Becoming Mary Poppins

Since my last post, I have become a full-time nanny for three wonderful kids. Naomi, 7, Sebastian, 6, and Gisselle, 2, are a joy and honor to get to know and love. Naomi is a bright and avid reader. She does gymnastics and ice skating, and loves to draw, play monopoly, and stay inside to read. She likes to assert her position as the oldest sibling by answering questions meant for Sebastian, since, after all, she was in first grade last year. Sebastian loves soccer, bike riding, and hockey. He may be small, but he has a fiery spirit and packs quite the punch. He currently sports a bruise under his eye due to a fall on the playground, but seems generally unfazed by it. He loves playing with his younger sister, and is hard to wake up in the morning. Gisselle is my buddy. We hang out all day while Naomi and Sebastian are at school. She loves her baby doll and her pink bear, and has a blossoming vocabulary and a sweet, shy nature. She just started gymnastics class this week.


Sometime I feel like Mary Poppins. I love to sing with Gisselle and Naomi, and I actually dressed up as Mary Poppins for Halloween! (Sorry, didn't take any pictures in the costume.) But the kids ressed up for their school Halloween Parade. Sebastian was an air force pilot, and Naomi was a mermaid. Gisselle was a ladybug, but she wasn't in the parade. Probably because she's 2. Enjoy the pictures!

Sebastian (1st grade) in the school parade.

Gisselle on a fall day in the park, holding the pumpkin she picked out.

Naomi (2nd grade) on the left, posing as a mermaid at her school parade.

Gisselle and I on Halloween, with her baby doll and teddy bear.

Out for dinner with Auntie Risa!

Gisselle refusing to smile for the camera.

Leaving the Nest

This past month at home has definitely been a blessing. The weekend I got back, we had a family reunion for my Grandma’s side of the family, and we saw many of my Dad’s cousins that I didn’t even remember. I also enjoyed spending time my younger sister, and helping her pack for college. We left on August 14th. A trip to college, for our family, equals family vacation. Anna's school, Anderson University, is about two hours from my Aunt and Uncle and cousins in the Charlotte, NC, area. So we spent several days with them before the big move.

These few days involved a whirlwind of activity. We spent a day at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. This involved not only rafting, but zip lines, ropes courses, and biking. We were exhausted at the end of the day. The next day (poor planning?) we went to the amusement park where my cousin Caylie works, Carowinds. Another full day of adventure and excitement.

Now that I'm home, the last birdie in my parents' nest, what am I going to do? Move out, of course! My job search led me to a full time live-in Nanny position for a family near Wheaton, which I was offered last Thursday. They were hoping to find a Christian to commit to at least one year, possibly two, with their family. I have told them that one is all I can do, because I plan to be in Kandern, Germany next August. I’m so very excited to get to know this family and their three kids, and to spend "senior" year near my Wheaton friends.

While I was praying about all of this, I started to read Elisabeth Elliot’s biography of Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India. She too had setbacks and periods of waiting before she “shipped out” overseas. In August 1892, Amy was all packed to sail for China, but the mission doctor did not clear her to leave. Amy returned to where she was staying to wait on the Lord, “but one thought never left her, ‘This is not your rest.’” After praying and waiting for months, Amy did go. This next will be a period of waiting on the Lord, praying for His guidance, and continuing to raise funds to serve. But I have this reminder that it is not a year of rest. I cannot rest when I long to follow the calling I have received.

If you would like to be added to my email update list, please send me a quick email at amanda.carini@my.wheaton.edu. Thanks!

Changing Plans

This week has been pretty rough, emotionally. On Friday night, we had our graduation ceremony for the Junior Year in Munich program. When I got home, I couldn't find my keys or my wallet. I did find them the next day, I had just left them at the restaurant, but it was a nerve-wracking time of not knowing where there were in the meantime. Sunday morning, I took my friend Katie to the airport to see her off. On Monday and Tuesday, I had to make a pretty tough decision. With the help of RCE and BFA staff, and the guidance of my parents, I decided that I needed to buy a plane ticket home. I do not have the financial support to serve at BFA yet. That said, I will continue to raise support until I can serve at BFA, whether it takes another month, or even another year. I will not give it up, but I do need more time. My flight leaves for the U.S on Sunday, July 26th.

Stay tuned for another update once I'm back in the States!

Thoughts on Graduating

Well, this is it. I’ve completed every requirement of my Bachelor’s degree. Wheaton has an August graduation date, so that will be when I get the official diploma. I hope to participate in the May 2016 graduation ceremony with my class. This evening, we have the Junior Year in Munich graduation ceremony, which includes some awards, yearbooks, and dinner. After that, I have three more weeks in Munich before my train to Kandern.

It’s definitely strange, graduating college from afar. I don’t recommend it. You don’t really have closure. I probably should have spent my semester abroad last year, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to know these awesome people. I do regret not having a Senior year, but what does that really matter in the grand scheme of things? I don’t have to pay for another year of college, and I get to live in Germany longer! I’m so excited for what’s coming next.

God is so good. I had two and a half wonderful years at Wheaton, forming lifelong friendships with the people I met and lived with there. I had 4 amazing months with the students from Junior Year, and now I get to meet a whole new group of people at Black Forest Academy. I am so thankful for everyone in my life for getting me to this point. I still have three weeks here, but I have several loose ends to tie up, and of course I’ll have to wave goodbye as everyone leaves over the next two weeks.

One loose end is a library fine. It came in the mail Wednesday. I still had the book (two weeks overdue) for the paper that was due yesterday. So I went to return it. They told me again when I returned it that I owed the money. But, I couldn’t pay it there. So I asked where to pay it. She gave me directions, and I followed them. But the only office I could find had about thirty people waiting with numbers for their turn. As I had a class in 15 mins, I decided not to wait. If they want my money, why are they going to make me wait that long? I’m not even sure that’s the right place to pay the fine. Regardless, I’ll figure it out another day. Also, I can’t check out any more books until I pay the fine. How will I read for the next few weeks?

Another loose end: what to do with my bike. I love this bike. I got it at a flea market at the beginning of the semester for 35€. I’ve ridden it to class, for fun around the city, and mainly around the English Gardens. It probably won’t be hard to find a new bike in Kandern, but I’m still looking at shipping it there. Otherwise, I might try and sell it here in Munich before I leave so I have at least the start of money for a new bike. I would love to get a bike with a bell and a basket, though those are upgrades that can also be purchased separately.

The final loose end: packing. I know I’ve only been here a semester, but I still accumulated quite a bit of stuff! I can’t take it all on the train with me to Kandern, so I’m figuring out how to ship it ahead of me to Kandern. Then I still have to fit the rest of my stuff back into two suitcases. I have a lot of clothes, dishes, sheets, a few books, and so much more. I’m also gathering free stuff from some of the other students, since most of them aren’t taking their dishes back to the States. Hopefully I’ll have enough to furnish a new apartment. (Just kidding. I know I have enough stuff.)

Summer vacation in Europe. Living the dream. Of course, I have limited funds, so I won’t be going very far. I hope to travel to Belgium for a bit, but I have to make my funds last until I get to Kandern. Budgeting skills, let’s go!

Speaking of money, I’m still raising funds for my time at BFA. If you would like to be on my prayer email list, please send an email to amanda.carini@my.wheaton.edu. With the time I have over the next few weeks, I’ll be making phone calls to churches and looking for more supporters. Let me know if your church (or a church you know of) might be willing to support me on a monthly basis. And, as always, please keep me in your prayers.

Patriotism and Picnics

My sister Anna graduated from High School on June 28. My Gramma Wind was able to come to town to see her graduation ceremony. Joel and Anna also drove up from Philly to celebrate. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Meanwhile, I've been thoroughly enjoying the warm and sunny weather here in Munich. It got up to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit this past weekend. But, I'm keeping cool by swimming in the river!

