Time (or the lack thereof)

It's time once again to take a half hour out of my life to update the world on my ongoing rollercoaster that some may refer to as "life". First off, all I can say is that I've never been so busy in my entire life and I hope it never ends. Many people like to run away from working and being busy, and many people make millions off of selling laziness to the world, but I figured out a huge secret in life is that if you're always busy, life will never be boring and you'll be proud of yourself no matter what. Now, I can't say that I've been doing everything right or have been able to take care of things well... Many things slip my mind amongst all the movement in my days and without my supportive family around me, I would've lost my marbles months ago. Just a quick gigantic thank you to the Kless's for keeping my ducks in a row!
Since I don't post regularly, there's quite a lot that I have to cover. First and foremost, exactly three years ago was when I moved to Germany the first time! Here's a cute picture to remind you all of how innocent I was at 17!

Young, innocent, naïve, and freshly shoved into the world of actually having to talk to strangers to get through airports! Ah yes, I remember the days so well...
But anyways, moving on to what two years ago was! That was me starting my super senior year at Boise High School!

What an eternity ago! I had just started working at KASP and what stoked about my half day schedules at Boise High! And now let's fast forward about one more year (last year). 

Ah geez, and I'm still asking myself why I cut all my mermaid hair off and why I didn't steal that teacup pig cuz that thing was stankin cute! Anyways, about a month after this photo was taken I moved to Germany for the second time and schwoop, here I am, 11 months later. (Photo for reference) 

Taken at the southernmost part of Denmark about a month ago, my hair longer and blonder (thank goodness), I'm excited to tell you all that I've overcome many obstacles in the last year and I will finally start my studies on Friday. I cannot even begin to describe in human words (no matter German or English) how excited I am to start studying. I will do one year at the Studienkolleg Hamburg and start next year studying Lerhamt to become a teacher at the University of Hamburg. I have a long road ahead of me, but I'm more than ready to face it head on! 

So! On with what you all have missed this past summer! 

OK so before I start, where the heck did summer go?! I was lucky enough to go on two trips with the Leibniz School and one amazing vacation with my host family. The first trip was at the end of June to England! And it was awesome! I got to tromp around southern England with 44 4th graders behind me and see all sorts of cool sights, castles, and hear my (almost) native tongue once again. 

 We had a very long bus ride with a ferry in-between before us (14 hours) and of course I grabbed my first Starbucks coffee in months (yes we have Starbucks in Germany but no I hardly ever make it to Hamburg to get it) but what they did have in England that I missed dearly was Reese's peanut butter cups!! (I boguht some for me and the fam right away because who can resist that peanut buttery American goodness)

 Our first stop was Canterbury Cathedral! Very large, very quiet inside, and lots to see! Due to low camera battery and the want to actually take the history in, I didn't take many pictures... But it's all in my heart so that's what counts...?! :-)

 My name was all over the country and I tried my best to jump into as many pictures as possible with them!

 This was just a rad picture on our way to Dover Castle! In a perfect world, there would be a picture of Dover Castle right under these words but uploading pictures is sometimes problematic so just imagine a really gigantic Castle on the coast!

 Inside the castle!

 On top of the castle!

 And with 44 4th graders, we hiked the few kilometers along the White Cliffs of Dover which is something I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

 Here's my brother Tom and I after coming out of a Smugglers Cave from the time of pirates and high taxes!

 And then London!! London was everything I wanted it to be but unfortunately we only had 8 hours to walk around the city before our bus took us back home. I will definitely be back to take a few days to see everything next time :)

 And onto my next school trip which was to Sylt with 43 3rd graders! Sylt is a German island in the north and is know for its muddy marshlands which show up every day when its low tide! I also can highly recommend a trip to there (but perhaps maybe try not to take too many third graders with you). A big thank you to the Leibniz school for having me with them!

 And then the school year was up and I had to say goodbye to all the students I made such good friends with! The elementary had a small event for the last day and I was lucky to get my own chair to watch!

 And onto Denmark! I unfortunately can't upload every picture from the two weeks, but here are some of my favorites!

 Danish is the number one strangest language I have ever heard.

