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Hungover Like A Rockstar

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Dear God!! I’m exhausted this morning! Huge difference from the excitement I felt yesterday morning, and I have my Sugar Free Rockstars to thank. In trying to work as much as possible before Friday, and getting everything organized for my trip, I’ve noticed I’ve gradually worked my way up to 4 or 5 Rockstars a day. They’re like crack! I was finally able to fall asleep last night around 3am, just in time to get a whopping 3 hours of sleep before getting up for another 12 hour workday. And now I’m cracking open another Rockstar to keep myself awake for work. The vicious cycle continues… At least until I leave.

A co-worker asked why I don’t just stop drinking them. Obviously she’s never been under the influence of a daily intake of over 600mg of caffeine. Oh no, I’m saving the fun of skull splitting, caffeine withdrawl headaches for when I leave. Mix that in with the inevitable jetlag, seven hour time difference, and lack of sleep, and I’m going to be having a GREAT first couple of days! So, if you hear of an American student in Germany who was found dead in his apartment from overdosing on aspirin next week, that’s me…

Less than a week…

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

I awoke this morning to the realization that I have less than a week until I’m in Germany!

My heart started racing at the thoughts of all the pretzels, beer, castles, wurst, and beautiful Frauleins that I’ve been missing out on for the last grueling 407 days. In those 407 days I’ve driven half way across the country and back, studied full time in Las Vegas, partied in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, eaten everything imaginable on a stick at Minnesota’s state fair, but there is is always a desire for international travel, and more specifically, to return to my beloved Germany. And in less than a week we will once again be reunited, and the excitement builds with every item I cram into my backpack.

It also marks the 3 day mark until I get to quit my job. While I do enjoy my job, quitting is the last major event before I leave, so it cannot come soon enough. Even with all my excitement, it still seems like a dream, and quitting always makes it feel more real. It takes every ounce of strength and determination in my body to resist the urge to quit now. Fortunately for my boss, I really need the extra money because the dollar is in such bad shape. I’m already losing almost 30% of my fund just in the exchange rate, and find my self wishing for every cent (+1 cent against the euro = 128 Euros added to my fund).

I’ve been asked several times where I plan on going while I’m over there, so I figured I’d answer that here. It has been said that the best way to ruin your travel plans, is to make them. So I’m keeping my travel plans loose. While school will keep me occupied during most of the weekdays, and pubs the weeknights, the weekends are fair game.  I bought 4 months worth of unlimited Eurail passes, so I really have unlimited access to its 20 member countries. The only real plans I have are to pound my liver into submission during the opening days at Oktoberfest and wandering around in Morocco after school at the end of December. I also want get to Istanbul during this trip. Maybe during my four day Thanksgiving weekend…