Dear Diary the East: Part II

I started yesterday in sharing a bit from my Word document diary about traveling between 2 very different towns in Germany over Christmas. Here is the next little bit about my time in the East.

Ok, so, woah. I am really in a completely different part of Germany. I mean, I bought chocolate wafers in the Czech Republic today, so yeah, different. We went to a town that maybe starts with an E and I’m sorry but it’s 4am, and I just can’t remember. Seiffen? Does that sound like it could be the German word for plural soap to anyone else? This is the tourist stop for any tourist in the Erzgebirge. Surprisingly, Erzgebirge is not a word that “spell check” thinks is wrong. Huh. Anyway, the town is full of shops that sell the hand-made woodwork that is sold in the Weihnachtsmärkte throughout Germany. The amount of nugat cookies I’m eating from my Lebkuchen box that I got for Christmas is nothing compared to how much hand carved and hand painted wood was in that town. And there were lights in every window, a pretty, octagonal church that inspires the woodworkers, and really I must say it just made me feel Christmasy. While it was absolutely wonderful being in Luckenwalde for Christmas, I wasn't totally 'in the spirit'. But checking out that town, where snow still laid and glowing wood adorned each window, put me in the spirit.

And then we went to Micha’s house and it felt like family. Like really distant relatives. But you know, I have Peter and Traudel. They are as distant a relative as one can have without losing track of someone, and they’re totally awesome.

Tonight I also learned, and this is important incase I ever refer to anyone this way, but “Spitze” means “dude, you’re top notch!” but “spitz” means horny. So, more sex from Germany. Surprise. Which, by the way, reminds me to talk about the fact that German TV makes me uncomfortable even though I come from a society that thinks of itself as open and free. Um, false. Swear words? Sex? Gimme a break. We are so censored, but I guess I don’t necessarily hate that. I also don’t own a TV and haven’t in a long time, so what do I know about censorship on TV.

I think I also have the loosest plans ever in the works that would take me to Prague. Yahoo! Lets goooo!

For future reference, nugat cookies do not get rid of hiccups, no matter how many (all of) from the bag you eat. Shoot. But in other news, I was tested tonight and can in fact name all 50 states, so I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.

The land of wafers and, as seen behind me, gas stations!

Dear Diary the East: Part I

I might have mentioned on here, or perhaps I did not, that I spent Christmas away from Mainz. I visited 2 different friends. Christmas itself was spent with Bettina and her family in Luckenwalde, outside of Berlin. The day after, I journied nearly to the Czech Republic to spend time with Anja and her family. I visited Berlin for the first time in early December, and traveling to and from the city was my first time being in what was formerly East Germany. Berlin in itself was a great city. At least I think so, but I am a history dork. Beyond the national history of the land I visited over Christmas, it was also interesting to see what other places in Germany look like. Now I've officially visited everywhere but the middle, I think. Oh, and also have yet to get further Northeast of Berlin. It's like that for visitors to America, too, it seems. Everyone goes to one coast or the other. What about the middle?! As a Wyomingite, I ought to really pay more attention to the innards of Germany.

Anyway, I forgot to bring a journal with me (I didn't forget-- I had deemed it too heavy, actually) through my first real adventure over East, and my experiences there made me wish I had. So I journaled with Microsoft Word. Less romantic because it's my thoughts but not my handwriting. I thought over the next few days, I'd share some bits and pieces of my impressions as I traveled between the two towns where I spent Christmas. And so, Part I:

Here I am on a regional train, last leg of the journey from Luckenwalde to Olbernhau- or should I say last leg via train. I’ll be picked up at the Olberhau station and we’ll drive to Pfaffroda, since Pfaffroda is too small to have a train station. There are tell tale signs out the windows that I am in fact in the former East Germany. The architecture here was inspired by rectangles, and the speed in which things were built and the lack of real resources seems evident. I’m in the mountains; that’s for certain. This is where the woodworking is done for all of those little “Pyramide”, “Räuchermännchen”, and other wooden goodies that one finds in the Christmas markets. I looked up from my book to see quickly that we passed through a town called “Frankenstein”. I might never find out way out of here.

Before leaving for these few days away for Christmas, I looked at my journal sitting in its place on the shelves, longing to get some attention. “Oh gosh,” I thought. “Just one more heavy thing to lug around.” And with that, I left it behind, thinking that a couple days journey wasn’t worth having to tote it from place to place. But what was I thinking?! This is my first actual time being in the former DDR. I was lucky to visit Berlin just 2 short weeks ago, but Luckenwalde and Pffafroda—that’s the real deal! If ever there were a time appropriate for journaling, this is it. Of course, I am lugging with me my heavy Nikon camera, my heavy laptop (oh why oh why can’t I afford something airy-er?!), and bottles of wine for gifts. But my journal? Nah…

So I’ve put my computer to use for journaling. And I feel like a big, fat cheater. Here I am in what might possibly be middle-of-nowhere Germany, having a grand adventure, meeting new families, learning new things, struggling through conversations where many people talk at once and all I’m catching is the transition word “Na ja”, and training through these crazy mountains on a train that smells like incense, not even kidding. I should be handwriting this! Technology does not fit the experience I’m having right now.

