Less than a week to go, and things are finally falling into place. For those that don't know, I thought I would start off with a bit of background. It's been a busy few weeks for me. I found out on May 1st that I didn't get into an eight week program in Heidelberg. The next day, I was talking to Herr Rolz, one of my German professors. He just happened to be going with a group of students to Heidelberg on a four week program. It was the first year for the program and as such, they had been quite lax on the deadline dates for us. I said he would talk to the people in charge of the program to see if I could still apply.

The following Monday, May 5th, I was given the go ahead and started filling out forms. I faxed the application and related forms by noon on May 6th to Tiffin, Ohio, home of Heidelberg College and the American arm of this program. I continued to fill out forms, although they took a slight backseat to spending time with Kevin and getting ready to move. I was supposed to move May 8th before cousin Ryan (and his pickup) went home for the summer. However, Mother Nature being the cruel tease she is, it rained and rained on the 8th. The morning of the 9th, I woke up crabby and upset that I hadn't heard anything back on my application. Luckily, I checked my email when we got back from dinner and there it was! I was accepted to the Heidelberg at Heidelberg program at Universitat Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany.

The following week has been a blur of running around to meetings, physicals, and packing to move. Mom came down on Thursday to help me move. We spent the whole day, just the two of us, moving my Brookings life from one side of town to the other. I'm not sure how we managed to haul it all in only three pickup loads, but I'm mostly moved in and started unpack stuff, mainly that which I have to repack for the trip.

I have to be at Mom and Dad's by Monday at 12/1 p.m. so that I can hitch a ride to the Cities with my sister Teresa. After a whirlwind few days in the Cities, trying to visit Kevin and his family and my family, I hop on that aluminum bird Thursday morning at 11 a.m.. A mere 17 hours later, I touch down in Frankfurt where someone should be meeting me to take me to my host family (the coordinator put me with a family named Eckert and thought it was 'perfect!' :) ). I'll have school until June 20/21st, but after that, it's all up in the air. As long as I make it back to Frankfurt by July 3rd to catch my flight home, I'll be good.

Well, it's time to go find some food and then continue the unpacking adventure. I'll write more later!