21 August - Bitte?

I finally got the wine vineyards worked out but now there are all these new and exciting trails to run around by Skylar's camp. They go through the woods in every direction. It's gorgeous! I keep running my signage and old ruins of forts and things. A lot of the trails look like they are used for mountain biking and has really gotten me thinking about riding. A new friend has offered to teach me a thing or two if the weather cooperates when I get home. I can't wait. Of course I got lost again and this time turned left instead of right but still ended up far from home when I finally could figure out where I was. It also rained a bit, which was sooooo nice. I love running in the rain! It's like cleansing the soul!

Soon after I got home, it really started raining and thundering and lightning. It was pretty cool and made the thick air so much more breathable.

This afternoon, I was meeting Julianne in town for coffee. I was a bit early and stopped to look at shoes, but I could hardly look because the man in the store was so interested in why I would be in Heilbronn of all places studying. Such a small town for anyone from America to come to. He kept asking me questions until I had to go. Julianne and I chatted for hours. She is going home for a couple weeks and so we wanted to get together before she left and maybe we'll be able to get together again before I leave. It started raining again, but I had to go and get Skylar so off I went in my skirt on my bike in the pouring rain. I looked like a drowned rat, but had to stop at the grocery store for just a couple things. I ran in and got what I needed. There was a man talking to me, but I have learned it is sometimes easier to be cordial and just smile and nod rather than explain I can't speak German. Well, usually this works. I ran out of the store and stopped in the bakery to grab a pretzle because I was starving. So with pretzle shoved in my mouth and still soaking wet I mount my bike when the man from the grocery store tries to call me over to him. I just wave and start to ride off and so he gets out of his car and runs over to me. I told him I don't speak German and that I was in a hurry. He starts going on about how pretty I am and how he would like to see me again trying to form a string of English words into some semblance of a sentence. I politely try to tell him I am only here for a little while longer and that I have to go and he says I am speaking too fast. I finally just say Entschuldigung! and ride off. I felt really bad, but I had to get to camp before Skylar got out.

I made it there just in time. Skylar still hates camp and was thrilled it was Friday until he found out there was camp tomorrow too.