Vielen Dank Deutschland!

Well, my one year here in Germany has come and gone so quickly. It is now time to pack my bags and head back to Edmonton. It has been a quite a ride with lots of learning! And you know how much I love learning! Karlsruhe (and Germany) is a great place and I don't regret choosing it for my first ever experience. I have met some awesome wonderful people here that I hope to see again one day soon. I know each one of them have left footprints in my heart in their own special way. I have been blessed with experiencing opportunities that pushed myself out of my comfort zone and made me a better person. All in all, I leave here with love and full of memorable moments. Here's a few thoughts ...

What I learned:

• to leave my ego behind (it only holds you back to all the wonderful things you will learn and gives you some funny stories to tell :)
• to cook french food (yes, I know I'm in Germany but I had some French influences here)
• to eat more rice (my dad will be super happy about that but I still prefer basmati :P )
• to renew my passion as a media designer (would love to work with start up companies as a freelancer)
• to enjoy part time work (it gives you more balance and opportunity to learn other things and travel)
• to make spätzle (I wanted to know how so I can fulfill my cravings later :)
• to be a better drinker (yes I can now handle my beers and wine - I prefer the latter though and the apple ciders are super here - no, I am not an alcoholic :)

What I will miss:

• the awesome friends I've met (I will miss you guys the most!)
• bratwurst (you can never have too many of those! - and with curry ketchup)
• flea markets (I love having those including fresh fruits and veggies)
• my bike (that little yellow sad thing made my life easier here lol)
• the awesome train system (we so need one in Canada - we're so behind)
• the super fast post (I still can't believe how fast my amazon.de ordered arrived and how fast my big box I sent home with stuff arrived)
• the cheap pub food here (you get a decent meal for only 3-5€)
• sitting out in the Schloss Garden and do nothing else but read
• the compost (it is part of the disposal pick up and you can even add meat)

What I was glad to have with me:

• my Doxie scanner (this was the best thing ever. It helped with scanning forms I unexpected have to deal with back home and here. Great for scanning and sending applications. My roommates loved it)
• my Kindle 3G (this I got when I went back to Canada half way and it helps lighten my load and kept me entertained on the trains)
• an umbrella (rains like cats and dogs here in the other seasons than summer)
• a small bottle of Dawn liquid detergent (I use it to clean the oil from my glasses - I know, eww!)
• meds (you can never be too sure. I had quite a bit of my Advils more than I expected)
• my unlocked mobile phone (used Fonic pre-paid and loved it)
• a hot water bottle (it gets cold and it keeps me warm!)

There you have it; some points that floated into my head. I'm sure there's more but I can't think of any more at this moment or make this a longer post as it is with these points. So with that, I leave you with a video of my year in Germany with the wonderful people I've met because they made my stay here worthwhile. Vielen Dank Deutschland und bis später!