These are pictures from the past weeks they cover Vienna, skiing, Kosice, and maybe something else I don't know for sure.

Above is a photo of a street performer maybe, I don't know if that's what I should say because he didn't really move or say anything, still cool though

 A street performer whistling Mozart in the street, he was supposed to look like Mozart as well.

 Of course he was willing to take a selfie!

 Concert hall which was opened by Mozart.

 Famous church in Vienna, I forget the name though.

 Thought the building was neat.

 Inside the church people lighted candles for loved ones.

 Mine for P.G

 President of Austria's house! WOW

 Presidents courtyard.

 Now this is interesting. This balcony is where Hitler gave a speech when he occupied Austria, No one has ever given another speech, or even stepped foot on the balcony since, honestly I cant blame them for doing that.

 I think this was the state house or some sort of congress building.

 Honestly have no clue what this is, maybe a church but it was very pretty.

 Beautiful tree in front of the building.

 Christmas market in Vienna and some real pretty lights.

 Kosice Christmas lights on main street.

 Kosice state theatre

 St. Elizabeth Cathedral Kosice.

 The organ in St. Elizabeth Cathedral. Man I bet Dream On would be spectacular on this organ, but I think Aerosmith is a no no in church.

 St. Elizabeth Cathedral

 Pulpit in St. Elizabeth Cathedral

 View from under the chandelier in St. Elizabeth Cathedral

 Mother Mary

Skiing in the High Tetras with School and the mountains in the back ground. Thanks GoPro for the shot.

Okay I know I haven't posed in a while and I'm sorry. A lot has happened in the past month or so. I have been to Vienna Austria and Bratislava Slovakia with rotary. also Christmas which was okay definitely a cocktail of emotions. Also a new year with a new family. But that's not what I am going to talk about right now. Don't get your knickers in a twist I will come back to all that stuff. But recently I have felt the most at home in ages, not because I have become familiar to the culture or because I love where I am, but because I found my mental happy place in real life. And that place is on a frozen lake with a stick and puck and a game of hockey. Lacing up the skates and stepping onto ice that probably isn't the safest yet have never been on smoother or clearer ice. Getting up at sunrise and skating to your legs say "Um we may need to go off now." (About four hours straight of hockey) Some people don't understand this feeling and it is quite hard to explain but its a natural feeling the pond or lake gives you it cant be achieved on a rink. there is a sense of freedom to it. It is where the legends like Lafleur, Messiar, Hull, Eddie Long, Reggie Primeau, Lionel Repka all started and learned there skills. A pond is where hockey is born, because you can do things and try moves on a pond that you could never try in a practice. It is also where you can play no matter how old you are. I've seen 80 year olds play a game with 10 year olds and its an even game because there is no age on the ice, hockey takes over and its a child's game. I am not that good at hockey but what the pond allows you to do is become one of your heroes even if it is for only a few minuets, you can play like Lafleur or Messiar. There was a famous line said in the movie Moneyball, and I would agree with it for the most part. "We're all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children's game, we just don't... don't know when that's gonna be. Some of us are told at eighteen, some of us are told at forty, but we're all told. " This is true for the most part but the pond will never tell you if you can skate you can play here. I have been fortunate enough to play hockey on the pond for the last three days and was going to today but my ankles said "No we need a day off." I can tell you though its the best feeling in the world and if you don't know it I recommend you go find it.

Oh and I have the smile of a six year old for most of the time I'm on the ice. Also goalie skates are about the worst thing to actually "play hockey in!" They are definitely not meant to start stop quickly or make quick transitions but its what I had so lets play!

Christmas Lights in Vienna, Austria

So thanksgiving, first one that I was not at in my life happened yesterday. I would say I'm thankful for many things, but some are more apparent now than others. Firstly though I promised my mom that I would do some things I'm thankful for here in Slovakia, fair enough I am here and not there. #1 I'm thankful for my first host family, I may not always get along with the host mom but I couldn't ask for a better host brother and host dad, and I'm coming to realize that my host mom is like every other Slovak mom so she is not bad either. #2 having a few great friends from around the world, Taiwan, Slovakia , Brazil, just to name a few they are why I am here, I have some of the most amazing friends ever. #3 I am extremely happy for the opportunity to be here, it wasn't easy nor fun to get to where I am at now but I am glad that I am here. Now for the things that are most important to me and what I am truly thankful for. MIA FAMIGLIA, I've always been thankful for them but I never knew how much I truly loved and cared for them until I went on exchange. Even my non blood family means the world to me and I now realize that I don't make friends, I make a family. What you would call my friends, I would call brothers, they are what I have and what I care about. Now mom don't get upset here but I am going to mention dad and acknowledged him, sorry. I am extremely thankful for my parents, especially my dad because now I see how he has shaped and molded me with the advice he gives unbiased and showing both sides, yet still allowing me to make the deduction for my self and grow from that, right or wrong, he lets me choose for myself and has faith that I will do the right thing. Thank you Dad.  Mom I can't forget you though, I love you a bunch, so all I have to say to you is, MORE! So that's what I am thankful for and can't wait to get back for next years thanksgiving!

