21 Things I've Learned By 21

Exactly a month ago, I turned 21! *cue confetti* It’s not that exciting of an age milestone, since I have already decided not to drink (and it doesn’t even matter in Germany, where the legal drinking age is 16). It does mean that I am an adult adult, according to my youth pastor (so Ian, if you’re reading this: HA!). Anyways, I meant to share this with you on my actual birthday, but y'know life happened. Sooo here are 21 things I’ve learned by 21:

One: God should be your first priority, always

I learned this lesson my senior year of high school, and it was a turning point in my spiritual life. Long story short, I had been asking God to change my priorities so that He would be first in my life; He responded by asking me to give up my senior musical. It was still one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make, but it was worth it. Putting God first will always be worth it.

Two: Spend more money on experiences than things

I used to have the habit of spending any cash I got immediately. While I still like shopping, I’ve realized that material things will eventually be thrown away, but new experiences become memories that last forever.

Three: Struggling with something you’re good at doesn’t mean you’re no longer good at it

Writing has always been a passion and a natural ability of mine, but I struggled with it my senior year of high school. I was so distraught that I even questioned whether I should major in English. Now I know that I was growing as a writer (and as a person.) I wouldn’t the writer I am today if it weren’t for those experiences and all the consequent ones since then.

Four: Do the thing that scares you

The first time I went to Germany, I could hardly contain my excitement, but this time all I could feel was anxiety. The only reason keeping me from backing out was the fact that it was too late to do so. I cried myself to sleep the night before my flight and broke down in the airport twice, because I was so, so scared. I was literally flying into the unknown. Over halfway in, I’ve repeatedly thought that studying abroad was the best decision I’ve made. If I had listened to my fear, I would have never known that.

Studying abroad has given me so many great opportunities - like seeing the Brandenburg Gate in real life!

Five: Keep a journal of some kind

A prayer journal, bullet journal, daily diary, travel journal – anything. It’s encouraging to look back at where you’ve been and how you got to where you are today.

Six: Find an accountability partner/mentor

I’ve only just begun to develop relationships with a few mentors in my life, but I can already see the benefits. Having people in your life who encourage and challenge you is crucial for growth, in all aspects of life, not just spiritually.

Seven: People will admire your commitment to your convictions

People notice when you stand for something. In my high school yearbooks, especially senior year, many people wrote that they admired my strong faith. I think people will have greater respect when you stick to your core values, even when they don’t share them, than being wishy-washy.

Eight: Dating outside of the church is a terrible idea

Just don’t do it. It breaks my heart when I see students in my youth group dating people outside of the church. Honestly, I think that dating during your teen years is a little stupid now that I’m out high school (though I will make some exceptions for high school sweetheart stories). Figure out who you are instead. Make friends. Chase Jesus.

Nine: Being apostolic is a blessing

I’m blessed to know the truth and to be a part of a church that declares it. I love how we worship and I’m not ashamed of it. Attending a Lutheran college has challenged me to know what the Bible says about the Holy Ghost, baptism, and oneness – it’s helped deepen my understanding of apostolic doctrine.

Ten: It is a-okay to be single

I’ve been single for all 21 years of my life, and while I crack jokes about needing to find a man or dream about my wedding day, I am honestly comfortable with being single. Most of the problems you think would be solved by having a significant other will probably still be there anyways. Work on yourself first.

Eleven: Spending time with God during the week makes Sunday service even better

The body cannot go a week between meals; neither can the Spirit. When you fill up your spiritual gas tank during the week, you have more to give on Sunday, to usher in His presence, to minister to others, and to understand the message better than before.

Twelve: Take care of yourself

In whatever way works best for you, just make sure you cover all aspects – physical, mental, and emotional. Keeping healthy routines is a major key to mastering this whole adulting thing. Know what you need to function at your best; I’ve learned to protect my sleep schedule the most.

Thirteen: Most people are in your corner

There are so many people who support you and would love to help you if you reach out – they want to see you succeed. Ask for advice and listen. I’ve noticed this especially in my church, and I have been meaning to utilize the wisdom available to me.

Fourteen: Avoid procrastination

Apparently I’m still learning this, as I wrote a 5-page paper the day before it was due this semester (I got an A it's fine), but nobody’s perfect. It’s important to understand the cause of the procrastination (lack of motivation, uncertain instructions, fear), and find a solution.

Fifteen: Shyness isn’t an excuse for shallow worship

I heard this preached at Wisconsin Winter Youth Convention one year, and it changed my perspective on worship. I was a fairly shy child growing up. I remember how I would think so much about when to raise my hands during worship. That altar call was the first time I danced freely to worship God. It’s not about drawing attention to myself, but about expressing my love and gratitude for what God has done for me.

Worshipping with other young apostolics is my favorite

Sixteen: Not caring what others think makes life more fun

Seriously, who cares? Live your life, wear the crazy outfit, laugh obnoxiously – just be you. It is so freeing to not worry about one or two people who will judge you for it. They’re lame, anyways.