Some of the students organized a big Independence Day celebration on the Fourth, so that we could obnoxiously celebrate our freedom. We paid in advance, and could eat as much food as we wanted. The picnic lasted from 2pm until whenever (I left around 11pm during the bonfire, but I heard some people stayed until 2am). I did leave in the evening before the bonfire, so that I could send some emails and get some stuff done in my room. The homework never ends.

It was fun day of grilling, games, and goofy people.  It was definitely warm, but we all jumped in the river to cool off for a bit. They also had hundreds of freezie pops for us to eat! All in all, it was a well-planned picnic, kudos!

This final picture is from a coffee/breakfast date with Caroline. I love getting meals or coffee/tea with friends one-on-one to really get to know these people. Sometimes the visits to coffee shops are just to chat, sometimes to study, but mostly a mix of the two. But they've all been great times of deepening friendships that will last long after this program ends!

More Mountains

As of today, I have one month left of college! I know it seems weird to have class throughout the summer, but it hasn't been too bad, honestly. Summer hasn't even officially started yet! Yesterday I had a presentation in front of a class of entirely German students. It was very intimidating, but they were very nice about all my mistakes. This may sound weird, but the next things I have to do aren't due until July 14th, just under a month away. I have completed everything except for the papers and exams of finals week. Now I have to work up the motivation to study this far in advance.

Don't worry. I'm not just hitting the books. This past weekend, a group of us climbed yet another mountain!

Beautiful, isn't it? It was a chilly, cloudy day, but the sun came out just as we got to the peak. Then, when we reached the bottom again, we went swimming in the lake. The water was cold and refreshing. I love living so near the Alps. It makes for some amazing scenery.

BFA Update: I was looking at train/bus tickets to Kandern today. It's coming up really soon! I'm planning on arriving there sometime between August 5-8. Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to prepare and raise support for the next chapter in my life!

What do you fear?

As I was journaling last night, I asked myself that question. I don't mean What are you scared of, like spiders or heights. What is the deepest fear you have, perhaps so deep you can't even admit it, because saying it out loud might somehow give it that power over you? Of course such a fear may be too personal to share, especially to post on the internet. But think about it. Once you know what you truly fear above all else, you can look at why. Why does that scare you so much? For me, looking at the reason shows me what I truly value and love in this life.
Here is an example: I fear losing control. Though it's not my deepest, most painful fear, it still has a great hold over me. I fear losing control over my mind, faculties, and actions. Even losing control over small situations is very frustrating. Perhaps that's why I'm competitive. Obviously this shows that I value my control highly. And yet, part of my faith in God means giving up control over my own life, my decisions. Because when I told God, "Here I am, send me!" I meant it. My life is not my own.
That being said, I have to find a balance between giving up control in the big picture, while still remaining in control of the smaller things. After all, self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

One thing I haven't minded (much) losing control of this semester was my schedule. In fact, the days when I didn't care about time have been the most relaxing and rewarding of my entire life. Sometimes this just means leaving my phone and any other timepiece at home, hopping on my bike and riding around. When I get tired of that, I'll pull out some homework or a book. When I get hungry, I'll eat. Try this sometime when you have a whole day free. You'll feel so very free.
Or when we traveled to Rome. It was difficult, but when I put my phone down, (I was using my phone as a map) we got to see so much more of the city. We didn't plan out every moment of every hour of the day. We found out the general direction of something, and we walked there. This often meant ending up somewhere else. The point of it was to enjoy the journey.

We came, we saw, we conquered!

Today I want to highlight the trips of the past two weekends: a Sunday adventure to Salzburg, and a weekend excursion to Rome. Salzburg was a last minute trip planned with Sarah and Katie. We didn't really know what to expect, or what there was to do in Salzburg, so we simply explored. That is, in my expert opinion, the best way to get to know a European city.

