Like usual I am sorry that it took so long when I wrote a new blog and posted it for everyone. I am just very busy, with good things and nice people. Because it took so long I will write an extra long blog with a lot of photos and if you keep reading a prize which you can win.

During my year in Lithuania, I survived a lot of extreme colds already, feeling temperatures of -30. The school never got canceled, the same with basketball we kept practicing and playing. Here in Iowa, it is just a little bit different, the temperature is -30 and the feeling temperature is -50. On such days mostly school first get canceled until 10 o'clock, if it is then still impossible to arrive at school they cancel it for the whole day. If the classes start at 10, there is no breakfast which is in my view sad. Still, in these temperatures we keep practicing, the games, in that case, get canceled. It is too dangerous to go through the snow with the bus. Ohh and yes it is cold enough that if you throw boiling water outside it directly freezes.

About school after Christmas break my second semester started, the first semester I finished with a 3,57GPA. With a good looking grade list I got achieved a place on the "dean's list" what this exactly means I don't know. To be honest I am the proudest of my Sociology grade, a B highest possible grade was, because I got an F on my first test. The class I am taking this semester are Composition 1, Statistics, First Aid, Human Growth and Development and Computer Systems. Also through my good grades, I got an invitation to become a member of Phi theta kappa honor society.

Meanwhile, I also was home during Christmas, even it was only for a short 2 weeks. In this period of time, I did a lot. like shopping in Belgium, trained with both of Famke's teams (Veghel and Tilburg), Celebrated Sinterklaas with my friends and family, went to the doctor and hairdresser, ate sushi with my friends etc. I celebrated Christmas with my grandmother, aunt (Annemarie) and my family.

Abroad you can't watch all of the Dutch tv shows, luckily someone posts all the episodes of Expedition Robinson on Youtube. Each Friday my dad and I have a conversation or discussion about the Expedition. When I was home we celebrated Sinterklaas and dad and I got tickets to go watch the live final in Amsterdam. This day was very nice, we by car to Breukelen, ate fries and continued by train to Amsterdam. After we enjoyed performances of Famke Louise, I am Aisha, Josylvio, Nienke Plas, Corry Konings, Jody Bernal en Steven Brunswijk. Farmer Jan won the final, I was team Gregory Sedoc but it was kind of cool that he won. This is already the second farmer who wins the Expedition, maybe it doesn't really matter that you are very good in the tests, but that you are good at surviving and staying fit. So if you are in the program "farmer searches wife" you also have a good chance to win Expedition Robinson??

Sadly I was not as long in The Netherlands because 31 December I had my first practice after break already. Old and new year I celebrated in my apartment with my teammates and with some players of the boy's basketball team. We were with 6 Spaniards and the have an interesting ritual that you have to eat 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of the year, which should bring luck. So we just joined this tradition, also we had a lot of Spanish food like bread with tomatoes, omelet with potatoes, cheeses and a lot other tasty food.

About basketball, our season is over, but my season ended a little bit earlier than for the rest of the team. 18th of February we had a home game and I played my best game of the season: steals, rebounds, and a few good scores. Just before halftime, I sprinted to the ball to get a rebound, whereby my teammate's elbow hit my head and when I fell I hit the ground. After they asked me a few questions like: "what are you doing?" and "Can you count to 5 for me?". I answered with laying and no they conclusion was fast made with a concussion. The Athletic trainer said my eyes responded very weird and I fell asleep so just to be sure, to get a medical check they put me on a stretcher in an ambulance and drove to the hospital.

As a result, I got a concussion with the advice that I should try not to use, my computer, my phone, the television or to read. I asked myself what I exactly could do which was resting and sleeping. During that period I did not do a lot. My photos, postcards, and letters wall became a bit more full of animal cartoons which I drew. In a while, you can not nothing anymore so I started to draw.

So because for me it is almost spring break and I am luckily staying in Marshalltown, I can use all of your help. What are some things I definitely should do in the U.S.A, or what are things I definitely should do in general? I want to make a bucket list, so for example: go to a drive-in cinema, driving with an ambulance, walk on hot coals, make a snowman etc. Of all of your ideas, I am trying to do as much of them here or in the summer. The best or most original idea, I will mention show in my blog a photo report.

Regards and lots of love Lotte