Oh, an aside—The Dresden Bahnhof had a gorgeous, tall Christmas tree in its main hall. Noteworthy and appreciated, Dresden. Nice work.

Oh my gosh, I forgot until right now that I don’t like the smell of incense. I think I’m gonna be sick on this train.

I’m pretty nervous to visit Anja’s family. She has told me that their region has a pretty stark dialect. As in, some Germans can’t understand what these people are saying. And they’re speaking German. She has a “high school reunion” casually at a bar in a neighboring town tonight, so I get to meet a bunch of new people who all know each other really well and will be speaking fast, drunk, starkly accented German. Not an environment in which I will likely thrive. Sometimes having to be social makes me awkward, and sometimes I flourish. This situation kicks me so far out of my element that perhaps it’ll be a flourishing situation.

Christmas, complements of Dresden Hbf

Half way, dudes!

It's official. I am half way done with this year in Germany. Wait, what? What's that sound? Oh, that would be time flying.

I am pleased to announced that I still wear the same size pants, despite my new environment where the bratwurst grows on trees and everything tastes better with double the butter. I am also pleased to announce that while my verb vocabulary is still relatively small, I often feel quite at ease in the new language. I have made new friends and increased the number of countries I've visited from 3 to 9. That's an average of one new country a month, kids. Not bad for a budget traveler, huh? I think I could write a pretty funny book by now, but I probably won't.

So then, 6 more to go. More countries, more friends, more verbs to learn, and more surprises around the bend.

Don't worry, USA. You're still my #1 love.

2011 Highlight Reel: Part II

Woah! You guys- it's already mid-January. I was so good about posting my 2011 review (Part One) a few days early, and then BOOM- 2012 is here and I got too busy to remember to post about the second half of last year. Goodness gracious. If 2012 keeps up at this pace, then it might as well already be next Halloween.

Anyway, to round out the past year, here is the latter half of my 2011 in highlight form. Then we can move along to catching up on 2012.


Ok, I left you at the part where I made it back to Wyoming to spend 3 weeks with my family before heading back to DC and taking off for my new German life. There is something about those wide open Western skies that simply make life look even better than it is. I got lots of time with my family to catch up about things, laugh, swim with my brother, see a couple friends, play with my dear ol' dog, and stress out to my mom about the upcoming move (she is the world's best listener, advice giver, and hugger). I spent my favorite holiday, the 4th of July, at Alcova Lake with Eli and then watched the big fireworks display in town that night. It was so refreshing to not be driving across I-80 in Nebraska like I was for July 4th, 2010!

My birthday isn't until the end of August, but my family gathered to celebrate me a month early. We played games on the mountain and ate cake and had general merriment. While out West, I also had the opportunity to accompany my aunt Heidi and my Omi to Rapid City, South Dakota. Travel within travel within travel? It was fun to have the time just with them-- very rare! In Casper, I woke up early one morning to go watch a hot air balloon launch alongside my mom and aunt Marilyn. Whenever life offers you an opportunity to see or do something unique, wake up early and go do it! It was a beautiful sight. I even had time to drive with my dog, Wrigley, down to Medicine Bow to meet Becca for a sparkling grape juice and dessert day! Listen, there aren't many places halfway between Laramie and Casper that serve as a nice meeting spot, so we got silly and created our own picnic out there in the boonies. It was wonderful time with a wonderful friend. Plus, the drive back afforded me the opportunity to snap a few photos of that wild land.

I headed back to DC towards the end of July to see all of my people one last time before I was up and away. Luckily for me, COWPIE- the annual Wyoming State Society extravaganza- was scheduled for my very last night in the States. That's a mechanical bull-riding, whiskey drinking, heck of a farewell! It didn't feel like enough time, but then adventure was calling. It's not ever easy to leave the people, but I know I met great people in DC, and I'll see them all again.


And then, and THEN, I got on an airplane and when I woke up, I was in a land far away from the Stars and Stripes. I could only read some of the signs (Germany has lots of signs in English), and I had jet lag like WOAH. I met 75 unique people- all wonderful- and we were shuttled off to places we'd probably never been.

I spent 2 months in Radolfzell on beautiful Lake Constance learning the language, learning about my new friends, learning the ins and outs of German life including things like having to be a rapid-fire grocery-bagger in order to prevent a stress-related heart attack everytime I went shopping, and how to have a diet that consisted primarily of pork products and cheese- with extra butter, of course. I lived with a host family who did not speak English (well, I think my host sister did, but she's good at pretending like she doesn't!) and so I couldn't really communicate with them for basically the entire first month. Consequently, my charades abilities improved ten-fold!

escargot!

