{"id":321,"date":"2014-08-31T16:00:36","date_gmt":"2014-08-31T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/?p=321"},"modified":"2014-08-31T16:00:36","modified_gmt":"2014-08-31T14:00:36","slug":"homestay-tour-5-lexington-kentucky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/2014\/08\/31\/homestay-tour-5-lexington-kentucky\/","title":{"rendered":"Homestay Tour #5 – Lexington, Kentucky"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On August 22nd at 1 pm Philipp and I continued our journey further south to Lexington, Kentucky. To get there we used this time the Greyhound Bus instead of the Megabus for the only time on our travels. There was a little bit more organization at the Greyhound station than it ever was with Megabus. The luggage was weighed and got a tag so just like at the airport.
\nFrom downtown Cincinnati to Lexington it was just a short 1.5 hour drive. So within no time the bus stopped already at 2:45 pm in Lexington. At this point the most exciting time began again \u2013 looking out of the window and trying to figure out who from all of these persons is Joy<\/em>? We had no idea who she was but with showing our really bright sign which said ‘CBYX’ we found her right away. For the first it was not just one person picking us up but Joy also brought two little ones with her. Our new host family consists of the married couple Joy and Jay and their two cute kids Luke, 5 years old, and Layla, 2 \u00bd years old. It was the first time for the family to host exchange students, so it was a complete new situation for them. Probably it was not the perfect time for them to host someone for the first time because little Layla was really sick. She had a virus and high fever, but even though there were some difficult circumstances Joy and Jay handled the situation just great and gave us the best time!<\/p>\n

After arriving in Lexington Joy took us to get some lunch and that’s where we also met Jay for the first time. It was lovely getting to know the family and it was definitely something different having the little ones around since we have been just with adults the past weeks. After lunch we headed to a doctor’s office where Layla had an appointment. It seems like the homestay tour brings us to the most random places in the USA, who would have thought that I will go to a children’s doctor office? When we left, the traffic became really bad and it took us a while until we reached the family’s house. On our way we already saw a little bit of Lexington. The city has around 300.000 inhabitants and it’s known to be the ‘Capitol of the horses’ because there are apparently so many horse farms. In the fall season several horse derbies and races take place in Lexington.<\/p>\n

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The other big attraction in Lexington is the University of Kentucky. The campus is huge and Joy pointed out all the different buildings and stadiums of the ‘Wildcats’ while we slowly made our way to their house. Their house is located in a beautiful calm area and to me it just looked like a typical American street: everyone had a front yard, a garage and a little driveway. The family just moved in, so they are still working on some details, but it was already really nice, colorful and just perfect for a family like they are.
\nThe rooms where Philipp and I stayed were just perfect! I got a little princess room, all in pink and violet, with baby dolls and all kind of stuffed animals. Philipp had the pleasure to stay in a cool loft bed which was surrounded by all kinds of dinosaurs. Yes, Luke and Layla were so kind and left their rooms for 4 nights and slept in a room with Joy.
\nSince the kids had a long day and felt really exhausted they got ready for bed and we could rest for a bit. At 10 pm Jay came to pick us up to show us a little bit of Lexington’s nightlife. We first went to a bar where live music was played. Actually it was more of a DJ playing some quiet odd beats but it was still a cool place to try some local drinks, chat, hang out and having a good time. Afterwards we checked out another bar which offered so many different kinds of beer. The huge variety was unbelievable!<\/p>\n

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Odd electronic DJ<\/p><\/div>\n

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All different kinds of beer – and this was just one fridge!<\/p><\/div>\n

The next day Joy had some exciting things planned for us! Luke stayed with his grandma so it was just Joy, Layla, Philipp and myself. First we went to downtown Lexington where the local farmer’s market is located. It was really nice having a look around there. All kinds of fruits, vegetables, flowers, bread, pastry, drinks and fresh food. It all looked great. Joy got some fresh sweet corn which we would eat the next day. She got 18 fresh cobs of corn for 9 $ which is quiet good I think.<\/p>\n

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\nWe took off for the highlight of the day: visiting the ‘Woodford Reserve Distillery’. If there is one thing Kentucky is famous for, then it has to be Bourbon! The distillery was a 40-minute drive from downtown Lexington away and the last 15 minutes the route took us through a scenic landscape with little forests, fields, idyllic houses and gardens until we reached our final destination. We only had to wait around 30 minutes until our tour started. Beth was our guide and showed the 25 persons of our group the different buildings and processes. You won’t be surprised if I say that it was again very hot that day and inside the distillery buildings there was not even air-conditioning \u2013 so it was, again, so so warm. The tour was really interesting though! 4 years ago I visited the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and actually the whole tour reminded me a whole lot of what I have seen there. I guess that’s not too surprising, I mean the whole process is not a lot different…<\/p>\n

