18 Years Old

In my life I have slowly come to realize that being 18 years old is a pretty magical age, when suddenly overnight obtain loads more freedom. One day you are a child and the next day you are officially considered an "adult". Where I come from in America when you are 18 you can do things that only adults have the privilage of doing, such as buying tobacco, gambling, etc. Now in Germany, they have slightly different laws. When you turn 18 you can get your driver's liscence, buy hard alcohol, and, as I found out today, buy a pet animal.

I found that last one out today, when I went to Fürstenwalde Süd to buy a Chinese-Fighting Fish with my friend Rebekah. We get to the shop and look around because it was AWESOME. The petstore was really very cool. It had meter long fish, snakes, birds, rabbits, and an ALIGATOR. (Okay, I'm not 100% sure that was actually real, but I swear it was.)

It was only a little bit of a struggle explaining what I wanted. Weirdly, after I told the guy I would like a fish that lived in a bowl where it didn't need an air ventilator thing he got really un-salesmanly-like.I don't know what his deal was. I saw the fishtank where they kept the fish I wanted, and it didn't have a bubbly thing in it either. Then he goes and tells me that I better come back with my mom and dad sometime because I have to be 18 years old to buy it.

I learn something new every day (: