Pep-rally, Orientations & Skiing in VA!

Since it's been a while since my last post, i'll try to summarize the last couple of weeks.  

4 weeks ago we had a so-called "Glow week" at the school, which included students dressing up like:
Monday - fashion disaster
Tuesday - senior citizens
Wednesday - peppermint (red & white colors)
Thursday - favorite sports team
Friday - Neon and Pep-rally in last block. 
It all ended with a Glow Dance Saturday night - I had other plans and didn't really feel like going..
Instead I spent my whole Saturday at the 2nd mandatory YFU orientation. We were divided into groups and had some different sessions. We played games and had lunch, and I enjoyed talking to the other exchange students. It's so nice to be a part of something so big - it's a huge network of new friends! :D  That Sunday I went to Cinema Café (a cinema/restaurant = you eat while watching a movie in the dark) with some friends and saw The Hobbit. 

3 weekends ago was a fun weekend. Friday we had a swim meet, and since it was the last one, the team gave all the seniors presents including Ida & I because it is our/their last year of high school! I got a plastic duck, a helium ballon, a huge sign with my name on it and a shirt, which I got everybody to sign - Memories!
The rest of the weekend I spent at a friends house with Ida, where we among many other things went to  a see some one-acts for our theatre class. We played insanely many games and watched movies. Sunday we went to a play called "Frog-kiss" with our area-rep and her husband. After that we went to dinner with them at "California Pizza Kitchen." - I had a great weekend!

Last week was a little bit special. We had off of school both Monday and Friday because it was Martin Luther King's Day & Teacher Work Day. So we had a nice 3-days school week. Therefore, we packed our backs Thursday night and drove to Charlottesville (Northern VA) the next morning where it started to snow! :D We went shopping looking for Ring-Dance dresses, but found unfortunately nothing. Friday-Saturday we stayed at a hotel, and then went to the YFU-orientation, which was actually the reason we were going there in the first place. It was held at one of mom's colleagues house, where we were around 30 people. It was fun to participate even though we'd already done it the previous weekend. 
I talked to a lot of nice exchange students and when the orientation ended, 25 of us when to this winter house that one of the families' rent.
After arriving and unpacking, most of the students went skiing - including me!
It was the greatest! I had no idea that Virginia had such many awesome things to offer. Of course it was nothing like the mountains in Austria. Thus is was fake snow, it felt just like the skiing vacations in Austria - awesome! We watched movies and even though Mom, Ida and I had to wake up early to go meet the rest of the family at The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Jenna's birthday, we stayed up late..
I was sore and tired the day after, but it was totally worth it!
On our way home we stopped at David's Bridal to look for Ring Dance dresses once again. This time I had luck and bought a beautiful, sparkling dress! - Once again; I had a great weekend! :)

This week is the last week of swim practice. Since we have districts all Friday, we will we working hard! I can't wait to end swimming and start the try-outs for soccer, but it's kinda sad to leave the swim-team at the same time :(

Next weekend we are going to the Beach house, where Judith and Kika, to exchange students, probably will join. Superbowl will be the Sunday in that weekend btw! (MAJOR AMERICAN EVENT)
The weather in VA beach changes so fast and is very unpredictable. 3 days ago we got 1-2 inch of snow, this Wednesday it's going to be around 21 celcius and then we can expect snow again on Sunday! It's crazy ...
  

Merry Christmas & Happy New year!

Wauw, det var dén december! Jeg synes denne måned er gået usandsynligt stærkt i år. Det har været en utrolig unik oplevelse, at fejre julen på en helt anden måde, end hvad jeg er vant til. Jeg sætter stort pris på, at jeg har fået muligheden for det! Både den amerikanske jul og nytår er bestemt en helt anden! 

Den 24. december stod der ikke så meget skemaet. Dagen startede dog godt ud med en gang professionel massage kl. 10.00, og derefter hjem og forberede mad osv. til både om aftenen og dagen efter. Julemiddagen stod på skinke, kartofler, rødkål og brun sovs, så lidt dansk var der da over det! ;) Eftersom vi ville i kirke kl. 19.00, skulle vi pludselig skynde os med maden - vi nåede det dog. 
I kirken var det rigtig smukt, specielt da alle til sidst, med hver sit stearinlys, rejste sig op og sang "Silent Night" ("Glade jul"). Lyset blev slukket og alle hævede deres lys i det sidste vers. 
Meget rørende! Resten af aftenen stod på film og hygge foran tv'et.    

Den 25. december, julemorgen, blev jeg vækket af Andrew og hans kæmpe hund Boscoe ved en 10-tiden. Jeg gik nedeunder og satte mig i sofaen, mens alle blev klar. Først åbnede vi vores "stockings", den velkendte julesok som man altid ser på film. Den var fyldt med fine ting, såsom en DVD, julestrømper, kort, og noget lotion fra Bath&Bodyworks. Herefter tog vi en pause og spiste brunch, hvorefter vi gik i krig med gaverne igen. Jeg fik rigtig mange fine ting af begge mine familier, og blev meget overvældet!

Senere på dagen fik vi besøg af Kristie's søster, svoger, deres søn og mor. Vi spiste en masse julemad, og åbnede flere gaver senere på aftenen.

Alt i alt havde jeg en rigtig god og mindeværdig jul. Jeg er utrolig taknemmelig for alt hvad både min nye familie og dem derhjemme gør for mig!
Med denne oplevelse, har jeg nu også indset, at den danske jul ganske simpelt helt unik! 

    

          

    

    



Dagene imellem jul og nytår har vi tilbragt til dels herhjemme og til dels i sommerhuset. Det har været meget afslappende, da der ikke rigtig har været noget man skulle! Vi var bl.a. i biografen, jeg har sovet længe, vi har scrapbooket, og set en masse film.

Nytårsaften er ikke så stort her, dvs. ingen fyrværkeri, fester eller sjove væsker for mit vedkommende. På trods af alt det der manglede, havde jeg dog en rigtig hyggeligt aften, idet jeg var blevet inviteret til en sleepover hos en af de andre udvekslings studenter, sammen med 6 andre piger. 
Vi spiste middag, efterfulgt af dessert, så en helt masse film og hoppede ind i det nye år da klokken slog  tolv. 

Eftersom jeg allerede starter i skole i morgen, har dagen i dag ikke stået på så frygtelig meget. Jeg har ryddet lidt op, lavet nogle lektier, svaret på nogle e-mails og ellers bare slappet af. 

På fredag har jeg endnu en svømmekonkurrence og 2 weekender fra nu en YFU orientering i Chesapeake.  

Jeg håber I har det godt, og at alle kom godt ind i det nye år. 

Det er slet ikke til at tro at jeg allerede har været her i et halvt år - pyha som tiden dog går!