Where Do I Begin?

This is a sunrise over England...more beautiful than this picture showed. I wish Frankie could've seen it, too...
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Wow...where do I begin? I have been in Wiesbaden for about 2 days now and it's been a fun experience.  Peggy, one of my roommates, is awesome.  We're a lot a like and we get along really well.  We're both super sappy when we talk about missing our boyfriends (well, her fiancee) and we both agree that talking about the helps us feel better and doesn't make us miss them as much.

My first day of school was today.  It wasn't horrible.  I got a key to the school and teachers lounge already and I'm teaching English 9, 11, yearbook, and helping with cross country.  I've made a class newsletter already for my students and I meet with them tomorrow after school for the new student orientation.  I'm pretty excited about it.  All of the teachers here are SO revved up about me being here.  They adore me -- words straight from them -- and hope that I enjoy my stay with them.  The principal, Eric Goldman, is from Philly and is really great.  He made a HUGE deal about me being in their school and being the only hs student teacher in Germany.

This is Frankfurt from almost 2000 or so feet above. We had to keep flying around because of the "veerd clouds." I know I spelled it wrong. Imagine a German saying that...
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He gave me a huge introduction, talked about my qualifications, and my hs activities, and all kind of stuff.  I think he pulled most of his info from my resume.  It's okay here.  I don't think I'd want a job here, though...

There are a lot of stupid rules that the german army base residents have to follow.  These are: no laundry on Sunday, no outside activity after dark, unless there is sufficient light from an authorized source (the sun, perhaps??), no showers before 7 am and after 10 pm...  it's freaking crazy.

These are "veerd clouds." If you didn't know I was in an airplane, you'd think I took pics of melting ice in an ocean, ja?
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And the DoDDs system is good, but not great.  Teachers get paid 40 thousand to start, but they have their own set of standardized tests, they have to get new ids EVERY YEAR and there's a five year rule for teachers that aren't full time or soemthing.  It's not all it's cracked up to be.  Yeah, they pay for housing, but your family is only allowed to move in with you after your first year of teaching under a DoDDs contract.  NO WAY.

I can hardly do four months as it is. Then I have to do another year without Allan?  Forget that crap, dude.  I don't know.  It seems like more negatives than positives right now.

What is this? A Cloud or melted ice??
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And if I apply and I decide I don't want the job, they get upset with you.  Their thing is if you are offered a job, you better take it unless a family member is dying in the hospital.  It just sucks because if this school was in the states, I'd apply in two seconds.  i love the principal, i love my cooperating teachers, i love my faculty co-workers... it's just hte DoDDs system and the german government that i don't think too highly of right now.

Well, it's like 1:30 am here and I'm still typing away while Peggy sleeps.  What a trooper.  :)  She's an awesome roommate.  Let me just say that.

Random lake in Frankfurt...once the "veerd clouds" cleared.
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i love and miss you allan and frankie!  I love and miss you mom and dad!  I miss you michelle, kevin, jeremy, lynn, brandon, nikki...everyone!!!!!

Samantha