Missionary Kid Monday (on Wednesday!): Dorm Life

{For more on this series, click here}

As you may remember from last time, I packed up and went to a boarding school in Germany during my high school years. In ninth grade, I stayed with a lovely family. In tenth grade, I lived in a dorm.

Specifically this dorm:

None of the dorms were on campus - they were in the surrounding villages. My dorm was named "Storchenblick", which means "stork views". Can you tell why?

There was actually a little stork farm within walking distance, and the birds liked to make their nests in tall perches:

And in case you're curious, none of these storks ever delivered any babies to us.... the school's rules were MUCH too strict for that :)

There were between 20 and 30 girls from 7th to 12th grade living at "Stork". We had three RA's and a set of dorm parents to cook for us, help us with our laundry, be a listening ear, and generally keep us in line. There was a set routine/schedule and each of us girls had a weekly chore we were responsible for. But within those constraints there was actually quite a bit of freedom.

We watched chick flicks in the living room, chatted late into the night, got competitive with cards, had picnics in the backyard, and plotted the best prank to pull on the guys' dorm down the road.

(Literally) hanging out at the nearby field

Waiting for the school bus. (Why yes, I am wearing Birkenstocks with SOCKS!)

Getting "creeked" in the local horse trough on my birthday

I know there was some drama to go around. You can't live in a house full of girls without at least some cattiness and hurt feelings. But those aren't the memories that stand out. I look back on this year fondly. I formed some deep and long lasting friendships there, and I'm so thankful I was able to have that experience.

PS: The winner of the Snugly Duckling giveaway is Heather Vogler!
and the winner of the Fancy Designs giveaway is Shooting Stars Mag! Congrats!


PPS: I still have a few spots open for March sponsorship. Details here.