Kevin the Schloffolicious French Traveler

Bonjour Mes Lecteurs,

Now that that's out of the way I would like to say that this post has nothing to do with AFS at all. It's just my first goodbye and it's special because this is for Kevin who is enjoying his final day in the states today before he's off to France. Let me tell you this, Kevin and I have not even known each other for a year but I already know that we will be friends for a LONG time. Compared to other boys that are my age Kevin is SO SO SO nice, funny, and actually talks like a normal person instead of the stupid mumbling that I hear all to often. It's so funny to me to think that he's from the next town over and we would have never crossed paths if it wasn't for AFS!

Kevin I just want to say that I hope you have the best trip ever because this is a once in a lifetime thing here! Don't take any moment for granted because the clock's ticking! As soon as you get there realize that this is something you'll be telling stories of for the rest of your life! Take advantage of all the opportunities open to you and realize that your true friends and family will be behind you every step of the way. Times are gonna be hard buddy but we are all going through the same thing! You're gonna have ups and downs but in the end the downs are gonna be some of the funniest stories told while the ups are gonna be some of the best memories.

I can't say every time is going to be easy or that I know what's going to happen. I just know that we are going to have the most epic lunch/dinner together when we get back telling each other a play by play of the oncoming 10 months. 

I'll miss ya!

Stay in touch...or else.

I chose the one with my crocs!

;)

http://kevinschloff.blogspot.com/ <----- Kevin's Blog

xoxo

Kendra Rose <3

The Clock's Ticking

Hallo. Today I did all sorts of German I was in the car listening to the CD, translating random things to German, and then I did like and hour and a half of Rosetta Stone. But I seem to forget it all as soon as I do Apple Q on the program...hhmm how can I change that? I am gonna make an air port playlist because I know we are gonna be sitting there for a while so I might just walk around silently jamming. There's always that moment in your life when you just need to blast music, lip sync, and run around dancing like you're psychotic. I guess it helps if it's out loud so that people can join you..or else they might definitely think you're crazy haha. I wonder if my roommate will like the same music as me...I hope so then we can have like power jam sessions.

Anyways I took pictures at 25 days and then 15 days and tomorrow I'll take a picture for 10 days and then next at 5, then everyday from there just for fun ya know? I do love pictures and I don't really have any to show you at the moment....OH WAIT! Imma load my Cali/Vegas pics so far! Good thinking Kendra!

I am ultimately getting so excited to go that I sometimes can't even handle it. Like I cannot wait to meet everyone I'm gonna be all up in everyone's buisness asking what their names are, where they're from, and where they're going so watch out. Our plane on the 9th is supposed to leave at 5:15 pm and we will land in Frankfurt on the 10th at 7:10 am. Okay so basically I should sleep on the plane right? Well we all know that's not going to happen. Then of course we don't have an orientation with everybody so we all just sit around and wait for all the countries to arrive...and then I board a train at an undisclosed time and I will arrive in Hamburg at 7:50 pm. I will spend my whole day traveling and I don't want to greet my family and then pass out in the Bahnhof (railway). We then have a 30 minute car ride home. I am debating when to sleep but I just don't think it's going to happen though.

Anyways while I am down in D.C. my mother and possibly my father and I are going to see some colleges. We have appointments for Georgetown and George Washington and on my way home from Germany we are going to most likely see American because we didn't get an appointment for the 6th.

I truly have no AFS news what so ever. Except for the fact that depending on how much German I know I will either be in my host brother Neel's grade (10) or grade 9. So we shall see I hope I'm in my host brother's class because that means that Beke will be in our class as well which would be tons of fun. Also I believe Carina is in that class and she's been so nice talking to me as well. I have so many presents for my family and the people I have talked to so far. I'm not going to say them because well they just might read this and I want it to be a surprise! :)

Some people are like "I'm not gonna drink" "I wouldn't feel right drinking" but being completely honest here...I'm gonna drink. I'm not gonna be drunk all over the floor but lets me honest people it's GERMANY! They are famous for their beers and I'm not going to miss out on it. I am going to have my own boundaries of course because no one wants to be the drunk American that embarrasses themselves. Also some parents I have heard say "I wouldn't allow them to give it to you" but are you really experiencing everything I mean it's their lifestyle. I may be being completely like relaxed on this topic...but it's just my opinion here are some pictures from my vaca so far!

Vegas

Vegas

Vegas

famous Mad Greek restaurant

San Diego

my grandmother's condo

beach in San Diego

my cousin Tara attacking my Uncle

with her sweatshirt

ssoo cute <3

25 Days!

15 days!

