Updates!

Hello!!
This weekend has been a very rude reminder that I am getting older and cannot stay up all night partying because I am totally dead to the world the next day. And when you have a 7 year old and a 4 year old who doesn't understand that the night before you took shots of alcohol that would otherwise never grace your insides it is an even worse idea. This all came about after deciding to go to a pub crawl with not really thinking that Europeans party all night and can do that, AND most of them have been doing that since their teen years. Let me start with my Thursday night, my host father Matthias and I went to a weekly meeting for people that are new in Frankfurt, and when we walked in I could already see everyone looking at him and I walked in and my first thought was awesome, everyone thinks I showed up with my dad. Sure enough, everyone did. All the people I talked to asked if he was my father, and eventually it just became easier to say he was my "host father". Everyone was extremely friendly and very excited about the fact that I was from California and that the GOVERNATOR once "ruled" my state. LOL No one here knows where San Jose, so I have decided to just say that I am from San Francisco because it is much easier then explaining where I am from. I met a girl from Santa Clara and we exchanged information and hopefully will be hanging out sometime this weekend! We got back around 1230 and that was fine because I could get some normal sleep hours.
Now... onto Friday night... We met at a central meeting place in the middle of Frankfurt, right away you pay 10 euros and they give you a wrist band a shot glass and fill up your shot glass with orange juice and vodka.. more orange juice then vodka.. Well after standing around for 15 mins, we get another shot and then are told to walk. We cross over an amazing bridge that had a beautiful view of Frankfurt (wish I had my camera) and we proceed onto the first bar. Well little did I know that those 10 euros you pay in the beginning buy you a shot at every bar. Mind you, it is not a shot of your choice, but they are all amazing! So we went to this bar and they are famous for their Apple Wine, very very sweet and good, but it is not a drink that I would play beer pong or any drinking game that requires you to drink a lot because it is incredibly sweet. Other then that we stood around talking to people in our group, and listening to random hits from the late 90's and early 2000's which was cool, but weird for me at the same time. I am used to hearing repeats of whatever is popular on the radio so it was nice to hear something different that wouldn't normally be played at a bar in CA. Well after that bar, we went to our 2nd bar of the night where I had the shot that was already provided and then the host mother also decided to buy me a Caparinha(sp?) which was amazing but it was something that my body was not used to because I immediately become friendly with everyone and was ready for me.
After the 2nd bar we went on to our 3rd bar, this one was underground almost and was very very smokey, not a huge fan but it was still cool. By this time, everyone in the pub crawl is everyone best friend and joking and having an amazing time! Some of the people who had started with us had dropped off, mostly because they were too drunk (1 guy in group was falling asleep standing up) or they liked the previous bar and wanted to stay. Either way it was still an awesome group of people! By the time the 4th bar came around our group had drunk from 15 to about 5 people, we went to this bar that was supposed to be our kareoke bar but it had just finished and was more of a bar with a dance floor in the middle, so of course I went out and busted a move with everyone in our group! After that the tour guide (christoph) and I wanted to go to a kareoke bar so we told everyone who was still with us if they wanted to go we were going now and sure enough everyone went with!
I swear this last bar was like the size of my kitchen at home.. SO SMALL! Well we went to the back found my kareoke song and proceed to wait and have a beer while we waited. Germans, trying to sing in English is not the best but you have to admire their spirit and the fact that they do the most random and fun songs! Our tour guide did Yellow Submarine, never heard that one done in the states! :) Well after I sang we decided to finally look at our watches and realized that it was 430am and that it was probably a good idea to get back because the girls would be waking up in about 2 hours. Well we finally got home at like 530, after walking to our car and everything. It was a very long night. I finally woke up around noon to some little 4 year old knocking on my door and seeing if I was still alive, once I reassured her that I was, I stumbled back into my bed and wished I had not taken that last shot of Jaggermeister. Well when I REALLY woke up around 2 I rolled out of bed and showered and went downstairs told the mom I can never do that again and she just laughed and said that there will be plenty more times like that. Sooo essentially I am screwed. Overall a good night but the aftermath was horrible and not fun at all.

Today after a full day of recovery, we went into Frankfurt and Nikki showed me around. We took the train in so that I could see how it works for my future adventures in Frankfurt, and it is overall pretty easy and cheap! :) We got to the center and I saw a very old Opera house, built in the 1800s and has 5 different floors and has amazing acoustics which is rare because it is so old! After that we walked around a center that is famous for all of its restaurants! Then as we were crossing a street Nikki pointed out a watch tower which was awesome because its 1 of only 5 left in Germany, and you could only imagine all of the awesomness that happened there. We came next to this huge cathedral and I went inside with the girls and lit 3 candles and walked around a little and saw some really cool pictures and a really really big organ. Super awesome! Overall it was an amazing day and even better weather! :) Tomorrow I start my week all over again and have to take the girls to school and take care of them for the next 2 days because the mom is going out of town!

I will write more later this week! Hope everyone is well!!

xoxo