Okay I have been here for 4 months now and I have had the best time ever my next 6-7 months will be just as filled hopefully. Friday one of me friends and exchange student mentors goes home he has taught me so much and helped me with so much that I needed. Also a lot of other exchange students will be leaving and that is really sad but they have taught us the most important things that we will ever learn in life. This Friday is supposed to be the end of the world and personally I think it won't but who knows. Christmas is also 6 days away I can't wait here they do the most celebrating on the 24 and just relax on the 25 my first Christmas away outside the U.S. this will be fun. Tonight I actually went shooting with my cousin Markus he is basically my brother, but yeah he has a range set up in the garage attic it was only a pellet pistol so don't worry. What I have been up to since last time well I went and hung out with my girls Paula and Mallory they are probably the greatest friends I have in Rotary. That is mainly it . Friday I will go to a party to meet some new friends and hang out it will be fun. Luka is going back home for two weeks and so is everyone in my class except for me and marina hopefully that means we will hang out but I am not to sure. Okay that is all for now maybe on the 26th I will write about my Christmas. Bye

My week update I will try to update my blog at least once a week maybe more. To start on the weekend I went to Münster for the Rotary christmas weekend to hang out with friends and say goodbye to the oldies (exchange students that are leaving) that was fun I learned how to train hop with one of my friends that was great. On Sunday I moved in with my new host family they are awesome I have a host sister that is just full of energy and fun but she is Victoria's age so just can't get away from older sisters, I have a host cousin that will live with us for a little bit till she get her job in Dusseldorf, and my host mom is great oh she is so fun and is really helping me with my german in fact my entire family is. I have made some new friends, Alina she comes to get me for school every morning. I live in a new town called Uedem small but only a 20 minute bike ride from the Netherlands. Tuesday not much happened just felt sick same with Wednesday. Also I met up with Paula and Mallory this week not for long but enough time. Today is thursday nothing special happened. Tomorrow I go to a birthday party of a cousin. Saturday I go with my first host brother to see a professional Fußball game in Dusseldorf. Sunday I go to Moers (where Mallory lives to go shopping and to hang out with my Canadian girl (Mallory) and maybe Paula. Then Monday back to school. Oh yeah you may not care but Luka, Jonathan, Florian, and I are going to a concert with big name Hip Hop artists so yeah that will be fun. I also got the best deal ever on shoes €20 which is just amazing here they are ( kind of dirty).

I am also going to try and hang out with Gilly one of my best friends on New Years maybe go to Dusseldorf to celebrate so I don't I am depressed because he is leaving but I will definitely visit him as much as possible.
If you want to ask personal questions here is my email if you don't have it jessepannill@yahoo.com I check it almost daily.
Also my list of wants are still as of today the same cash is still greatly appreciated.
Okay that is all for now hope you enjoy and yeah goodbye.

Okay this week is the weirdest week yet. On Friday I went to CentrO it is a big mall but it has a Christmas market outside which was cool Luka, Jonathan, Jacqueline, and Florian went with me. On Saturday I went with my Rotary Club on a tour of an old coal facility it was fun but long. When I got back I went to hang out with Luka and it started to snow so we played in it with his sister and made a snowman. On Sunday I went to a charity thing with my family during the morning. In the afternoon I went to hang out with Mallory and Paula and we used public transportation the exchange student way it was fun we went all over the place just doing nothing. Today it snowed again all day and it was cold. This Friday I am going to Münster for the christmas weekend and to say goodbye to all the exchange students that will be going home in December and January. Then on Sunday I change host families and will move to Uedem. That is my week and what is going on so just letting you know.
                                                     Me and Luka with our snowman

Hanging with my friends from Rotary and having fun

Being Boss with Luka and Jonathan in Königswinter 

My pins that I have so many 

My Friend Jonathan and maybe my host brother gaming and teaching me about it

Shelby and Raquel the morning after our sleepover 

This is one of the buildings of my school to big to get a picture of the whole school