While there, I was blessed to have the opportunity to explore outside of the town as well. I made trips to: the Reichenau for a wine fest where we got poured on (rain, not wine. though, probably wine, too) and where I met some stellar Germans, Zürich, the Seenachtsfest in Konstanz/Kreuzlingen for fireworks, Paris to ring in my 25th year of life, Lindau and Bregenz with Mickey for a great day, connected with Peter and Traudel- my family in Switzerland, attended the Altstadtfest in Radolfzell, journied through Liechtenstein with Joe, Mickey, and Tyco, toured the Fürstenberg Beer Brewery, Strassbourg, France, Oktoberfest (THE Oktoberfest), and Ulm to climb the world's tallest church steeple. My fellow Radolfzellers and I ran a charity 5-k and celebrated Thanksgiving together in September. I think we were all a bit sad to leave one another at the end of September, but the time had come to seperate and spread out over Germany to see how we could each stand on our own two feet. And I moved to...

Mainz! Mainz is Germany's wine capital. Um, hello! Here I come! Upon arrival, it didn't take me long to realize that I actually had no idea what was going on with anything. German University functions seemingly far differently from that of University in the States, and I was caught way off guard. Plus, I missed all of the orientation by not getting there until October, so I was like a chicken running around with my head cut off. So much English was being used around me in school, that I made the decision to join an organization called "Fremde werden Freunde"- strangers become friends (yep, I'm the stranger- it's quite apparent, too). I was hoping it would give me the opportunity to use my German more. I hit it off with my non-Fremde, Anja, and I'm so glad because she is a dear friend now!

The rest I really will give to you in highlight form, or else you really will be reading forever (if you haven't already given up!). I went to Köln for a Bon Iver concert with Mickey and spent the night homeless in the Frankfurt airport. I happened upon a Greek restaurant in the mountains when trying, unsuccessfully, to stay in the town of Wiesbaden on Allerheiligen. I explored the fall colors with Ginny in the little towns along the Rhein like Oberwesel and Bacharach, which we walked between, but turns out they're like 9 kilometers apart. 9 km is more than a couple minutes walk like I had told Ginny they were. Oops.

11/11 here is the start of Karneval, the fifth season of pure silliness, but in the US it's Veteran's Day, and I celebrated in my new life but was reflective upon my old life and, I am happy to declare, future life as an American.

EMMA came for Thanksgiving and her birthday! We put 1500km on a brand new rental car in 3 days and experienced the start of the Christmas season in Germany! That girls knows how to adventure, lemme tell ya. We pranced through the Alps, sampled Glühwein from everywhere, toured Neuschwanstein, chatted, caught up with life, and reconnected. It was a gift to me to have such a close friend here when I was struggling to feel success in my everyday life, and I am forever thankful that she had the time and motivation to be here for a whirlwind 5 days!

My next visitor came only a few short days after Emma left and was here for 2 weeks! Including the time we spent in Mainz, we managed to make it to Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and France as well as some of Germany's bigger cities. We were hosted by Geoff and his host family in Munich, and drank beers in the famed Hofbräuhaus!

Before I knew it, Christmas was here, though really the whole month of December felt like Christmas. The Germans really know how to put some Christmas spirit into the air. They just open Christmas markets- Weihnachtsmärkte- eeevverrryywheerreee and then they drink Glühwein all month long, even in the pouring rain, and everyone is jolly and cheery and a little buzzed and it's really magical. I was thrilled to accept an invitation to Christmas with Bettina and her family in Luckenwalde. We listened to her dad's favorite traditional German Christmas CD repeatedly, had coffee and cookies, opened presents, set up the tree, made Christmas stars with her aunt and Oma, and went for a long Christmas day swim! It was really special to have a family to spend the holiday with, and I felt at home with Bettina's.

On second Christmas, a day we should really have in the States, I traveled to the Erzgebirge to visit Anja and her family. The area is mountainous and populated with small towns. It is famous for its hand-carved wooden goods, mostly Christmas pieces. If you ever come across something wooden, Christmasy, and made in Germany, it probably came from here. I was made to feel at home not only by her family but by her boyfriend's family. I met her childhood friends and went for a walk around the town before I left, with Anja and Michael as tourguides. The best tour guides. It is somewhere I maybe otherwise would never have gone, and I am SO glad I went.


Two days later, Katie came to visit me! We took off nearly immediately after she had landed for Belgium. After meeting a few of Belgium's least-savory people on a series of train rides to Antwerp, we were ready to ring in the new year! There are few ways better to end one year and start the next than in a country famous for beer and chocolate and with such a dear friend.

So now we see what 2012 brings. Or perhaps, if we don't like what the year brings, we make our own luck this year. Mine will certainly once more be full of moves and uncertainty, but what fun is life if we don't allow it to change us a bit? 2011 assuredly changed me, but it also showed me that my life is full of steadfast friends and great adventure.

Best wishes to all of you throughout this year!