 Oh! And remember when I told you to imagine Dover Castle? Well here you go!! Hope it meets expectations!

And that concludes the three amazing trips from my summer 2015! Thanks to all who were apart of them!

And now with school starting, I just want to put out a huge thanks to all the teachers I've had in my life who have gotten me here! You are all the ones who have inspired me to become a teacher and I thank you all! 

Alrighty my friends, I can't promise when the next blog post shall be, but here's to the new school year and to starting college!!! 

Kisses and hugs and viel Glück to all my friends who are also starting the new school year!

A Very Late Update : May 2015

Was it really only two years ago when I was approaching my return flight to Boise with such anxious feelings? Has it really been eight months since I left Boise to return to Wedel? Is time really a thing or just a ridiculous concept that should be ignored? I find myself asking these questions constantly as I watch the days fly past me with speed and ambition to slip past my fingers without even noticing. With the summer months approaching (um next week is already June??) I'm becoming more and more excited for my fully booked rest of the year.
So where to begin with updates?
Let's see...
Well in March, I began my internship at the Leibniz Privat Schule in Elmshorn, and I'm having an absolute blast working there. I have my own desk and set of keys and am substitute/student teacher for the 1st-4th grades (grundschule). This has been a really amazing environment for to test out the waters of being a teacher, and all I can say is that I'm more than ready and more than excited to start my studies, so I can have my own classroom ASAP!! I love the work I'm doing there everyday, and some really special opportunities are arising, such as the week long trip to England I get to go on with the 4th graders!!!
Next thing thats been an important pinpoint lately is running! Next weekend I'm running 10 kilometers in Wedels annual Krankenhaus Förderlauf, and I'm really stoked! Its so special to be in the best shape of my life and to feel healthy. I just got done running eight today, so hopefully I can fit some smaller runs in this week before Sunday!
University will be starting at the beginning of August after a two week vacation in Dennmark! I have to pass one more German test in July and then I have secured my spot there! Wish me luck!

So past all the important points and events that are currently taking place, I'll charge each of you a penny for my thoughts. I really am proud of myself. I have a long way to go, but I've made leaps and bounds of improvement in the last eight months that I didn't know I was capable of. The first thing anyone asks me when they first get to know me is how I do it. How can I live 5000 miles away from everything and everyone I've ever known? And the answer is fairly simple. You won't learn anything new or meet new people if you don't take giant risks. If someone had told my 16 year old self that this is where I would be at with my twenty years if age, I would've laughed and told them its impossible. I thought I'd never make it out of Boise, let alone the country. I knew all that was in store for my future was a lot of college debt.
If I hadn't gotten onto that plane almost three years ago... If I had never met the Kless family... I really can't promise where I would be right now. My life so far has had many cross roads that could've ended me up in terrible places, but for some reason the starts aligned with my courage to put me right here. Klar, I miss my family very immensely. I dream about them constantly and its a daily fight to not drop everything and move back to Boise... But focusing on myself is the most important thing I need to do right now. Despite the pangs of heimweh (home pain = home sickness), I feel good about myself. I know I'm doing the right thing. And its gratifying to feel so accomplished but also have so many goals in front of me.
I can only say thanks to my familys and friends so many times, but here it goes once again. Without the ever constant support of the Klass family, the Tanners, the Fullers, my teachers and coworkers, and my buds from school, I wouldn't be here. And since this is the only place I want to be right now, I thank you all for helping me be the best Torey I can be.
*insert cheesey tears and a big hug and kiss for all of you out there right here*

PHOTO UPPDDAAATE!

 This spring has already been mostly spent on the beach, and the summer won't be any different! Im so excited!

 Hey big news and shout to my host mom Katja! She now is working in her own practice one day a week as a Natropathist (Heilpraktik) which means she is using natural practices to help people become more healthy! This includes ear acupuncture, blood infusions, and chiropractic care! If you are in Wedel or Hamburg and you want to stop smoking, lose weight, or help stop that back pain, shoot me a message and I'll direct you there! Here's her website! http://www.kless-heilpraktik.de/ im really proud of her!
 Here we are at the zoo!!! I got to see elephants for the first time in my life and plus got to feed them carrots, was totally awesome.