Snow from Saturday night

Took a pic of my class during class so that is why they are looking away

More of my friends from Rotary 

From Left to Right: Mallory from Canada, Shelby from California and Paula from California we were in Dresden 

Blurry but those our the oldies that leave within the next month they have helped me so much it is crazy they have given me lessons that have really happened and helped me

Three months

Okay today marks three months in Germany. I have done many things that have been awesome like go to the Netherlands and go on the Germany tour. I have also made many friends like Luka, Jonathan, and Marina plus many more. I have enjoyed my stay with my host family I leave in three weeks to go and live with my second family the Koch family in Uedem it will be great. Thanksgiving is also coming up and I will be celebrating it with the americans here. I changed from english classes to german classes to help me learn german faster. It is really boring because I only understand about half of what they say but my friends help me with what is going on.
I got to hang out last weekend with my friends I went to Luka's on Friday. Saturday Shelby and Raquel came all the way from Mulheim to hang then Luka, Jonathan, and Arne came over we all watched movies and did stupid stuff all night. Then Sunday we hung out till the afternoon. Hopefully next time Mallory and Paula can come. Oh yeah I will post some pics of my friends to prove they are real haha. This weekend is my other friend Jonathans birthday he is awesome for a metal head. There is also a party for the graduating class that they have many times throughout the year I am going just to see what it is like.
I also have a request list if you would like to help me out:
Money:
 is always wanted but in December I will be getting a lot of gifts for friends and family in germany and back in america so some extra spending money would be greatly appreciated(any amount is wonderful)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups/Pop Tarts Germany:
 lacks these and I would really love to have some right about now so that would be awesome.
The Hunger Games Books:
 these are not for me but my friends would like to read them. You will get them back it is just so they can read not keep.
Texas Flag:
 I would like to have one to take pictures with.

Any of these Items would be awesome if you want to send them directly to me I live at 11 Falkenweg Street Xanten Germany zip code is 46509 or you could ask my mom to send it for you or however you want.

Last night I went to my host aunts birthday party it was great. All her siblings put on skits that were super funny. I also met my host grandpa he was cool he told me the best story about World War II and how he and a few other german soldiers snuck into an american camp and stole all the chocolate just to get back at them it was so funny we both laughed forever. Today I get to hang out with Marina and maybe see Luka's basketball game. Next weekend is our friend Jonathan's birthday so Luka and I are going to throw him a party it will be epic.

Hi I know I have not posted in a while mostly due to the fact that I have been on holiday and a tour of germany. That is also the most interesting thing that has happened to me, on the tour we went to 12 cities mostly big cities like Freiburg, Munchen, Dresden, Berlin, and Hamburg. I have seen more big cities than most of the german people I have talked to and hmade some really good friends. When I was on the tour I did get homesick but not for back in texas for my home here I really missed it but now that I am back no worries. My german is also improving I still can barely read and write but I understand a lot due to the fact that my host family no longer speaks English to me. My host brother has really been helping me with my german and teaching me all the things I need to know about german soccer and has recently convinced me that Bayern Munchen is the best team and they are. On Halloween I am going to a party my class is having. Thursday and Friday are holidays so no school so on Friday I am going to hang out with my friend Marina from Ukraine we are going to watch the show The Walking Dead she is even more of a fan of the show than I am haha. On Saturday I am going with my host dad to my host aunt's birthday and I don't know what else. Then Sunday I get to hang out with Shelby I can't wait. Then on Tuesday I have to give a presentation on the U.S. for my class and a few other people.

