July is already here?!

It has been quite a while since my last post, so I will back up a little in time. Last time I wrote I was getting ready for my adventure to Alghero, Italy. The trip was amazing; absolutely paradise! The ocean and town were so beautiful and the weather couldn't be better! The "bungalows" we stayed in were also perfect. We had four people in each bungalow and a small kitchen behind each bungalow, which were perfect for cooking meals. However, we didn't spend too much time actually in the bungalows with the beautiful beach just a couple steps away. Other than laying on the beaches and soaking up as much Mediterranean sun as we could, we also went on a boat ride to Neptune's Grotto (a caving system close to Alghero). Unfortunately when we actually got to the caves, the water was too rough and dangerous to dock the boat and get into the caves. So we turned around and headed back to Alghero. On the way back, however, we stopped at this beautiful little bay to take a break. At this point the people in charge of the boat told us that if we wanted we could walk to the caves and then catch a bus back to Alghero. About 6 of us decided to embark on the adventure and in no time we were climbing up a rocky hill in about 90 something degree weather. About 15 or 20 minutes, later we found ourselves at the top of about 600 stairs leading down into the caves. The caves were amazing and so beautiful, and with our good luck we were able to get a ride home on a boat that was able to dock into the caves. We also were able to take a few excursions into the heart of Alghero city and take a look around at all the beautiful old Italian buildings. Finally on the last night we enjoyed an amazing seafood dinner right on the beach. Then we all headed back to Oldenburg a little bit redder and a lot more relaxed.

July fourth turned out to be a blast here in Germany. All the Americans as well as quite a few other foreign exchange students got together and had a great time with a barbeque, s'mores, and fireworks. For some, it was their first s'mores! Everyone had a lot of fun with the celebrations.

As for now, I can't believe July is already here! School has finally come to an end and I have only 3 more weeks in Germany! I have one more class (as well as a paper to finish) and I will be completely done with my summer semester in Oldenburg. The process of achieving credits, nevertheless, is quite interesting. Instead of automatically receiving credits, or even grades for that matter, we are given yellow sheets which we have to fill out with the information about the class such as title and course description. Then I have to ask the teacher for credits, a signature, and grade. After I have collected all of my"Scheine" from all of the classes I have taken, I will need to meet with the American advisor here in Oldenburg to put together a transcript. Once back in Laramie, I will once again need to meet with my advisor to finally once and for all receive my credits. Somewhat confusing, but easy enough.

As I have previously said, school ends this week, and then I am off to London for the weekend (thanks to Ryanair once again). I am going with 4 other girls (3 who are actually British). We will be exploring the amazing city for four days and then back to Oldenburg for two more weeks until I fly back to the states. For the last two weeks, I am planning on visiting more cities around Niedersaxon and the Nordsee. For the last couple days, I am also planning on visiting Caroline and her family once again. Then a 10 hour flight and it's back to life in the United States.