Ups and Downs!

Hey everyone!!! So as most of you know I am in Germany!!! I made it safely. The plane ride was SOOOOOOO long and I didn't really get much sleep. I finally made it into Munich after the longest trip of my life. It was ridiculous. Thankfully I started talking to the girl next to me and she helped me navigate the airport a little bit. I went through customs and found my luggage. I then didn't know where my family was going to meet me because at home you meet the person coming off the plane at the baggage claim and there were two exits so I didn't know where to go. I was able to get a hold of my dad. He helped me figure things out and I was able to get a hold of my family. I found out where they were and went and found them. I was so tired.

We drove to their house and had dinner. I went to bed. I slept horribly. My body was still on Utah time but I was 8 hours ahead of Utah time. Because I couldn't sleep I ended up calling my family and talking to them for a bit. I basically just cried and told them I wanted to come home. When I stopped talking to them I maybe slept 3 or 4 hours. The next day Nevena woke me up when all I wanted to do was sleep. I got up and felt so, so, so sick all day. It was terrible. I had thrown up a couple of times during the night and I threw up when I woke up. Every time after I ate I felt worse. I went through the motions of the day and did things with my family. I tried to act happy but I wasn't. I went to the next city with Nevena to get my bank account set up and to kind of look around. It is so beautiful here! It is so different from home and I had a really hard time that day trying to not feel so alone.

That night I had a really great talk with Zeljko (the dad). He was so nice and so sweet to me. He basically told me that I had two choices, but I had to choose one or the other. I could go home and for the rest of my life have the thought of "what if" in the back of my mind. Or I could stay and give it a chance and have an amazing experience. He told me either way they would support me and love me. We had a really great talk and time together. It really helped me.  He had me stay up until 2 or 3 trying to make my body gradually get used to going to bed German time. I threw up a few times that night as well.

The next day, Friday, I was so tired. I hadn't slept hardly at all for 3 days and it was rough. But I no longer felt sick which I was so happy about! That day Nevena and I went grocery shopping. That is going to be one of my weekly tasks. And oh man it is going to be crazy to get used to. It is so small compared to home. And it's in German so that will be fun... Haha. AND when the cashier rings up your things they don't bag it for you and they go so stinking fast that you only have time to put your stuff right back into your cart. Then you have to bag it in your car. It is going to be crazy!

That same day I started driving with Zeljko and that was fun... Haha. I am a good driver... at home. Haha. Here I have to drive stick shift and there are just little things I have problems with. But it will get better as I practice!

Saturday was a great day. Zeljko and I went to Munich and walked around for 4 hours. It was SO fun. He showed me some super awesome churches that are really old and beautiful. It was so nice just being out and seeing amazing things and with Zeljko. It was great. =)

Sunday was AMAZING!!! During the week my dad found the English church that was closest to me. I was planning on going by myself but Zeljko and Nevena decided to come with me! I was so excited!!! So we went and we got there right as the English ward was ending. They hadn't updated their online schedule for awhile. Since I didn't know where anything was I saw the missionaries right down the hall and immediately went to them. I asked them when the English ward was and they told me so I know for next week. But I had mentioned to the missionaries my family were not members and they jumped right in. They took the boys to primary and they took Zeljko to an investigator type class. (Nevena was with Doro in the car because she was sleeping) It was SO cool! I was able to meet with my bishop to let him know I was there and then I went into the class with Zeljko. It was all in German but one of the sister missionaries translated for me. Zeljko asked questions and he seemed really interested. We then went to sacrament meeting. (We missed priesthood/relief society). The boys had a hard time sitting down for a long time but it was good. After sacrament meeting the missionaries were talking to my family and me, just getting to know us and it was so great. Elder Orchard, (who I found out is from Salt Lake so I was able to have someone know where I was from!!! It was SO nice) ended up giving Zeljko a Book of Mormon. =) they have so many questions and I love it.

Alot of the people in the German ward speak English and one of the sisters in the ward came up to me and asked where I was from and it turns out she is from Provo so I was able to talk to her about home. And she told me if I need anything to let her know. They were ALL SO nice and I felt at home. I LOVE this gospel!

I hope everyone who reads this knows how much I love this gospel. It means SO much to me! Coming here is a whole new world to me. It is so hard sometimes but I know that if I stay close to Heavenly Father and Jesus that I can do this. Last night I was having a tough time and I just fell on my knees and prayed. Heavenly Father knows where I am and He knows what I am going through and how I feel. I know that He loves me and that He has a plan for me. That is why He sent me to Germany. I am supposed to do something here. I don't know what that is but I do know that I will grow so much and I will be a better, stronger person when this year is over. Even though this is going to be hard, I am so excited to be here doing what the Lord wants me to do whatever that maybe. =) I will stay close to Him and this gospel and I will keep my head held high!

I love you all!!!

-Kasey =)

Ps.... I really really REALLY would love to hear from all of you so send me a text or a Facebook message or an email! =)

Adventure Is Out There!!!

You know where you are going. You buy your ticket. It gets closer. You start freaking out/wondering why you are doing it. You get so excited and forget those past feelings. All of a sudden you are saying goodbye to people. You get to the airport.... and find out your flight was cancelled.

That is pretty much the order of how things have gone up to this point. But it is just the beginning of all of my adventures! I was originally going to fly to Chicago, then to Dublin, have a 7 hour layover in Dublin then FINALLY arrive in Munich. But because of all the CRAZY storms that Chicago has been having this week they cancelled a lot of flights and mine just happened to be one of them. 

At first I was kind of bummed out I wouldn't be leaving today but then I realized that it was just fine. The lady that was helping me figure out everything was so sweet. I liked her a lot. She was able to find me another flight that leaves TOMORROW! Yay! At first she said that it looked like I wasn't going to be able to leave until Friday and that I didn't want to happen. So she called this airline and they said that they had a seat so I am now flying to San Francisco, have a 4 hour layover there, and then I fly directly to Munich! (which is an 11 hour flight... like I said... adventure is out there...) I am so excited to finally get there! And I realize that for me personally, this new flight is going to be much less stressful because I get lost so easily and I was so worried I was going to get lost at one of the airports. So now I only have to worry about one and I am so relieved. Then I just have to get on that plane and meet my family in Germany. :)

I will be getting to Munich on Wednesday. And I couldn't be more excited. Yes I am nervous. I will be in a new place, with new people, new language... etc. etc. But I get to go live in GERMANY for a whole year and be with the most amazing family. I don't know how to explain how lucky I am that we found each other. They are amazing. I am so happy that Heavenly Father is watching over me and is sending me to such a great family. I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

Well... that is my post today! Sorry I haven't written in awhile... there has just been nothing to talk about yet. I hope you all are looking forward to my blog overload within the next year. Cause... trust me, it's coming!

Oh and before I forget... I decided that I needed a theme to live by the next year. So what better theme than choosing something from my favorite movie, Up? "Adventure is out there!!!" That saying is going to be said a lot this next year... 

Get ready for my crazy posts cause, here they come!!! It will be hard, I will get homesick, I will miss Utah more than anything. And I will especially miss my family but I know I am supposed to be in Germany. I don't know why I am supposed to be there yet. I just know I need to be there. I will look to Heavenly Father for strength and help and I will keep my Head Held High through this next year. :)

Love you all!!!

-Kasey :)