 This is a picture of Salzburg from above. We climbed one of the many hills surrounding the city, and saw the abbey where the real Maria von Trapp had lived, which was also used to film some parts in the film The Sound of Music. Also on the hill was a fortress, but we didn't go into it due to the outrageous cost and our outrageous thriftyness.

This unicorn statue is in the garden where several shots from the "Do-Re-Mi" song were filmed. The stairs to the left are the stairs at the very end of the song. Even if you aren't familiar with the movie, it's a beautiful garden to see. 

My favorite part about this garden was the Wisteria! 

Also, the sun came out at this point, so we relaxed there in the sunshine for a while.

For the final adventure of the day, we started climbing a random hill we found. We saw a beautiful yellow building at the top and were curious to see what it was. It was a church and abbey, with a great view of the city. But there was another path that kept going upwards, so we followed it excitedly. At one point on this mysterious trek, we had a perfect look at the city. The hill in the middle is the hill we climbed earlier, with the white fortress on top.

When we made it to the top of this trail, there was an overpriced restaurant. We were perhaps a little disappointed, but the trail we took on the way back was definitely worth it. We followed an old defense wall all the way down, and spent a good amount of time sitting on it in the sunshine as well. We did get a little lost on the way back to the train station to catch the train back home in our attempt to buy some Gelato, but we remedied that by buying a container of Gelato at the grocery store and eating it on the train ride back! I am sure all the people around us were super jealous.

After this adventure, I had two days of classes, and then a super long weekend! (We only had Thursday off for a holiday, but I never have class Wednesday or Friday anyways.) Thursday night, Katie and I got on a plane for Rome! Here's a sneak preview of the Rome trip:

These are a few of my Favorite Things!

Now that I'm settling into the swing of things, it's time for an update. I will be working at Black Forest Academy this coming August, so I have been furiously filling out paperwork, and writing emails, etc. But I also have a somewhat laid-back semester, and I'm learning to enjoy Munich. Here are my favorite things so far:

Favorite place to eat: I really liked the Biergarten we visited on Tegernsee, since I had some of the best classic Bavarian food, but my favorite everyday food is Döner. This is a Turkish-German specialty, similar to a gyro. There is a Döner shop just around the corner from the program office, so it's very easy to grab an unhealthy meal on the go!

Favorite place in Munich: Englischer Garten, hands down. There's just no contest. Now that everything is green and smells like spring, you can't keep me inside! Today, I had two hours between classes, so I sat in the Garten, listened to music, ate a Döner, and made a daisy crown. Life doesn't get much better than that.

Favorite class: Unfortunately, I don't really have one. They're all interesting and challenging for me in different ways, but I don't really get excited about any of them, just nervous. The LMU courses are just such a different format than I'm used to.

Favorite method of travel: Definitely by bike. It has been cooler and rainy for the past week and a half, but both the ride through the Englischer Garten and along the busy roads are simply beautiful and relaxing. When you ride underground on a train, you don't get to know the city at all, just place names. Even taking the bus is preferable to the U Bahn (subway).

Favorite evening activity: Usually we hang out and have game night, which usually involves a card game and then a full group word game, like Psychiatrist. Last night I hosted a crepe party in my room, since I had fresh strawberries and bananas, and that turned into a game night too. I love to host people, even though my room isn't very large or very comfortable. Everyone seemed to enjoy the crepes, though!

Favorite thing about Germany that doesn't exist in America: I really like Döners, like I already mentioned, and I just love the way Munich feels compared to an American city, but is there anything from Germany that I miss like crazy when I'm home? The mustard and the chocolate here is really good, but that's just different, not new. Last time I came home from Germany, I didn't want to drink American milk anymore, so I guess that's the closest I can come for now. I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

For those wondering: yes, I came up with those categories myself. Hope you enjoyed reading me talk to myself. Next time, maybe we'll have my least favorite things. Or you can ask me questions and I'll answer them. Doesn't really matter.

