Day 1: Auf Wiedersehen, Bettendorf! Abbey & Sydney

day 1: Saying our last goodbyes as we depart from the high school, today is the last time we will see all of our friends and family for an entire month. This is the start to an adventure of a lifetime for us all. The bus ride was quick and painless, but I think all of the GAPP group can agree that we arrived at Chicago O'Hare International Airport just a tad bit early... (Well more than a little bit) Alright so we had a 6 hour layaway, and it was a long day for most everyone. We all made the most of it though! We played games, talked and got to know people we didn't know too well, and a group of us also walked for 20 minutes through the airport just so we could find the Dunkin Donuts to celebrate National Donut Day. (Let me tell you, it was well worth it, we got free donuts!!) After we all found ways to pass the time, it was finally time to start boarding our plan around 9:20pm. It took about an hour for everything to be situated but there were no problems and lift off was smooth. The airline we are flying, Lufthansa, is very nice even though we are flying economy class. We all arrived to our seats with fresh pillows and blankets, those in which definitely came in handy because the plane was a little chilly throughout our flight. There were a large variety of movies aboard this flight to watch which was a good way to pass the time for most of us. Eventually a flight attendant came around with hot towelettes for every passenger before dinner began. At dinner there were two options: pasta with vegetable sauce or chicken. It seemed that most of the group chose the chicken dish. It consisted of warm seasoned chicken with spätzle and cooked vegetables, a side salad with dressing, a piece of bread, and chocolate mousse for dessert. It wasn't too bad for plane food. Shortly after dinner, the group finished up their movies and most went to sleep for the the remaining of most of the flight. On a quick note, throughout the flight the flight attendants were all very friendly. The restrooms also felt slightly more spacious than most airlines' restrooms are. It was a pretty good experience as we fly into the next day. Lassen die abenteuer beginnen!! -Abbey Whitaker

June 3-4th am - Sydney Damewood
3:51 pm / We got through security extremely fast (20 minutes from entrance to the gate) we are now sitting in terminal 1. We were all pretty surprised by how quick we got through and this left us with three extra hours in the airport.
4:30 pm / Abbey, Mary Grace, and I got Jamba Juice. I had one with strawberry, apple, and banana in it... Little did I know the banana would give me a massive stomach ache about two hours later.
5:43 pm / There was a bird in the airport, I had decided to name him Ron.
5:56 pm / Beyond meat comes up on the tv, I'm not sure what it meant but I was very entertained by it.
6:42 pm / Mary Grace and I got bagels to hopefully settle my stomach... Abbey went to get her nails done at a spa in the airport.
7:25 pm / The group is playing "never have I ever" which is very entertaining for about 25 minutes.
8:02 pm / The sun is beginning to set and I sweating quite an odd amount for being in the airport.
9:01 pm / Everyone is just talking, we're waiting for the plane, which is scheduled to arrive at 9:20.
9:28 pm / We are preparing to board; we have spotted a man that looks like Ashton Kutcher. I am very impatient and begin to dance around, accidentally hitting a woman in the process. A woman boarding the same plane as me gasps and I feel very bad.
9:30 pm / The phrase "hallo bei logo" is a trend among friends, a result of the boredom that has taken over me.
10:07 pm / We're all on the plane now, waiting to take off.
10:12 pm / Kalli and I have discovered pretzels in Kalli's basket.
10:40 pm / We are taking off, late.
11:33 pm / Pretzels, pop, and hot towels are handed out to the passengers, I was expecting the pretzels and pop, but not the hot towels. As it turns out the hot towels are a substitute for washing your hands.
11:45 pm / Dinner is served, (rolls, noodles with red sauce, a small salad, and a brown desert (it's chocolate?).
11:46 pm / I continue watching my movie and after about 5 minutes after dinner plates are collected the lights on the plane go out.
1:06 am / I am attempting sleep.
4-ish? / I am awoken by a woman passing out in the aisle next to me, I cannot sleep until we land in Germany.
It was indeed an interesting flight, but I am happy to finally be in Germany and able to sleep in a bed.