Back in Weiden

It feels so good to be able to relax after this semester (especially with five weeks of diving!). Exams earlier this week were terrifying. The practical exam was on Monday (which, I'm sorry to say, I failed, but my performance for the entire duration of the dive course made up for it), a written exam on Tuesday (which I did very well on), and an oral exam on Wednesday. The oral exam turned out to be interesting- I answered the first and second questions perfectly (how does a second stage regulator work, and what do the marks on a EU-approved cylinder mean) but I completely choked on the third question, even though I knew the answer backwards and forwards. It was simply the stress of being put on the spot, with the proctor from the Danish Maritime Authority looking at me expectantly. Jens, my poor instructor, who knew that I knew the answer, was almost pulling his hair out and attempting to mouth the answers to me from behind the proctor's back.

But I passed! It's over! I have the little ticket that says I am a commercial diver! That very afternoon we went to the town center to walk around in the cold sunshine, and relish the freedom and our success.

Next day, Alex drove me all the way to Dusseldorf (almost on his way from Esbjerg to the Ardennes), where I got on a train and was in Weiden with Brittany by midnight on Thursday.

I'd like to be able to relax completely now that I'm on holiday break, but I do have two exams in January. Both which I will responsibly and dutifully study for... after Christmas. :)

I hear the girls (Brittany and her friend Heather, whose husband is deployed with Brittany's husband in Afghanistan) making Glühwein in the kitchen. Time for Christmas dinner!