If you would like a more in-depth update on BFA news, send me an email!

With Great Change, Great Opportunity

It's been less than a week since my last post, but so much has happened. I began classes on Monday, and finished today with a full day. It's not as bad as it sounds, though. I am taking a German language class through JYM (Junior Year in Munich, my study abroad program), which meets twice a week, Monday and Thursday mornings. All my other classes only meet once a week. I'm taking linguistics, an overview of Media Systems of Germany and Europe, as well as a Seminar that goes with that, and my personal favorite: Renaissance Drama. That's five classes for a total of 15 credit hours. My lightest semester load since starting college. I figured I'd take it easy since half my classes are in German, and well, I only needed 6 credits to graduate. So technically, I'm overachieving.
Yes, I did say graduating. For all who were not aware, after this semester I will be a B.A! A Bachelor of Arts, that is, in German with a double major in Communications: Media Studies. Crazy how time flies, right? And the question for all impending graduates: what happens next? How will you pay back all of those student loans? What's your five year plan? And for Wheaton graduates: when are you getting married?
Slow down. I'm just getting started. The truth is, I don't know. (I do have a job, but we'll get to that later.) My whole journey through Wheaton has been a lesson in trust. Learning to trust God despite not knowing, or not liking what I see ahead. Yes, I'm scared, but I know that it doesn't matter. God is in control. I don't know how I will pay back my student debt, I don't know where in the world I'll be in five years, and I have no intentions of getting married anytime soon. (Unless there are some desperate Senior guys? Just kidding.) But, I do know what happens next. I take a running leap across the chasm in front of me and trust that He's got me.
That being said, I do know where I will be physically for at least the next year or two. I have officially offered a position in the Front Office on the high school campus of Black Forest Academy beginning this coming August! It's terribly exciting, but also terrifying. I love living in Germany, and I get to stay, but I won't see my family for ever so long, I'm missing my cousin's and my roommate's weddings, and I really don't know what to expect. That's why it feeling like I'm heading towards a chasm. But I will run all the way there.


Here are a few more pictures from the trip so far:

At the peak of the Kranzberg in Southern Germany

Watching an FC-Bayern game with friends!

On the trail on the way up the mountain

A chilly day in Munich

Real German food at the Augustiner Restaurant

A Mountain to Climb

Tomorrow begins the last semester of my undergraduate degree. It still doesn't seem real, especially since I don't have all my classes figured out. But I am close! However, this past week has been full of preparation for the impending semester, as well as fun activities in our free time. We toured the campus of LMU, and got to see where some of the classes there will be. The main building of LMU is on Geschwister-Scholl Platz. The Scholl siblings (Hans und Sophie) were a part of the resistance group, The White Rose, during the 30s and 40s. They, along with their friend Christoph Probst (the building I live in is on Christoph-Probst Strasse), were executed by the Nazis for distributing their anti-Nazi writings. I love how actively the University seeks to honor and commemorate their actions and beliefs. The main building houses a memorial exhibit to them as well.

On Thursday we toured the Paulaner Brewery in Munich. It was very interesting to learn how beer is made, and how they get different flavors and colors, etc. We were given a complementary meal at the end of the tour as well. My favorite part of the process was seeing the room in which they bottle the beer. Germans are very efficient, and this room was no exception. At the beginning was a giant dishwasher, bigger than my room, in which they thoroughly wash all the bottles. (When Germans return their beer bottles, the bottles get sent back to the company they came from, so they can be reused.) Then the bottles go on conveyor belts around the room to the different stations where they are dried, filled, capped, and labeled. Finally, they are loaded into cases and shipped out all over the world. After the tour, we had the afternoon off. A few of us headed to a market near Marienplatz where we bought the best fried dough/ doughnut thing I've ever had! Then Katie and I went to the top of St. Peter's Church (which has the best view of Munich) and took lots of pictures!

