Birthday in one week....

18 already? How did I get this old?
I find myself wondering this often...how on earth did I make it to Germany? What would it be like if I hadn't come? What opportunities will Germany open up for me?
It's strange watching friends and family move on without me...but its taught me who and what is important in my life. Who I want to keep close and who I'll be able to let go. And letting go is strange...strangely easy.
And slowly I find myself wondering if family is a much bigger word than I thought. This past evening my host brother and I were talking about my home and siblings and dogs and it was so cool to me because he was telling me that he was my brother too. It touched my heart. Moving to another country to live with a "host" family doesn't mean you are simply a guest in the house. It means you have to give yourself up to the family. You have to be patient and learn your place. Its tough work, but completely worth it. Not only do I have three brothers back in Boise, but I'll always have my brother here as well. I am constantly feeling blessed to be here. Not only have I learned so much about Germany and its people, but I have also learned so much about love and what it means to be apart of a family. I can only hope to spread this newly found knowledge....
Hmm....
On another note, 18 was always the big age....OHMYGOSH 18. I mean, don't you remember when you were 14 or 15 thinking "ohmygoodness, when I'm 18 I'll be able to do anything! It will be so awesome!"
But honestly, 17 has been an excellent age. So I think I'm just going to stay 17 forever. Hah. Nobody can stop me either! Time is in the eye of the beholder! In fact, time isn't real. Its not a physical thing put in front of us. The only thing we have to prove that time is real is our withering bodies and the seasonal changes...but if time isn't real, than I can stay as young as I want. Muahahaha. But I am seriously excited for my birthday :) It shall certainly be one to remember.