[this blog will be in German from now on - you can find English posts on Jonnie and my joint blog.]

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So, endlich mal wieder ein Lebenszeichen von mir. Es wurde mir schon diverse Male unterstellt, dass ich mich noch nicht eher gemeldet habe da ich bestimmt permanent am Strand oder am Pool rumhänge und mir die Sonne auf die Wampe scheinen lasse... . Aber nein! Viel toller! Ich lag die letzten 3 Tage elendig krank im Bett und war einzig und allein mit dem Überleben einer gemeinen Erkältung beschäftigt. Zur Zeit bin ich allerdings total auf Drogen (Hustensirup mit Kirschgeschmack!), da ist das Leben dann wieder so rosarot wie meine aktuelle Hautfarbe.

Da fliegt man von Deutschland nach Kalifornien, um sich zu erkälten! Diese elendig kalten und zugigen Räume hier (Klimaanlagen, Ventilatoren) im Kontrast zu der Hitze draussen... kein Wunder wenn man da flach liegt. Hmpfh.

Ansonsten ist alles bestens hier. Jonnie ist ein Schatz.

Die Behörden hier erscheinen mir allerdings noch lahmarschiger als die deutschen - mit ein bisserl Pech kann ich noch etwa 6 Wochen warten, bis ich die theoretische Führerscheinprüfung machen oder ein Bankkonto eröffnen kann. Ich will nicht mal ansatzweise darüber nachdenken, wie lange es dauern wird bis ich meine Arbeitserlaubnis habe... .

So, das war's mal für's erste... Zeit für meine Medikamente. *röchel*

in Germany. And I'm nervous. About the flight. Mainly about the flight. About the immigration procedure at the airport. About leaving Germany for, well, some years at least. About having aged so much in the last 2 months that Jonnie won't recognize me at the airport.

Ugh.

I haven't started packing yet. I'll bring 2 suitcases and one backpack, weighing about 155 pounds altogether. That's exactly the free allowance at British Airways. I bought a new suitcase especially for this trip:

Big and red and full of functions I don't understand. Yes, my suitcase is too complicated for me.

This may or may not be my last post in English on this blog - once I'm in California, Jonnie and me will start posting again on our joint blog and this blog will be used to stay in contact with my German friends and family (hence I'll post in German).

Leaving Germany from Braubach is both harder and easier than leaving from Hamburg. It's harder because Braubach is where I grew up, where I remember an episode from my childhood with every thing I look at, where I have my family. But it's also easier to leave from here because of... well, the very same reasons.

All in all, I can't wait to be with my Liebling again. It's been 1 year and 9 months since we last met and this time was WAY too long. I know it'll be wonderful once I'm over there. If it wasn't for that damn flight! I'll leave Braubach way early in the morning (about 2 am (!!!)) so that I'll be at Frankfurt airport at around 3:30. My plane won't leave until 7 am, but thanks to the special security procedures for flights to the US you have to check-in 3 to 3.5 hours before take-off. Then I'll fly to London Heathrow, where I'll have a layover of 2 hours. I plan to spend those 2 hours shopping for my beloved Walkers chips... I'll be particularily looking out for "Slow roasted lamb with morrocan spices", "Gently infused lime and Thai spices", "Oven roasted chicken with lemon and thyme", "Peking spare rib and 5 spices" and "Caramelized onion and sweet balsamic vinegar" chips. I already love these because of their names.

And no, I didn't buy my ticket with the layover in London just because of the possibility of buying my favorite chips... nooooo, I wouldn't do that. Nooooooooo, that's crazy. There are more important things to consider when you're immigrating to another continent.

Noooooo.

Well, ok, you got me. I did book my flight with a layover in London just because of the chips. But who can blame me?! Slow roasted lamb with morrocan spices!

I'll be in Los Angeles at about 1pm (California time)/ 10pm (German time ("22 Uhr")). I don't know how long the immigration procedure will take. Maybe I'll say something stupid and they'll send me back right away.

Ah, I'm not making much sense today. Hell, I'm not making much sense for the last 2 months.

I can't wait to be with Jonnie again.

Keep your fingers crossed for the flight!!!!!