Every Day Counts,

xoxo

Kendra Rose

P.S.

I have 10 days until orientation, 11 days until I board a plane to Germany, and 12 days until I arrive in Germany!!! CCRRAAZZYY!!

Vacationing :)

Hallo! Sorry everyone for being so damn MIA but honestly I've been on vaca! I'll give you a brief upadte on what's been going on so far!!

August 17: I rode the plane all day from NYC to South Carolina and then I ran around the Charlotte airport from gate to gate, back onto my plane that I left my sweatshirt on, and then to my new plane where I sat next to a girl who slept completely folded over in her seat. I then landed in Phoenix at around 10:30 and so my grandmother and I drove around for about an hour because she got lost....even though she lives here. Then we went to Red Lobster for lunch and then back to her house where we chilled for a little bit. Once my Aunt Karen got home we went out to dinner with her where we had THE most grotesque food EVER! Like honestly it sucked and I won't say where because people should experience things for themselves and decide on their own opinions.

August 18: We started our drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas. This drive is about 5 hours and at the 2 hour mark we stopped at Lucia's which is like a mexican/regular food restaurant in the middle of nowhere. It was amazing! I had a Philly sandwich with chocolate cream pie which was just delish! After our meal we went out to the back of the restaurant and fed the hundreds of koi fish and then admired their mini farm of peacocks. Then we finished our drive comfortably and met up with my Aunt Christine in my grandmother's other house. That night we went out to the Rhythm Kitchen which was pretty average I would say, it's different then normal food which made it above average I would say.

August 19: I went out to lunch with my grandmother, my cousin Russel, his wife Eliza, my cousin's wife Alicia, their kids and I'm gonna name them all. Lily, Tanner, Andrew, Cartson (that's one family) then Hunter, Audrey, Cannon, and Coral (second family). They are all below the age of 9...imagine going out to Fudruckers with them. That night we went out to dinner with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Rebecca, Grandma, and my cousin Iassac who's 6 months younger then me.

August 20: We spent the day with my Aunt Christine doing all sorts of shit. Then we finished the day after pedicures at Sedona. It was AMAZING! Like the whipped potatoes were the bomb!!! Then the chocolate cake came and ddammnn I died and went to heaven.

August 21: I woke up early with my aunt and we went to Krispy Kreme for super fresh donuts. Then my  Grandma and I left for San Diego from Vegas. That drive I mostly slept and tried to make myself comfortable in the car. I'm not sure if you've ever been to California but it's one of the most beautiful places ever, I honestly love it. Then my Aunt Diana and cousin Tara came down from L.A. for the night and we made tacos.

August 22: My cousin Kaitlyn picked me up and we went down to UCSD with her boyfriend Marc for a tour. I really did enjoy it and I will definitely have it on my list as maybe a back-up now that I saw the other ones. We had curry for lunch and it wasn't the most pleasurable experience for me at all. Then the giant group of us went out to dinner at Belle Fleur where we had a dinner long conversation on hats and how to make one to win the Del Mar opening day hat contest. 

August 23: I slept in this day and Grandma and I just kinda did nothing. We went to Pei Wei's for lunch and then say The Help at the movie theater. I cried SO SO SO much. BUT I loved it! Then I had Cocoa Puffs for dinner.

August 24: Tara and I went to USC for a tour together. It was just for me because Tara is already in college and let me tell you....I FUCKING LOVED IT! USC is pretty high on my list now and I could totally see myself going there. And then we went home and played Bananagrams until my Uncle John got home. Then we left back for the condo.

August 25: Yesterday we basically drove all day and then I had Macaroni for dinner. 

So that's been my vacation all in all I just thought I would give an update...haha. I've been trying SO SO SO SO SO SO hard to focus on my German but it just ain't happening. Blah I'm such a failure...

Anyways today I made reservations to go see American University, Georgetown, and George Washington University the few days I'm down in D.C. before I leave. I'll probably make an AFS post tomorrow not to worry I just wanted to say that I'm not dead!

Holidaying In The Sun,

xoxo

Kendra Rose

Freak Out Mode

Okay so I'll admit it I'm slightly a perfectionist....I have to have everything that I am doing go perfectly and not have any flaws. My mom just booked my plane tickets and on the 17th I'll be departing from Laguardia Airport at 6:30 AM and then I'll arrive at the Arizona Airport at some time I don't know. Then I'm going to travel all around the west coast to places like Las Vegas, L.A., San Diego, and other places. I'm going to visit family and see some colleges. I am going to return on the 4th  of September....at 9 pm.....that means I only have the 5th to get everything together because on the 6th we are going to leave early in the morning for D.C. This is all happening so fast....I don't know if I can take it....like it's so bittersweet!

