A quiet, but relaxing, weekend in Cottbus

Well, this weekend turned out to be nothing like I expected, but at the same time it wasn't disappointing either.

A few days ago Paul called and told me that he caught a really bad cold and he probably wouldn't be able to make it to Berlin with me for Christopher Street Day. I got updates from him everyday hoping to hear that he got better, but he never did. I think he works too much on his thesis, but that's just me : P I now know that I never want to write one of those... Saturday evening he called again (after calling once that morning to say that he wasn't going to be able to go) saying that he was feeling better and he could go. The plan was to jump on a train at 8pm, arrive in Berlin at 10pm, party until we caught a train home at 5am, and arrive back in Cottbus at 7am. The plan was completely crazy (although really spontaneous and awesome sounding at the same time) but I wasn't wanting to go partying that bad to give in. We both agreed that it would be too much trouble to go (also because Paul's first train back to Hannover wasn't until 7.30am) so I spend this weekend in Cottbus.

I got to sleep in, which was really nice. During the week I never get to and with all the traveling I've done on the weekends, sleeping in doesn't happen much.

I finished "Twilight", the book I was reading. It's amazing. At the end I found out that there are 2 more books in the series so I set off to find them at the bookstore that I've been frequenting. Turns out they have the 3rd book and not the 1st or 2nd one. Weird. But, for only having a bookshelf the size of one you might have at home full of English books, I was impressed. I know that it is completely wrong, unethical, and despicable in the world of literature to skip ahead in a series, but I consider this a drastic situation. I ended up buying the 3rd book. I figure I'll read the 2nd one eventually, perhaps when I get home. I know I ruined a lot of surprises and I'm lacking a lot of information, but the plot and story line is still there so it's fine. I know I'll read quite a few books before even starting the 2nd book, so I know I'll forget most of the spoilers anyways. All is well.

It rained a bit on Saturday. It poured actually right when I was on my way to the grocery store. Luckily I packed an umbrella but it didn't help much. I ended up getting soaked, but I didn't really mind. It was quite refreshing. I miss not having anyone to play in the rain with.

Saturday was a big day for me, as I reached my running goal for the summer! My goal for the summer was to be able to run 5 miles continuously. I did that Saturday night! I'm very proud of myself. At the beginning of summer I didn't really see it happening, but I worked my way up and finally did it. Unfortunately, now that I know I can do it, I will be forced to do it over and over again. Running, despite the fact that it has become an almost daily routine, is definitely not my favorite thing to do. It is, however, something I feel I need to do. Most of the time the two do not coincide, but what can you do?

Saturday night I fixed myself a very German dinner: potatoes, bratwurst, and beer. It was pretty tasty. Nothing special, but it was better than the turkey sandwiches I typically eat.

Sunday I slept in a good deal. Didn't even set my alarm - that was nice. The weather was really nice outside so I decided to pack my bag and head out for the day. I found this great little green space behind the town theatre that has a giant fountain in the middle. I brought a blanket and my book and read for a while under the sun. It was nice. Then I explored more of Cottbus that I haven't been to yet. I found this nice trail to walk down that led me between all of these houses and gardens. It's a residential area, I guess, but there's no access by car. The path was for biking and walking, and it let through this residential part where every inch of space is covered with small huts/houses, greenhouses, or gardens. It was really cute. I didn't reach the end of the trail so I'll have to go back one day and see where it takes me. It was such a beautiful day outside today that walking along it was very relaxing and I enjoyed myself.

Upon returning to my apartment I realized that I left my key in my room. Ugh. I attach my key to my water bottle when I go running. Last night after running I got online to talk to some people and after that I took a shower and immediately went to bed. I didn't clean up after dinner and didn't reattach my key to my keychain. This morning it didn't cross my mind to make sure my key was on my keychain, so I ended up leaving it behind. I found a girl and asked her if there was a number I could call to get my door opened. We called the number and the line was disconnected. Great. Then I saw a boy entering my building so I followed him in and asked if he knew how I could open my door. He showed me where the "Hausmeister" has a bulletin board with all of the maintenance numbers that I could call. I found a number that had the German word for key ("Schlüssel" - a favorite Germany word of mine) in it (Germans like to make up words by squishing 3 or 4 words together that all describe one specific thing) so I called it. The guy didn't speak English, but I managed to get him to my door to open it for me. Having my door opened cost me 30€! $45! Outrageous. Especially since all he did was pick the lock. I figured I could find a neighbor with a wire coat hanger and manage to open the door myself (plus I would also probably make a friend by asking for the hanger) but I was too lazy. Whatever. I'm impressed that I lasted so long without locking myself out. I always think to myself "Damn, I haven't locked myself out yet - go me!" but it had to happen sometime. Now I will be more careful.

The European Cup final was tonight between Germany and Spain. Spain ended up winning (damnit). I wasn't really in the mood to go watch the game so I chilled at home. No biggie. Soccer isn't really my thing and I didn't have anyone to watch it with so I chose not to be the awkward kid in the corner all night long.

I leave Thursday morning for Heidelberg! I'm really excited. The program I am in is having a conference there for all of the participants. I'm excited to celebrate the 4th of July with the rest of the Americans - Germany won't know what hit them... I've heard that Heidelberg is a really beautiful city filled with tons of culture, art, etc. I'm excited to check it out. Plus the program is sending us on a tour of the city, so that will be cool actually getting to learn about it. Plus I'm planning on visiting my Uncle Mac and Aunt Melody while they are in town. Hopefully I will have a few hours to eat dinner and hang out with them.

That about wraps it up. I'll update the Cottbus photo album with the pictures that I took today. Check it out.

28 more days.