cheers!

This morning I got into a car, then hopped onto a train, and then boarded a plane. As I passed through security in Frankfurt, before boarding said plane, this happened to me:

'This-would-never-happen-in-Canada' Story #827

As my 2 pieces of carry-on luggage pass through the scanner, I see the scanner guy (you know the one with blood-shot eyes, looking so bored out of his mind he might fall over and die any minute?)sit upright to get a closer look at the 3D image of my suitcase on his screen. I mentally re-trace my packing steps from late last-night, thinking that I couldn't possibly have put any sharp or liquidy objects in the bag. The friendly bag-checker lady waves me over and asks me to open the suitcase, telling me that it looks like I have 2 piccolos (mini-bottles) inside. Oh @$@#%$%*! I put the 2 bottles of my liebling sekt (favorite poor-man's champagne), which I wanted for my birthday, in the wrong suitcase!!! Arrgh! Oh well, so I tell her how stupid I am and that it's sad that I have to throw them away, and she says, "Well, you can drink them right here if you want". I was like, "What? Seriously?"...."OK, why not!" I only had 20 hours of travel ahead of me...ok, it was only 9 am...but it was 5 o'clock somewhere!! So I opened one little bottle and handed the other one to the guy behind me, we 'cheersed' and then I had a little drinky with him and his girl-friend, at security, in the airport. That would never happen in Canada.

As I write this entry, I am sitting 32 000 feet above...somewhere, having just watched the Justin Bieber movie (actually a very moving piece of cinematography...I cried...and now can't stop singing "baby, baby, baby ohhh"...passengers are starting to notice). And, I have been going over the events of this past week.

I started a new job. A real job. With a significant contract. It took me about 4 weeks to actually sign it. Great guy and I talked about it a lot. He encouraged me to go for it. But, it's a committment. Now, with my first week behind me, I am feeling like this will be a good decision for me. When I return to Germany at the beginning of September, I will begin teaching English classes to cute, little German kids ages 5 to 7, every afternoon, in beautiful, little German towns on my side of the Rhein. The classes are run through a private organization, for interested communities and groups who want to learn foreign languages. There are 'English for Seniors' classes(which I might also have to start teaching..how fun!) along with classes for companies wanting to learn English-specific terminology and conversation for their industry. I'm excited.

This week I realized that as I jump over and push through each little hurdle here; whether it has to do with the language, work, money, relationship stuff, or moving to a different continent, I am feeling more and more comfortable and able and secure in my new life, in this new place, with my g.g. One less lonely girl.