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."

Richard Bach

Creatures of habit and consistency tend to play thing safe for obvious reasons. Change is necessary but those who like patterns in life don't necessarily take this change in the best ways. Being a creature of habit and consistency and being an  exchange student is more than a fish out of water situation. It's more like a platypus in the desert kind of situation. I knew I was a creature of habit and tended to not like change. Not until I went on exchange did I fully know the extent of that though. I feel I could survive here but not really thrive here and that is for a few reasons. First of there's really no consistency in life here, it's a crapshoot of what is next. Unlike my life in America where I had a pretty regular schedule between work practice and family life, here that is not such. The friends are not capable of being a friend like those I have at home, my friends at home have developed over years and took almost a year before I would actually hang out with one of them, so for me to say I have friends here after three months is hard for me to do. Also I can not use sarcasm here because they do not understand it and think Im serious, nor can I be mean to anyone because you just can't here, you have to tread very lightly and I don't do that all to well at times. Sometimes I just like to be the famous picture of Johnny Cash with that finger flying and the word formed on his lips. "Sometimes I am two people. Johnny is the nice one. Cash causes all the trouble. They fight."-Johnny Cash 
Am I happy I am here, yes, I would say this is the most adventurous, a test of will power, and strenuous thing I have ever done. And when asked why did I do this before I left, I truly didn't have an answer to why I dos this, now I have the answer. The answer to why I became an exchange student. To prove to my self that I could do something so challenging and difficult, and FINNISH IT. Some of you know me very well and would know that I tend to not finish projects quite often. And I suppose in a way I had to show my self that I was capable of setting out on something and achieving it. Now I probably could have chose something simpler. But this was something extraordinary and a wonderful opportunity to get out and explore, while still proving something to myself. So Mike Rich. When you asked me a while back in the early summer why I wanted to be an exchange student and I said I don't know but I'm happy I'm here. Well I figured out the answer so there you are.

I have come to the realization that as Americans, we tend to become independent at a very early age. In my case I started to become independent around 15 when I started my first job. At 15.5 even more independent with a drivers license. By the age of 18 I feel like I was very independent for my age, buy my own clothes, gas, food at times, and held a steady job. But being an exchange student at least from the USA, I feel like I have become 12 again even though I am 18. I cant go anywhere without help from someone, whether that is a ride somewhere, or explanation of how to get there or so on. Nor can I call my friends and say hey meet me in the bowling alley in 30, or my house in 40 for a bonfire. You cant do it here, first off students don't work here, and if by some miracle they do, its only for like one or two days a week, and their pay is virtually 0. Second they cant drive until they are 18, so they rely on busses and parents. For me being dependent is unnatural and physically discomforting. Also you have to watch your back with whatever you do because rotary over here has so many minuet rules, that one misunderstanding can screw the pooch on a lot of things. I feel like I am dependent and have wiped away half of my life and started over again at 12 even though I really haven't. It truly sucks in a way.

Ok so just a quick update of my day and some things that have recently transpired. Today on my 15km hike, yes I am so done with hiking but at least I'm not siting at home. All of the falling leaves made me think of the thought of the day, so here it is. Falling leaves are like peoples thoughts, you cant catch every single one but if you can catch one or two good ones, who knows what they might bring. The ones that are never caught will just fertilize the tree, growing more leaves to fall later. so with that being said I caught a good leaf I think and I'm going to follow my though through. I am going to be writing a tell all book about my experience here, good bad, the drama (clearly there is drama all my friends here are girls except my host brother, well he can be a girl at times so yes only girls.), all the things you really should know and shouldn't know about an exchange. Not going to sugar coat anything to the best of my ability. I have no clue how this is going to turn out but I can say this, it will be an interesting read when finished. oh and just an fyi I've lost roughly 15 pounds while here. give or take.