Today was probably my worst day in germany it started out okay woke up went to school it was cold but not enough to need a jacket, also not a cloud in the sky. When I got to school at our first 15 min break where we have to go outside it started to rain hard and it got colder and we could not get inside because of all the people so me and Luka got rained on for 15 min other than that it was normal

Sorry I have not posted in a while the internet has been down so I have not had time to do anything like post but for now it is back up. This week has been fun got to hang out with friends mostly. My friend Ebru (from Turkey) had a birthday so we went out for coffe as her birthday present. Then Friday night we had a movie night we watched Horrible Bosses and The Change Up and it was fun. Oh yeah this is for Luka he wants me to let people know that he is actually quite brilliant. That is all for now.

Sorry I have not posted in a while the internet is messing up at my house. Yeah on Friday my friend Luka and I went to a club to hear the town band it was jazz but still good. The weather has gotten colder and more rainy. There is a new girl in my class from bosnia and herzgovina and she is cool. On sunday I had dinner with my youth exchange officer and her family also an exchange student from canada that came to germany in 2008 was there he is cool and the closest to an american in Xanten. I have to go and help Luka because he is a "retard" so bye for now

Sorry I haven't posted in a while been busy. On Saturday and Sunday I went to the Rotary welcome weekend and had a great time I met so many people from all over. I also found out that it is very impolite to say I am an american citizen because it is incorrect people from south america and mexico really hate when citizens of the USA say that so just for your information. I also met the two funniest people ever they are from Australia and the never met before they came in June and now they are basically brothers and they are just funny. This Thursday my class is going camping so that should be fun.

Today was great I woke up went to school learned english, german, biology, and art. The classes were all fun and my friends helped me in german which made it ok. I also Danced in front of about five hundred people that thought I was awesome I will have my friend video me next time. I also convinced a girl to dance with me on Monday in front of about five hundred people hopefully she will. This weekend I go to Dusseldorf for a Rotary thing so will not be back till Sunday. Bye for now.

Sorry I have not posted in a few days. Saturday night I went to a party with all my friends and had a great time. On Sunday I went to a Birthday party it was my host mom's brother and I accidentally had some wine with orange juice in it. In my defense it looked exactly like orange juice but tasted so bad. I was like what do they have in their orange juice then my host brother told me it was wine and we both laughed forever because it was just great especially when he told everyone else.

Last night my host parents family got together. We all talked and had drinks in the back yard until it started to rain then we moved inside. It was great one of their family man is a business man to america so he is fluent in english and he translated the conversations for me. Today we went to look at garage doors because my host parents want a new one and Christoph came to town for the weekend so we will hang tomorrow. Tonight I have a party to go to with my friends from Serbia and Turkey so yall will hear about that tomorrow.

For your information about food and drink. In germany they eat about the same at meals as in america.

They do not always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They eat about the same foods as americans. Germans drink carbonated and non carbonated water, but carbonated is better to them. They like their water cold but not seldom do they drink with ice. In germany they have coca cola and pepsi companies but not Dr. Pepper. In germany they drink their beer cold not warm maybe room temperature but mostly cold. This information is more for the people in the US not the kids in Rotary that already know this. Also my information may only be accurate for my region so not haters.

My family and house

This is my family but it is a few years old.

 This is the house that I live in it is great they just finished the Garden and the back yard it looks good.

Today I was able to go and explore Xanten by myself while my parents were at work. In germany some of the taxis are Mercedes which is awesome. I was able to see a Alfa Romeo, Opel and Dacia in person they are very nice. I also found a place called Howdy Tattoos which was funny because when I asked them if they knew anything about Texas or cowboys and farms and ranches they had no clue what I was talking about could be the Language gap. That is all for today.

Great second day in germany, my host dad and I got up and got rode bikes to get breakfast for everybody. After breakfast me and my brother went to see down town Xanten and we ate some of the best ice cream I have ever had. Then we came home grilled and ate lunch and I had the best drink ever it is Schwip Schwap which is coke and orange very good. Now I have free time so I am relaxing.

Introduction

Hey guys this blog is all about my stay in Germany. I will not post every day nut will try to post each week, and eventually my posts will be in German so if you don't know it google translate will help. I will also post pictures if you don't want to read.