, so the location was a lot better than on Homecoming (we were in our library), but the music wasn't really great. We left a little bit before the dance was over and just hung out. I stayed at Lily´s overnight and the next morning we went out to breakfast. Lily had a cold  and we both were really tired, so none of us wanted to spent time on making breakfast. 

I can just say: going out was a great decision! We both had chocolate- banana- crêpes with fruits, I had a coffee mocha and Lily had tea for her throat. The crêpes were delicious and excactly what both of us needed. They just made me feel really happy and satisfied. I didn't even feel bad for eating all of it. I went home afterwards, made myself some tea and snuggled up in blankets in my bed. 

It was rainy and cold outside and just the perfect day to stay in bed, watch movies and listen to music. 

Unfortunately the week was clouded by some bad news. 

First, David Bowie died. He was such a good musician and When I heard his song "Heroes" for the first time two years ago, I fell in love with it. 

Second, Alan Rickman died. He was a big part of my childhood, because of Harry Potter. No one could have portrayed Snape like he did. Thank you!

Third, there was a shooting in Corvallis during the basketball game on Friday. It was in a restaurant nearby the school and one person died. I just don't understand the gun- laws in America. It is just shocking that everybody can go and buy a gun. 

I hope your weeks were great and happy and everything worked out like you planned it :) . Hopefully you are all doing great. I am really happy right now (my tummy is full of crêpes, tea in my hand, music in my ears, and the thoughts of no school tomorrow in my head!)

Love you all! Malin 

Lily & Anissa

Lily & Saul

Saul& I

Lily & I

The three of us

Lily's and my breakfast the morning after 

Happy new year

Happy New Year everybody! 

I hope all of you have had a great start into 2016! 

We drove to Seattle on 12/27/15 to spend New Year's Eve with Christine´s best friend, Sarah, and her family. The car ride was rather boring, but fortunately the traffic was good, so we arrived in Seattle after five and a half hours. 

On the first day, we went to Pike's Place market, which was quite an experience. It was stuffed with people and it was loud; the typical atmosphere at markets. We spent a little while at a stand which sold pasta, and different kinds of balsamic vinegar, like dark- chocolate- vinegar, or honey- rosemary- vinegar. I know that sounds wierd but it was surprisingly good. 

They had tons of different kinds of pasta, 'normal' pasta, like saffron, or tomato- basil, or lemon, but then they had super weird stuff, like chocolate- pasta, or peppermint. 

On the second day we went to the Pacific Science museum. That was interesting, even though I am not super into science. But they had different exhibititions, and one of them was a butterfly house, which was super cool. 

We had a reservation on top of the Space Needle for lunch, so we could go up there 30 minutes earlier without waiting for an hour. The view was incredible. The day was cold, but super clear ,so we were able to see all over Seattle and the mountains. It was great. 

The restaurant on the space needle spins, so while you're eating, you can slowly see the different views drifting by. The food was delicious. 

We met with Sarah and her family after lunch and took the monorail downtown, to see a gingerbread village in Star- Wars- style. 

On Thurday, Sarah, Christine, Iris, Ruby, Mattheus and I all went to the mall to go shopping. Christine, Sarah and Iris left after lunch, so it was just the three of us. I felt sorry for Mattheus, because he was the only guy, and even though he looks like he likes shopping and he never complained and waited patient until we were ready, I think he was bored. We went home after a couple hours, and prepared the New Year´s Eve meal. We wanted to make sushi in the first place, but we had so many delicious appetizer that we didn't make sushi. We played games, chatted and filmed their annual New Year´s music video. They didn't have fireworks which was a little sad, but it was a great New Year`s Eve anyways! It was different than in Germany because normally we stayed up till four or five o'clock, and here we went to bed around 2 o'clock. It was fine, because I had a little cold and a headache, but it felt weird. 

On Friday we hung out with them again. Jim and Mike took us kids on a ferry, which was cool and on the other side of the sound  was a crêpes- shop, which was quite delicious. Ruby and I shared a savory and a sweet crêpes together, which was great, because that way we can have the best from both sides. 

I have a couple New Years resolutions and I am determined to complete them! I hope all of you enjoyed your New Years parties and hopefully 2016 will be as great or better than 2015. 

Lucky for us, we didn't have school today, because all the roads were frozen, so I had a little time to write this post. Maybe I will reduce the time between my posts from one week to two, because sometimes nothing exciting happens, or I am just too lazy. 

Kisses, Malin

Pike's place market

Downtown Seattle