Wrapping Up

Since getting back from Prague things have started wrapping up very quickly.  In Denmark May is a great month for holidays.  There are many long weekends because of national holidays.  Normally there is only one full week of school in May.  And I have also had most of my weekends busy with various things.  So May has gone very fast.  Last week we went on a walking/ camping tour.  All of the students left from the school and walked 7 miles out to our camping site.  There are a lot of little parks all over Denmark with cool little shelters you can sleep in.

Just like these, only not as nice...

It was a fun trip. Although I think it was a little long. All in all the students walked 15 miles in two days.

Besides just having a bunch of delightful long weekends, most of them have been busy.  Two weekends ago I went down to Vejlefjord again to visit some students for the last time before I come home. This last weekend was camp meeting at a place called Himmerlandsgården.  It was an excellent weekend to see friends, meet new people, and what would an Adventist gathering be without Haystacks.  Although I can't wait to be back to American Haystacks, the European ingredients are not my thing.  One thing that I discovered at Camp Meeting is that in that particular area I am allergic to pretty much everything that grows from the ground.  So even though it was fun, it was simultaneously miserable beyond belief. How's that for your daily juxtaposition.

I am now in my last week of teacher here at Østervrå Friskole.  My last 2 days actually.  I can't believe that these five months have come to an end already.  I definitely believe that I was called here for a reason.  Before I took this job here at such a small school I would have never thought of taking a job at a small school.  I know there are a bunch of small Adventist schools all over the country. And in planning my life the way I wanted it, I did not see myself enjoying a small school.  But God had different plans.  I believe the reason I was invited here was to show me the benefits of such a small school size.  So it is those benefits that lead me to taking a job in Idaho at a small Adventist school of about 15 kids.  I'll be the only teacher and principal assisted by a teacher's aide and another lady who has been teaching for 20+ years to help me with planning and the principal side of things.  I'll have a short and busy summer before I move down to Mountain Home, Idaho early July.

I imagine this will be my last blog post on this blog, maybe some pictures from tomorrow if I remember to take out my phone.

Thanks for following along these last few months.

Farvel

A Very Late Update of Prague

I apologize I've been slackin' off on my blog updates.  I got settled, things got boring, and I got out of the habit.  But here it is, as a student reminded me with an assignment yesterday, "Better late than never."

A while ago (was it really over a month ago!?) I went to Prague for Easter break.  It was an excellent break from school.  I was able to stay in a really cool boat hotel on the river right outside the old town of Prague.  The little hotel had excellent breakfasts overlooking the river and Prague Castle. It was a wonderful way to wake up every morning.  I walked more in that week than I have walked in a long time.  I injured my foot walking so much, took a couple weeks after getting back before I could walk normally.

Each day I was in Prague I discovered something new, but the tourist area is really quite small.  You can wander for hours and never really go anywhere.  You think you're lost and then all of the sudden you are somewhere you'd been before.  While I was planning my trip I discovered that a friend from Vejlefjord would be there as well.  Most days we met up and tried to find some coffee or something to  do.  We succeeded.  One day I was out and found a place to have a traditional Czech meal, which involved a broiled steak and whipped cream....it was an odd combination I wouldn't have thought of.
But it was a good meal. And when I was done I found the most amazing looking cafe to sit and people watch at one of the local markets.  The only problem was I was so full I couldn't even think about coffee...I had to come back. And I did, with Melissa, twice.  In Prague the big thing is Viennese Coffee. Which is essentially strong coffee with whipped cream.  This place had the most amazing Viennese coffee of the many places I tried while in Prague.

Here's proof:

On my second to last night I decided to wake up early and get some night pictures of the gorgeous castle at night with as few people as possible. Prague has the reputation in Europe of being a party city, so finding a time with only a few people out and about is harder than it sounds.  So I decided on 4am.  Sunrise was at 6, so I could just stay out a couple hours and then get some sunrise shots as well.   Problem, at some point during the night they shut the lights off that shine on the castle...So when I woke up and got out to a good place to shoot, I couldn't see anything. So I had to just wander around for a few hours waiting for the sun. Here's the result of all my labors in Prague.

My tiny little boat room.

My Hotel was the coolest little boat. Or Botel.  It was small but with amazing views.

What is a tourist blog without the obligatory tourist photo or two.
I'm honestly surprised how few people I got in this photo...there were masses.

Just a street

Opera House

They had the coolest for-hire tour cars.

Ghosts 

Flying back into Copenhagen was a strange feeling.  I have come to consider that airport almost as homey as Sea-Tac. A little smaller, a little more hyggeligt. But I knew when I picked up my bag from baggage claim and walked through the world's easiest customs declaration, it would be the last time in a long time.