Family Makes Everything Better

I write this a week after my parents visited for six days. It was so wonderful to have them here--to show them a bit of my world. It's moments like these that make me homesick though--not because I'm having a rotten time here. I'm still having a fabulous time. I'm beginning to realize though that I enjoy this beautiful place and interesting experience most when I share it with the people closest to me. So my parents' visit as well as my friends' visit earlier in the Spring are among my favorite moments in Germany. Here's a picture of my host family and with the parents.

We finished their week with a football win on Sunday and a trip to

Heidelberg on Monday. And then on Tuesday morning, I drove them to the airport and said goodbye. I've posted several pictures from various places The photo above is a castle from our trip down the Rhine River.

Another significant part of my life the last month or so has been my work at Berlitz Language School. It's been a wonderful job so far. Teaching here is rewarding for a few reasons. First, I love seeing the development of students--their comprehension of the English language and their growing confidence to speak. Also, you get to develop good relationships with these people. I teach almost exclusively adults and get to hear their life stories about family, career, etc. Last Friday I went to a Mongolian grill with ten students and a few teachers just to hang out.

Berlitz in Darmstadt is really booming right now with business. On my first day teaching (the day after my Visa arrived), I was scheduled for only an afternoon class. I received a call, however, that morning at 8 am asking if I could hustle into town to teach at 9:45. I was planning on spending the morning preparing for my afternoon lesson, but I hopped into the classroom barely knowing the material and pretending to be prepared. I don't think Berlitz was cruel enough to plan it this way, but I actually learned most quickly and probably most efficiently like this--out of necessity with no time for anxiety.

The other pictures come from the football game (Dad got a free sideline's pass), Heidelberg and the Martin Luther memorial in Worms. What a good looking couple, huh?

Miss all of you. God bless!

Ryan