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\nThe highlight of the tour was testing two different kinds of their Bourbon. The atmosphere where it was served was really nice. It was in a small corridor in between all the old barrels filled with Bourbon and they also lit some candles which made the atmosphere even more lovely. Even though I tried really hard to like and appreciate the taste of this really fancy and expensive drink, I honestly have to say that I don’t like it. The taste is just so strong and special \u2013 not my cup of tea.<\/p>\n

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\nWe made our way back to Lexington where Philipp and I thought it would be fun to go to an American ALDI since we have seen it so many times all around. To us it looked a lot like the ALDI we know from home. We also found some of the same products and brands and Philipp even noticed that the floor is the same as in Germany. We looked around for a bit and in the end it was more of an experience for Joy because she hasn’t been there before either and some things work quiet differently there compared to an American grocery store. You have to put a Quarter into the shopping cart to use it. This is for us Germans the most normal thing since we always need to do it. Also at the checkout no one was storing the products in plastic bags, actually you can’t even get plastic bags for free but need to buy those. It was funny to see that small things like these are so different to Germany.<\/p>\n

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German chocolate<\/p><\/div>\n

We made our way back home and were resting for a little bit. In the evening Luke and Jay came home and we all went out for dinner to ‘Buffalo Wild Wings’. This place is definitely very different. It’s more like a sports bar with 100 TV screens and almost on every one was a different show on, mostly American football and baseball. Luckily the family ordered for all of us, so that we didn\u2019t have to decided, since there were anyways way too many options. In the end we had LOTS of chicken wings in all kind of sauces. From sweet to mild, from hot to extra super hot. It was great because that way we could try all of the different kinds. It was a cool night with the whole family.
\nWhen we came back from dinner we met Joy’s mom Jane. She lives around 4 hours away and came by to help out a little bit with little sick Layla. After dinner we called it an early night and just watched some TV.<\/p>\n

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Dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings<\/p><\/div>\n

On Sunday everyone but us was up quiet early and already prepared food for the party in the afternoon. Joy was smoking beef and chicken for many hours in a smoker outside and also prepared other side dishes. I was hanging out with the family, was rocking sweet little Layla on the rocking chair which she loved. At some point I saw a lot of golf gear in the garage and I talked with Joy about her playing golf for many years. I mentioned that I never did it and she suggested to try it for a little bit before the guests came. And since I am here to try out everything I haven’t done before, we did it.
\nAt around 12 Joy took Philipp and me to a golf course. Both of us have never played golf before and I prepared myself to embarrass myself all the way. Joy got for each of us 100 balls and brought the golf clubs from home. We walked to the driving range where she showed us what to do and then I guess we just tried it… We had the greatest laughs because it always just looked so ridiculous and funny if you don’t hit the ball, or just hit the ground or even if you hit the ball and it just lands 5 meters further. It was so funny! I guess every 10th hit was quiet okay for me, the rest was… well… not too good I would say. Philipp did a lot better although probably half of his balls landed in a hedge next to the driving range. We had lots of fun!!!\u00a0 After 1.5 hours we were done and all of us felt like we did some serious sport for hours. The small movements you need to do at golf just get so much more exhausting when it is 100 degrees and the sun shines down directly. It was amazing that Joy took us and we could have this experience.<\/p>\n

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Joy knows how to do it!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Then it was my time…<\/p><\/div>\n

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We all know that I didn’t hit a ball that went so far that I couldn’t see it anymore \ud83d\ude09<\/p><\/div>\n

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See all the little white spots… yes these are all my balls just a few meters behind the line<\/p><\/div>\n

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And that’s how the spot looked like where I played… yep hit the ground a few times<\/p><\/div>\n

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Trying to look professional<\/p><\/div>\n

When we got back home it wasn’t too long until the guests of the little party showed up. Two other couples and their adorable kids came by, another lady with her kids as well as Jay’s and Joy’s mothers. With all the little kids swirling around we were almost 20 persons and it was lovely talking to the adults. I enjoy so much talking to all these different persons and sharing information and little differences about how it is in Germany. Since no one of the guests has ever been to Germany it was even more interesting to tell them everything about our home country. At some point it was time to eat dinner and finally try the Brisket that has been smoking for so many hours. I think it was totally worth it since it was really soft and tender and just delicious.<\/p>\n

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Jane and Layla preparing the corn<\/p><\/div>\n

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Kids, kids, kids… running around everywhere<\/p><\/div>\n

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Deby pie made by Cassie<\/p><\/div>\n

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And that’s Cassie and her cute little girl<\/p><\/div>\n

We were also very lucky because one of the guests, Cassie, is a baker and chef, so she really knows how to prepare good meals. I think it was really lovely that she prepared some original Kentucky food: little Hot Browns (a piece of bread topped with bechamel sauce, bacon, turkey and cheese) and a Derby Pie (a pie crust filled with pecans, chocolate, caramel and some Bourbon). Joy also prepared one of my all time favorite American dishes, Mac ‘n Cheese. To sum it up it was all delicious and we had a lovely dinner. It was great chatting to everyone and especially with Cassie who showed me her great works as a baker. You should see the cakes, cupcakes and the petite fours she made \u2013 amazing!<\/p>\n

