Our time is running out...

It just hit me.

Next week is the last travel weekend.
Meaning it's the last weekend we're allowed to travel outside of Germany this semester.

Which means there are only three weekends left.

So, has anybody figured out that whole stopping time thing yet? Because I feel like it only now began to hit me how SOON I have to leave and how much I still want to do.....

Not ready to leave this place yet!

• Neuschwanstein
• Rothenburg
• Rhine River cruise
• stay overnight in a castle...
• explore more castles in general.
• Wartburg
• Speyer
• a lot of other things of which I cannot think at the moment
• explore more of Heidelberg and the surrounding area

And, sadly, I don't have enough time to do it all. And that's only the stuff in Germany! I would also like to go to Belgium (quick pit stop for waffles and chocolate? yeah, somehow that never happened...), among other places. My comfort here is the thought that someday I'll just HAVE to come back and finish my exploring :)

In the meantime, this next weekend I will be going to PRAGUE, and I'm so excited to see the land of my people (I'm a quarter Czech, the most I am of anything, so I'm just going to claim that as my history for the time being)!

And, despite the homework and reading and finals that loom on the horizon (the only reason the reading is "looming" instead of something with a more positive connotation is that it's assigned reading), I will just have to make the most of the time that I do have left. You know, stray from the Hauptstrasse and explore the shops down random alleys. Take day trips on the Strassenbahn or the bus or whatever. Laugh with friends whenever possible. Try new restaurants, but be sure to say goodbye to old favorites too. Hike Philosopher's Way (can you believe I still haven't done that?).

I'm already starting to take a more proactive effort in treasuring what little time I have left, now that I'm realizing how imminent my return to the States is. Thursday night a few friends and I went to stargaze at the castle, and we hung out on this balcony-type area (I really wish I were better at explaining this...) which has a view of the whole Altstadt. It was gorgeous; just like a fairy tale ball: the castle lit up, the navy sky with stars twinkling, the large space perfect for dancing. My friend Genesis indulged my fantasy for a bit by dancing with me, and then we all hung out, looked at the stars, and played games. It was amazing, and I hope to do it more often before I leave.

Today was great as well. I went with 6 other girls as well as our visiting faculty member's wife, Mrs. Lemley, to tea in Mannheim (a town pretty close to Heidelberg). It was SUCH a lovely experience to snack and chat with all those wonderful ladies in a pretty tea room with delicious scones, tea sandwiches, and tea. Plus, I hadn't even been to Mannheim before, which is kind of ridiculous (but I will return soon, because they have an English movie theater, and a few Hunger Games fans and I plan to go there to watch the movie together). Then after that, I went with a few others to an evangelical free service (auf Deutsch, natürlich). The service is every Sunday at 6 p.m., but this was our first time there. This guy that we met there asked us why we hadn't come before if we'd been living in Heidelberg since September. Honestly, we didn't know! But we're planning on going next week... especially since they will have a potluck dinner after the service.

All of this is the beginning of the end, and it's all rather bittersweet. Of course it's only now that we realize how much we want to do that we always thought, "Oh, I'll do it later. I have plenty of time" because now we actually don't have plenty of time.

There are good things about going home, too-- don't get me wrong-- but I'm not necessarily ready for this part of my life to be over yet. I will be happy to be home, but right now I'm not ready to leave. At least the beginning of my goodbye means that I now appreciate and take advantage of so much more that is here.