Disclaimer: If you have a queasy stomach, please do not read this post.  You won’t like it. But if you are the average young person who suffers from a blemish here and there you might want to take a gander.

This is what I have resorted to...

I am embarrassed to say it, but I am breaking out like a mad woman.  My face is having a zit fit.  It’s gross. It’s not like these pesky pimples are popping up in my normal “hotspots” (right next to my nose); nope, they’re everywhere, on my cheeks, under my chin, on my forehead, everywhere.   Seriously, it’s disgusting.

It’s gotten so bad that every time I show my face on Skype people make comments, “What’s that on your face?” It’s a zit darn it!  Isn’t it nice that people are taking notice from halfway across the freaking planet. It’s quite encouraging. Most people that I have talked to have also been quick to give me advice, “Well, have you been washing your face?” No, I actually douse my face with oil every night.  Unless you are a dermatologist or have lived abroad and had a similar problem, then you can’t comment.  As if I wasn’t embarrassed enough, my mom also comments on my newly blemished face.  My favorite, “That looks like it hurts!” Thank you Captain Obvious would you like to comment on any of my other imperfections?

For a while now, I have been trying to figure out the source of the problem.  Originally, I thought it may be due to the water here in Reutlingen, and I thought my face would clear up in a few weeks. False.  I’ve been here for a little over a month now and my incessant acne just keeps getting worse.  Then, I thought it may be the alcohol, but I don’t drink that often and I am not giving that up anytime soon. Right now I am thinking it’s all the traveling we have been doing lately.  Train stations aren’t the cleanest places on the planet and my skin may not be adapting all that well.   For now that’s the best answer to this embarrassing predicament.

If you haven’t read my bio, I am a nursing major, which means that I love puss; I think it’s a prerequisite in the field.  With that said, I, of course, pop my zits.   I can’t help it.  There is something truly satisfying about expelling that cream-colored junk and then dabbing the remaining crater with a toilet paper square. Lately though, I have grown tired popping my white caps.  Plus, I really don’t want scares all over my face.

You may be wondering if have I tried to cover up these mini volcanic masses? The answer is yes, but all of the foundation in the world won’t cover up my little problem. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and went to the bathroom and was so horrified with my face that I decided that I to find a solution immediately.  I Facebooked a former Reutlingen study abroad alumnus from whom I am still awaiting a response.  I got on the proactivsolution.de site to order some Revitalizing Toner, but I couldn’t get the toner to stay in the cart.  I kept getting the “Ihr Warenkorb ist leer. Bitte klicken Sie hier, um Ihren Einkauf fortzusetzen.” Which means: “Your basket is empty. Please click here to continue shopping.” It was not! I had just clicked the “Bestellen” (order) button! I eventually gave up and continued my search over the internet.  I didn’t find much, but I learned some important German words:

Zit = der Pickel

pimple =  die Noppe

Face = Gesicht

face wash = Gesicht Dusch

white head =  der Hopfentrieb

puss = die Fresse

So, there’s your German lesson for the day.  I will keep you updated on my zit dilemma unless I get in trouble for the content of this post, in which case you can email me hayden.oshaughnessy@valpo.edu.  I will be happy to answer any questions, especially to those who are interesting in studying abroad in the future! Thanks for reading!