After everyone left we chatted some more with Jay and had some really great conversations. We were sitting on their deck the whole evening and it was so nice because after the sun went down it was just such a nice warm temperature. Unfortunately we also had to fight the mosquitoes. They are so much bigger and more aggressive than in Germany. The stitches were really, really hurting and itching \u2013 so annoying! But besides that it was definitely a lovely day and evening!!!<\/p>\n

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Philipp, the storyteller<\/p><\/div>\n

Monday was a little bit different because of course everyone had to work and little Luke also had to go to Kindergarten. So we took it easy that morning and I finally got to skype with my family for the very first time!!! Since we have been always on the road and always something was going on plus the 6 hours time difference made it even more difficult to figure out a date, but now after 3 weeks I could finally see their faces again and catch up. Unfortunately my dad wasn’t there, but I am sure we will make up for that very soon!!!
\nIn the noon Joy came home during her lunch break and took Philipp to a Barber Shop. Since I didn’t have anything else to do, I just came along. It was funny because one of the hairdresser lived in Germany for 3 years and we chatted to him a bit in German. It’s so weird, wherever we are going, at the most random places we always met people that either have German ancestors, have been to Germany or just have some kind of connection to the country. Most of the men of course have completed their army service in Germany.
\nWhen Philipp had a new hair style and felt all pretty again we made our way back and we walked back home.
\nAlthough this wasn’t too exhausting at all, I already felt tired again and just took another nap, why not, right? When Joy came back from work, her mother Jean took all of us out for dinner. We went to an American or better to say Kentucky styled restaurant. We wanted to try something local so they ordered fried green tomatoes and catfish as appetizers. As a main dish I tried another ‘Kentucky Hot Brown’ after I really enjoyed this little appetizer one night before made by Cassie. Weeeell…. this one was definitely a lot different! I have never eaten anything with so many calories, ever in my life. On the following photo you can see that first of all you can only see cheese, cheese and some more cheese! Under it you can find bechamel sauce, some bread with ham and actually also tomatoes, but first you need to dig through the cheese. I do love cheese, so the first few bites were good, but seriously anyone who can eat the whole thing… really admiring! I am really wondering who invented this dish, it’s crazy! So if you Cassie, read this, please let me tell you, that I really preferred your Hot Browns, you can actually eat them because they are not all covered by cheese.<\/p>\n

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Hot Brown ( I can’t put this picture too big, it’s just too much!)<\/p><\/div>\n

After this really heavy dinner we went to a UK \u2013 University of Kentucky shop. The shop was huge and seriously you could buy each and everything in blue and white \u2013 their colors. Not only clothes but all kind of housewares as well. In the end Joy got each of us a cool t-shirt. I got a blue one with white letters and Philipp the contrary. Thank you for the lovely souvenir!<\/p>\n

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University of Kentucky shop<\/p><\/div>\n

Back home everyone got together to take some photos as a memory. We sat outside for a bit longer and chatted. By then we already had to say our goodbyes to Joy and the kids because when we left everyone was already gone to work and day care.<\/p>\n

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Our lovely host family: Joy, Layla and Luke<\/p><\/div>\n

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The next morning, Tuesday, 26th of August, Jay picked us up at 9 o’clock to drive us to downtown Lexington to bring us to the bus station of Megabus. Our bus didn’t leave until 10:35 and had a little delay. Since the bus station was under construction and other buses were redirected we were afraid that we would miss our bus, but we didn’t and at around 11, it finally arrived. We had our longest bus trip ahead of us: almost 8 hours all the way south. Final destination: Atlanta, Georgia!<\/p>\n

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That little sign is the only thing that indicates the Megabus bus stop<\/p><\/div>\n

Although Joy has probably a very busy life with working full time, having a household, having two little kids \u2013 one of those even sick, she still decided to host us. Thank you so much for the time you took to show us around and all the lovely experiences we had!!! I had no idea what to expect in Lexington, but I will definitely will keep this city very positive in mind because of our lovely host family. I can’t believe that the 4th stop was again such a success where I felt super comfortable and all the way welcomed. Thank you Joy, Jay, Luke and Layla for making our time in Lexington this great.<\/p>\n

Anneke<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On August 22nd at 1 pm Philipp and I continued our journey further south to Lexington, Kentucky. To get there we used this time the Greyhound Bus instead of the Megabus for the only time on our travels. There was a little bit more organization at the Greyhound station than it ever was with Megabus. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=321"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":380,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/321\/revisions\/380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/31ppp.de\/anneke-guenther\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}