Seventeen: You simply cannot rely on your own strength when facing temptation

There are a few things that I regularly struggle with, and each time they come up, I try to resist on my own, with my own willpower, but it has never worked. Scripture, prayer, and fasting are tried and true for a reason – they work.

Eighteen: God won’t ask you to give something up if it won’t benefit you too

This idea isn’t mine originally, but I have found it to be true in my own life. I read voraciously. Through conversations with my youth pastor wife’s, I realized that many of the books that I loved dearly had content that did not please God. I felt Him prompting me to no longer read them. It’s happened repeatedly, and the last time I felt the twinge of conviction, I heard this refrain: “This is mercy, this is grace; this is mercy, this is grace.” God wasn’t asking this of me to punish me: He’s asking this of me to refine me for something greater.

Nineteen: Sometimes years you’ve known someone doesn’t matter when it comes to deep friendships

When I turned 19, I shared 19 things I learned by 19, and one was that finding a close group of friends can take time, which is still true. However, I have made a couple of friends within the few months I’ve been abroad that now I can’t imagine life without.

I'm so glad I met these girls!

Twenty: College is way better than high school

College can be insanely stressful, but you couldn’t pay me to relive my high school years.

Twenty-one: You are more capable than you think

I think this is the most recent lesson I’ve learned. While I am generally self-confident, I doubt my own ability often more than I let on. There are many things I thought I couldn’t do, such as being the news editor for my school’s newspaper. I’ve realized half of adulting is pretending you know what you’re doing and learning along the way. This fall, I’m going to be the editor-in-chief. While I’m nervous, I know I can do it. Whatever that thing is you think you can’t do – I bet you actually can.

Those are some things I’ve learned in my short 21 years, and I’m curious to know what you’ve learned – let me know in the comments!

I celebrated my 21st in Paris!

#SRKThoughts #LifeLessons #PersonalGrowth #SammyAufDeutsch

Three Days in Köln

My friends Heather, Colette, and Nico, and I spent three days in Köln (Cologne) the last weekend of February. Here’s a rundown of our adventures!

Friday

Our first major trip that we orchestrated ourselves began in the early morning. Our FlixTrain departed from Hamburg-Altona, so that was Step One: Arrive at Hamburg-Altona. However, transportation mishaps struck yet again. Our train into Hamburg sat outside the station (for reasons unknown) long enough to throw us off schedule. It was an 11-minute S-Bahn ride to Hamburg-Altona, and it was already around 08:15. Our train was set to depart at 08:31. We knew our FlixTrain would stop at the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (HBF), but we were uncertain if we could board somewhere else other than what listed on our ticket. We took the chance and it worked; no one checked our tickets until we were far from Hamburg.

Once in Köln, we checked in at our AirBnB. It was about a 30-minute ride outside the city, which required an S-Bahn and a bus (remember this – it will be important later). We spent some time recharging before exploring. First up: the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), the city’s most famous landmark. I cannot believe how massive the cathedral is – especially since its construction started in 1248. Construction stopped in the 16th century, as funds and interest ran out, but it began again in the 19th, finally finished in 1880. Miraculously, it survived WWII.

The Kölner Dom is an architectural masterpiece

We admired its beauty for a long time, as the golden sunset shone through the stained-glass windows. Colette, our resident Catholic, explained the iconography. I knew Catholicism used symbolism and rituals, but I never understood exactly how much Catholicism relies on it. (We also made some jokes about the holy bouncers standing outside of the Adoration Chapel – the priests were actually wearing earpieces!)

After that, we had dinner at Früh am Dom, a restaurant and brewery. It was getting late, so we wandered back to the HBF to go home, passing the cathedral again. It is even more imposing (and slightly creepy) in the dark! At our AirBnB, we waited for Nico to arrive, which ended day one in Köln.

My cute dinner dates! (left; Heather, right: Colette)

Saturday

We got a late start to Saturday morning, so we decided to get brunch at the Funkhaus Café-Bar-Restaurant. We got “American style” pancakes (they were smaller than actual American pancakes, but they got the sweetness right), delicious scrambled eggs, and hot chocolates.

As most of trips had gone, there was minor planning of activities; however, Museum Ludwig was on our list. It’s a modern art museum, with works from the Pop Art, Abstract, and Surrealism movements. The museum is also home to one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. I enjoyed the Pop Art exhibit.

The pop art exhibit in Museum Ludwig

We finished touring the museum in the late afternoon, a.k.a. the perfect time for cake back at Funkhaus. Then we explored Köln on foot, found the Rathaus (slightly underwhelming) and did some shopping. We had fun trying on Drindl and Karneval costumes, as Karneval began the next weekend. We still saw plenty of fun costumes (without the drunken crowds). For dinner, we bought tortellini and sauce to cook at our AirBnB – a great (and cheap) idea.