 Arthos looking like the wild beast he is after we almost died trying to get through the marshes.

 YEEAHH feeding elephants!

 And I got to hang out with some goats at the zoo.

 My little brother Tommy and I at the last basketball game of the season for the SC Rist Wedel! We lost, but they still had a great season!

 Supposed to be paired with the Arthos picture above... Our boots after fighting through the sinking mud of doom (was sunk in up to my waist and thought I was going to die there)

 But thankfully we lived.

 Cool ships and boats that pass by us on the Elbe daily :)

 And some pretty cool sunsets to top it off!

This last weekend, our very good friends and now former neighbors moved! Tommy and I had the best job of working this life to bring the heavy things out from the second story of the house, we rocked it!

I'll try my best to keep updating my blog, but maybe its a good thing I don't have enough time to get around to it more often ;)

Ain't it Fun?

Hello one and all who still find my blog interesting!
In just about one week, I will have been living in Germany for exactly six months! Thats half a year! Ohmygosh, if you ever want to find out just how fast time can fly, move abroad and stress yourself out unnecessarily!
The last two months have been deal breaker months for me. I had been so lazy since September that I got very sad about missing Boise and for a few days, really just wanted to give up on everything here. Throw my hands up in the air and tell BSU I actually do want to go to their school for tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Thankfully, I'm very fortunate and lucky to have two families who love and care for me....enough to also kick me in the butt a little bit. I had been very lazy... and after deciding to stay in Germany and work through the crap I got myself into, things started to look up. Not all at once, and certainly not without a lot of self-frustration and last minute pulling stuff togetherness.
Yet, today I feel the happiest I ever have with what I plan and am doing with my life.
Currently I'm starting a practical internship at a private bilingual school, which will turn into a paid internship in May. My first three days have gone amazingly, and being a student teacher is amazing.... I'm finally in the setting I want to be in, helping children, and having a great time watching and learning.
And today a very important acceptance letter came to me which will be a deciding factor on my entrance to the university for August, so things are slowly showing themselves to be worth it.
I'm happy.
Sure I miss Boise like hell... but for the first time in a very long time (or ever?) I feel like I belong. I'm not worried or stressed about my future or what may or may not happen. I'm happy with what is all going on around me, thankful for the stress, and thankful to be busy.
Most of all, I'm thankful for the people who are supporting me. I feel so blessed to be able to say I'm part of the Kless family, and proud to say that I'm a Tanner as well.
For the first time, I don't have to say "I don't know where I'm going but thats ok". I can actually say very proudly and happily that I do know where I'm going. My goals have been set in motion and even if plans change (which they will) I'm still ready for whatever comes at me next.

And now for some pictures!!!! I don't think I've posted pictures since my ski vacation! So we"ll start there!

 These are all out of order but who cares!!! Here is me and my best friend/brother/the guy I spend the most time with, Tom Kless!!

 Is it a weird color? Its not supposed to be........ but here's a great pic from skiing!

 And New Years Eve! Only seems like yesterday, but here we are with March already....

 New Years Ever in the bar with my main buds!

 Of course, my favorite selfie of 2014

 Austria was so gorgeous, I feel so lucky to have had the chance to go there a second time! The weather was great and the snow was awesome!

 Katja and I being the cuties at the top of the world!!!

 And the view from our apartment (which was right next to the ski lift as well, awesome)

 The other day, a very wonderful mom who I babysit for brought me some Reese's!! It was amazing and made my day perfect.

 A few weeks ago I got to go bouldering at a rad complex here in Hamburg. There was no harnesses or anything involved, everything was focused around bouldering, and it was super fun!!!

  This picture says a lot that I can't tell with words or unfortunately other pictures. Last week was my last week volunteering as a practical intern at a bilingual day care here in Wedel. I was there for only two months, but I enjoyed those two months so much and I really felt at home with all the co-workers and children and on my last day they prepared some really special things for me! I will never forget my time there, and I hope all works out well with them!!

Okay, I end here now with the wise words of NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS because you can do iiiiiitttttt!!!!!!

*****hugs and kisses to everyone i miss and happy birthday mom and dad and ian!!!!*****