I want to get there and experience it all...but I don't want it to end. I haven't even learnt enough German to survive like OMG OMG OMG I am going to be staying up late for hours doing my Rosetta Stone. I have already been going to bed consistently at 1 am I think it's because I am already subconsciously stressing my life away. Here a look at my suitcases and all the craziness that's going on....

my suitcase....I'm living out of it....

the shoes I'm not taking....I think...

my sweaters, jackets,sweatshirts,belts

I might ship these over

grand view of it all, I've slowly taken over

Today the people I hung out with were KEVIN AND CAROLINE! WOOT WOOT! We are now a family not sure where the roles are BUT we shall find out soon here are some pictures!!

Caroline underwater!

Moi!

oh gosh

you know just chillen

I don't even understand her sometimes....

Schloffin It Up,


xoxo
Kendra Rose

FAMILY PICTURE!!!!! <3 <3

Let's Do This!

One Month. 4 Weeks. 31 Days. 744 Hours. 44,640 Minutes. 2,678,400 Seconds.

This is all I have left until I am off on THE biggest adventure of my life. It's crazy to think that I am ACTUALLY doing this. I have been waiting since 7th grade for this so it just kind of feels like a dream that I'm actually going. I have gone through SO much and fought so hard to go that honestly I deserve it. Everyone that is actually going and has stayed so dedicated deserves it. This has officially become crunch time for me. I have so much I have to get done and I have limited time right now because I might be going to Arizona, Las Vegas, and California for a few weeks.

I don't know if anyone else is feeling the same way, but somedays I just get SSSSOOO sick of explaining what I am doing and all the details. Most days I am like extremely excited to explain it......then these moments happen when I just hate it and feel like ripping someone's head off. Also you explain it to two types of people....one type is the type tat is excited for you and possibly feels  a little jealous and then there are people who think you are crazy and would never do it themselves and kinda frown upon it in a way. They don't really care what you do so explaining to them just feels like a waste of time in my mind.

Quick question to all my lovely readers...which are about 3...anyways....have you guys skyped with your host family? I mean I feel like I should, but I am completely awkward over video chat because.....I just hate it!!! I love like face to face REAL interactions then like online hiding behind a computer interactions. So I was just wondering how many actually do video chat or skype with their own families.
It would be a big help if you guys answered!

Lastly I would like to make this known. I am SO fucking excited to meet all the people going to Germany with me. I thrive off of meeting new people and laughing at all the awkward moments that occur. I can't wait for our Gateway Orientation where we all meet that are USA--->Germany. I am going to be bouncing of the walls introducing myself to everyone. Plus I'll already know Ellie so that makes me feel a lot more comfortable then not knowing anyone at all. I don't know if you have noticed yet but I am not really a socially awkward person so big crowds are my thing and new people are like...a drug for me..I guess we could say. I am one heck of a social butterfly. Anyways that's one of the main things I am super excited about. BOOYAH!

PUMPED UP,


xoxo
Kendra Rose

allison!

JULIA! I LOVE UNDERWATER PHOTOS!

ALLISON! underwater of course!

fail of a photo

they just couldn't see to take a good photo together haha

August "The Goodbye Month"

Hallo! I am just chilling here and thought hey why not post! This is the name of my album on Facebook so I thought it was appropriate to make it a blog post title. Yesterday I went to lunch at a popular pizza place in our town with Phoebe who went to Pomaluengo, Cantabria, Spain (I just got that from her Facebook so honestly it could be wrong) with AFS and Mike who went to an island in Italy with AFS. They are so nice and we had a great time because no one else really...understands what you as an AFSer are going through besides a fellow AFSer(s) that is either going through it as well or has already experienced it. Each of them had their own versions of everything to tell me because honestly no two experiences are the same. The thing that they both kind of agreed upon though is the fact that you kinda have to be selfish in a way. Not in a way that is bad and you just seem rude but......you have to make it clear that you are there to learn their language and not to teach English....and you can't constantly worry about hurting someone's feelings or looking dumb if you don't know something. 

Now on to my goodbyes yesterday NIGHT I went out with my friends as I already told you..but you know here are some pictures of why I love them!