Sunday

Sunday morning also began slowly. Colette wanted to go to Mass, so our ragtag team of religious diversity went to noon Mass at the Kölner Dom. It is probably my favorite thing we did. First, it was absolutely breathtaking. Rays of sunshine shone through the pixelated stained-glass across the altar, casting pastel shadows on the priests and stone pillars. Second, I loved imagining hundreds of thousands of Masses that have been celebrated over the cathedral’s lifespan. I thought about the conflict religion has caused, and I wondered how the bishops and priests who presided over the cathedral handled events like the Reformation and all that. Lastly, the Mass was in German. I didn’t understand all of it, because I lacked the vocabulary, but everything was spoken clearly, so it was enjoyable to listen to. I also learned so much about Catholic tradition from Colette.

The lighting during Mass was breathtaking

Despite being bigger than Lüneburg, most businesses and shops were still closed on Sunday in Köln. We found a pizza place that was open, and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. After lunch, we visited to the Roman-Germanic Museum. The permanent exhibit was closed for renovations, but they offered 20-minute tours of the Dionysus Mosaic. We hadn’t considered that the tour was only in German, but it was still incredible to see. The museum, originally a third century villa, was built around the mosaic. Along with the mosaic, there is a reconstructed sepulture of legionary Poblicius from around A.D. 40.

We had some time to kill before we had to leave, so we walked across bridge along the Rhine. It was gorgeous day, blue skies and no cold wind. I enjoyed the sun on my face so much! We kept an eye on the time, because we still needed to run to our AirBnB, pick up our stuff, and run back to the HBF.

A beautiful day on the Rhein with a beautiful friend

Remember what I said earlier about needing to take a S-Bahn and a bus? It’s important now. We timed it out perfectly. We arrived at our AirBnB at 17:45, which gave us half an hour before the next bus at 18:14 to the S-Bahn station. We’d take the 18:31 S-Bahn to the HBF, arriving 15 minutes before our 19:01 departure.

While waiting for the S-Bahn, there was a PA announcement about our train; the same announcement scrolled across the overheard screen. We didn’t know what ausfallen meant, so I looked it up: canceled. The train was canceled. How do they cancel a whole train? Where did it go? We were baffled, then the realization set it. The next S-Bahn came at 19:03, two minutes after our train would roll out of the station – we were going to miss it. Immediately we jumped into problem-solving mode. Dropping €89-103 on a new ticket would be the worst thing that could happen. A bummer, but not the end of the world.

We figured a taxi would be cheaper than a new ticket, provided we made it in time. Heather found a taxi company on Google Maps and put it on speaker phone. We requested the taxi, all in German, only to be told the number we called wasn’t a taxi service. Um, what? Time was ticking and we didn’t know what to do. Calling a taxi in German is hard enough, but with the stress of possibly missing our train, it felt impossible.

Fortunately, an older gentleman was sitting on the bench behind us. He apologized for listening in, then he asked if we knew enough German to call a taxi. We sheepishly said no. He offered to speak to the taxi people for us if we called them again. Graciously, we accepted and dialed a new number. He explained that there were 3 American girls who needed to get to the HBF. We thanked him profusely, and ran down to the parking lot and waited for the taxi, fully aware of each minute creeping by.

The taxi arrived and we piled in. No one spoke. My attention moved from the price meter in the rearview mirror and the time on my phone. Please let our train be delayed, please let our train be delayed. Finally, the taxi pulled up to the station. Colette – who was smart and pulled out cash while we were driving to cover the fare – handed the driver the money and told him to keep the 60 cents.

Our train was on Platform 2 – the other side of the station. Suddenly, we were those people – dodging and weaving through throngs of people to catch our train. We made it atop the platform, and the departure board listed our train as incoming. It wasn’t there. I strained to hear the PA announcement – it was about our train – but it was too noisy. A train pulled into the platform behind us – it was our train. We boarded as quickly as we could, anxious to be seated.

We sat down in the free seating area, and we collectively exhaled the breath we had been holding. We made it!! We were on our train! The first hour of our train flew by, as we were all high on adrenaline and disbelief.

The train ride home was also a trip. Long story short, we had an entertaining announcer named Eddie. It was clear that German was not Eddie’s first language, because he had trouble explaining the reasons for the delays (“disturbed signals”) in technical terms. Colette theorized that Eddie learned technical terms in German that had no English equivalent. At one point, he was clarifying the details of the delay when someone else – presumably the conductor – interrupted him in rapid-fire German. He excused himself and said he would be back in a few minutes. Eddie did not come back until at least half an hour later. He also had to list which toilets were working in which wagons, in both German and English, concluding with “I’m sorry I had to resort to this.” I think we were a little slap-happy, because we found all of his announcements hilarious. We finally made it back to Lüneburg around 00:30, and I was back at my host family’s around 01:00.

Despite being bookended by transportation stress, I had a great weekend in Köln. It’s a beautiful city, easily walkable, and filled with cool things to see and do.

Love exploring Köln with these girls!

#SammyAufDeutsch #Germany #Kö#Cologne #Travel