Friday was my favorite day so far. We took a train down to Mittenwald, a town in the Alps near the Austrian Border. We spent the day hiking up the Kranzberg. It was the most beautiful day possible. It was 70 degrees, even up in the mountains, and so sunny it hurt our eyes. There was still snow everywhere, so my childish wish to have snow in summer was fulfilled!

So I climbed a mountain. It wasn't the highest mountain around, as you can see by the higher peaks in the pictures, but it was an exhausting and rewarding climb. When we got to the top, the view was unparalleled. No picture can do it justice. There was also a restaurant at the top, where we filled our hungry bellies with Germknödel and Käsespätzle. As cheesy as this is, I´m going to look at that mountain as a metaphor. Because tomorrow I have to start climbing another mountain. Some parts of it will be level and easy to navigate, but other parts will be steep, and I might run out of water in my water bottle. But I will make it to the top, and it will all be worth it. And then maybe I'll have to climb down the mountain, or maybe there will be a cool chair lift to carry me down. Either way, I know that God is in control, and has my back!

A Common Bond

I've now been in Munich for a little over a week. And what a week it has been! I've met so many new people, explored so many shops, and had quite a few cultural experiences.
The first night here, we had a tour of the place in which we live, the Studentenstadt (Student-city, Stustadt for short). We all hung out at the restaurant in the Stustadt and finally, wearily, I headed to my very tiny bed. The rooms were one of the first things that shocked me. I knew I would have a bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom, but to see it all laid out was still unexpected. It's smaller and more cell-block-like than I anticipated. Still, it's quite comfortable, with a few personal touches. I unpacked my suitcases over the course of a few days, and the two suitcases went from feeling like I packed way too much, to feeling like I had hardly brought anything at all. On Saturday, 13 of us (out of 33 total in the Summer Semester program) ventured outside of Munich and took on IKEA. I had never been to IKEA before, and I don't know if I'll ever go back. Sure, I got some great prices on some great furnishings and necessary kitchen implements, but I don't think I'll venture through that maze again. My favorite purchases that day were a narcissus plant, and a magnolia branch wall decal. They certainly brighten up the room with color and a spring feel. Of course, the narcissus hasn't yet bloomed, but it's getting close!
I've had some great times hanging out with the other American students in my program, and of course, my host family from two years ago, the Kraters. Sunday I visited the Krater's church, and they had me over for Sunday dinner. I ended up staying at their house for far too late playing board games, and ended up sleeping over! The trains run into the early morning hours, but I didn't feel comfortable traveling alone in the dark. So, I just rose early the next morning, got on a train back to Stustadt, and showered before my first orientation activity.
Last night a whole group of us went out to a restaurant for dinner. I can't afford to do that all semester, of course, but for last night it was pretty great. I had a German specialty, Maultaschen. Apparently, it's a specialty during Lent. It's basically a very thick ravioli-type biscuit, stuffed with veggies and a little meat. I guess they only put a small amount of meat in, and pretend it's just veggies, so they could hide the fact that they were eating meat from the Clergy. Anyways, whatever the tradition is, it just tastes really good! After dinner, a few of us went across the street to looks at dirndls, the traditional Bavarian costume. Though I didn't buy one, since I didn't have enough cash, I went back today and bought one! Normally I wouldn't have, but they had a great sale, and I got a simple dirndl for a very reasonable price.
Back to last night: after we looked at dirndls, we went back to one of the girl's rooms and hung out. We had originally planned on watching a movie, but just ended up talking instead. That turned out to be way better. It can be hard to make new friendships at this age, we're all pretty solid in the relationships we already have, but we all need friendships while we're far from everything familiar. It has been hard to be away from friends and family, and these people understand that. I don't know that some of us would be friends if we met in a different context. But for now, our common need for companionship binds us together.