JuJu and Lindz

the Ginger and Kelly

SSSSAAAAKKKEEEEEE!!!!!!

just go to Hibachi it's the best...no joke

right before she hit the woman with her chair

almost time for group pics

kinda normal

throwin up the deuces

now this is the real us

this is what happens when you are inexperienced at drinking

Sake and you don't really know how to not spit it out

all over yourself......she didn't pee btw

me and my father

she's so weird......

but i love her

okay so funny moment here

she was whipping her hair for a picture and

then she hurt herself and this picture just makes me pee

myself from laughter

Then this morning we had another day of tryouts and I had to do another goodbye because there is a huge chance that I won't see most of these girls again before I leave for Germany.

you know working it

together as a team forever :)

So yes it's happening and I guess it hasn't really hit me yet that I just won't see everyone....idk why but I'm sad but I'm not like crying my eyes out. That's going to happen right before I say goodbye to my really good friends for the final time I guess. But we will see. I think I'm going to just stick with writing emails to all my friends....and just skyping with my parents from time to time and with my friends whenever they are in a big group so I can just tell them all my stories as a whole.

I might update later on or tomorrow it just matters if I come up with something to say.

Becoming A Goodbye Professional,

xoxo

Kendra Rose

P.S. I am going to hang out with Kevin soon so I will get pictures of us together up here too! 

Willst du mich heiraten Google übersetzen?

Hey it's Kendra here and I am just writing to give you guys a few updates. I finally got my camera in the mail and I am BEYOND excited because honestly it's one more thing I can cross off my what do I have to do list. But of course my father decides to clean and I have lost my charger already....thanks Dad...just typical. Well I finished softball as you know and now I am trying out for the same team again....because I can't try out for another one necessarily since I will be abroad for all winter work out and stuff. So when I come back I will be getting my driving permit and playing softball once again. I really do love my team and they are great girls and I guess technically this Saturday will be my first round of goodbyes....I already started at out banquet but this is just....weird to me.

On a brighter note I will be posting pictures more often now that I have my camera I was posting pictures regularly before but I lost my charger to THAT camera so yeah. I have a lunch date tomorrow with Phoebe  who just returned from a AFS Spain trip and possibly Mike from a AFS Italy trip. I know they will have great stories to tell me because I know they both had their ups and downs and I honestly can't wait. Then after our lunch date I am going to HIBACHI!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know if you have ever been to Hibachi but it's fucking awesome....no lie. I mean it has to be the right type of Hibachi place because the one we have near us is BALLING. What makes it even better is that I am going with mah gurrrllzzz they are basically the girls that I am closest with but not all of them because I have a wide range of friends that necessarily don't get along with each other so I split things up and mix it up. Tomorrow party will be with Raper (Kelly) Big Momma (Lindsay) the Ginger (Allison) Double Dee (Deanna) Juju (Julia) and last but never least Bobby (my father) plus my mother and I but we don't have cool nicknames. This won't be my goodbyes to them because I better see them before I leave....that would be depressing if I didn't.

One thing I can promise you I will miss is Field Hockey although we all bitch and moan about the running and we just literally HATE each other while playing it our pasta parties and our team bonding moments are legit and can't be replaced. So shout out to those girls!

I actually might be going to CALIFORNIA!!!! WOOT WOOT! I know you are probably like wtf how can you randomly go to Cali like that. WELL I have family out there so I actually do things like this all the time random sporadic  journeys to the unknown. It would be amazing if I do go because my tan would be off the charts and I would get to see all my family that I normally don't see.

Sorry for changing subjects once again but I have another tid bit of information. I am going to be picking up my lovely and charming friend Ellie from the airport in D.C. she's from Iowa and she'll be going to Germany as well. We will actually be 5 hours away from each other because she will be in Germersheim which is like southern Germany and I'll be in like the North Pole. This is so exciting because Ellie and I totally get along we are going to be fast friends...well we already are but when we meet in person it will definitely be the same way as we talk online. If we had to choose roommates we would choose each other. But on the other side I also can't wait to meet all the rest of the kids going, it's just good knowing someone pretty well that will be there too.

So once again another blog post of mine is coming to an end. Sad I know but it must happen. I want to add one last thing. I am a VERY sarcastic person like severely so you are going to start to notice that now haha but it happens you know. This is me! Also I swear like a sailor but I am actually kind of keeping it under wraps. I'm not really sure if you care about my personal life at all but in ways it connects to AFS and you can see how I'm coping with leaving everything completely and soon my personal life will be my AFS life you just wait.

OH! I love shopping like I LOVE LOVE  L  O   V   E fashion and clothes so if you are going to Germany and you read this thing. Lets meet up while abroad and shop! Also if you like Britney Spears hit me up she's coming to Cologne on the 18th of October and if I got someone who wanted to go with me I would definitely go!


Peace and Happiness,


xoxo
Kendra Rose


P.S. The title means "Will you marry me Google translate?"