Dritte Halt: Galway/Dublin

So we arrived in Dublin and we had already had a train scheduled to go to Galway. The train didn’t leave from the airport though obviously so we had to take a bus to the train station. Our train left at 10:30 and we honestly just assumed we were going to miss it and have to wait for the next one. When we got to the train station at 10:28, we quickly asked this man how to check in and then he saw that we didn’t know where to go, so he yelled track 3 to us. We were literally sprinting with our backpacks and the conductor saw that we were coming so he held the train. It was the biggest blessing EVER. That that never happens or not that I have ever witnessed. It was just another way that God showed that He was looking out for us, just like with the two open seats on the bus. The train ride was about two hours and when we arrived in Galway we went to find the place we were staying and the first person we asked was an 18 year old boy. He was the friendliest person we had ever met and we kept trying to end the conversation, but he insisted on walking with us and pointing out where all the good restaurants are and the best place to eat breakfast. Since I like in Germany and we just came from France, it was shocking how friendly and helpful people were. Every time we came in contact with someone, they blew us away with their friendliness. We made it a goal to find one person that was mean or unfriendly and we were unsuccessful.

Us in front of the raging waters that I wish we could have rafted

We were actually staying at a hostel in Galway and it was quite the experience to say the least. First of all, one evening we came home and it was like everyone was having family dinners and hanging out. It was as if we felt rude, because we were out and about. Galway is a smaller city and everything is pretty condensed. I love it though. Literally, walking down the street it just makes you smile because everyone is so nice and the shops and restaurants are so cute. Not to mention, it was great being able to speak English with people. The first day we just hung out mainly and walked around, didn’t do too much and then went to bed pretty early. We decided to go see the four tourist sights the next day, which were the Spanish Arch, the Cathedral, and then two other ones that I don’t remember. We were so thirsty one day and we decided to see how much a coke was at Burger King. We went in and pointed to their drink and asked these two girls if that was a small. Their response was, “No, that is a medium. Isn’t our small, like your large in America?” Michael and I just kind of looked at each other and didn’t really know what to say. Such a stereotype. We were craving something kind of greasy, and we had been hunting for a burger for days, but we were also on a tight budget for various reasons and mistakes. We went into this restaurant though and we ended up eating Döner Burgers. Haha. Seriously 6 Euros for two burgers and fries for us. Like one burger each I mean. What a steal! And they didn’t taste too bad to be honest. We were a little skeptical.

The Spanish Arch- I think the coolest pic we took the whole trip.

That night we went to this pub and watched soccer. It was a fun little atmosphere, but we got tired and decided to head back to go to bed until we met Jim. Jim was a 75 year old guy that informed us that he was turning in early for the night. He was going to be on the top bunk and was telling us all about his life story. We decided to go out for another drink and hang out for a bit, so Jim could have his alone time. He was hilarious. We were trying not to laugh, but seriously what 75 year old stays at a hostel with a bunch of young people on a top bunk? I am glad we went out though, because we went to this other pub and met some really cool Irish people. They were just talking our ears off. The nice thing was that two were from London, so they told us all about London and what we needed to do there. They were quite a hoot to say the least. We had a bright at early train ride once again. Michael’s clothes from Paris were “soggy” as he would say and he didn’t want to wear them anymore. I think we used too much softener. I just figured the more you use the better it smells. Guess not.

We arrived in Dublin at around 10:30am and we only had a little over a day. We decided to get an Irish Breakfast, which we tried in Galway and it was awesome. 5 dollars for so much food. Doesn’t get better than that. After that we went on a walking tour around Dublin. It was alright and I mean I was a little bored, but I didn’t want to interrupt Michael so I didn’t say anything until at one point I asked if he was having fun. His response was, “Want to leave?” and we were a little bit behind the group so we just took off running. We felt kind of bad, but the suspense of fleeing made it exciting even though in all reality what was she going to do to us. That is what I loved about our trip. We didn’t force ourselves to do anything and it was really laid back. We weren’t those crazy tourists that made sure we saw everything and woke up at 7am to do so. So we hung out for a while and sat in a café and talked. For dinner, we were starving. Since we were on a budget we had only been eating two meals and a day and we tried to get the most food for our buck. That day when we were walking around we had seen a Chinese buffet for 6 Euros. Booyah! So that is where we went for dinner. Bad idea. Michael got a bit of a stomach ache. By the way it was New Year’s Eve this day. We were going to go out, but more just to see what New Year’s was like in Europe. Since Michael didn’t feel well, he wanted to rest for a bit and so we went back to the hostel. Sure enough, I could have guessed we didn’t end up leaving again. We went to bed at about 10:30 pm on New Year’s and the joke was that they just play last year’s ball dropping anyway, so we had already seen that. I really still couldn’t tell you what they do for New Year’s. I think just a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’. Plus we had an early flight to London the next morning (of course!), so it was better that we got sleep. 

Zweite Halt: Paris

          So now for the second stop of our trip: Paris. When booking all our flights I thought it was a great idea to book them early in the morning, but boy was I wrong. We had to wake up at 4:30am to get to the airport in time for our flight. Boo. I had good intentions at least, but regretted it later. They were being strict on baggage size and mine was too wide and Mike’s was too tall, but I just walked really closely behind him so they couldn't see. They were making people shove them in those cubby things that see if they are the right size. We got to Paris pretty early and Sarah (my college teammate) was actually not going to be there the first day we were there so we were just going to hang out with her roommates. We were super tired though so we didn’t do much except see Notre Dame and then look for a “cheap” restaurant. We found out pretty quickly that cheap restaurants don’t exist in Paris. We were craving something greasy, and couldn’t find anything so then we saw a good special on a board and went in to eat (partly because we were sick of looking). The food wasn’t the greasy food that we were craving, but it was pretty good. At least mine was. Michael ate some animal intestines. I don’t think he was too fond of it and he likes most foods. After this we were so tired, but we didn’t have anywhere to sleep so we settled on getting coffee at a Starbucks.

Sarah and I

             We go inside and it is packed, but I had to pee so bad so we couldn’t really leave. The line was like 6 people long for a single stall. In the meantime though, Michael somehow snagged two seats. Finally my turn came for the bathroom, and there were still roughly 8 people behind me. Doesn’t sound important, but it is when you find out that I have a little mishap in the bathroom. And no I didn’t poop my pants, but good guess. What happened was I got locked in the bathroom. I went to open the door and it was stuck at the top for some reason. At first I was kind of like oh this is a little embarrassing they see my wiggling the handle and can’t come out, but no it got worse. I literally could not get it open so then I started knocking on the door and saying, “Ich spreche kein Französisich.” I know this is a generalization, but many people have told me that French aren’t always fond of Americans. So Michael and I decided that I would speak German if I had to and he could speak Italian. This sounded like a great idea until we realized that if they actually did know those languages and started speaking them fluently, we wouldn’t be able to completely understand. So that was a bust. Back to the story though. I am actually laughing in the bathroom and don’t really know what to do. I decide to try English (don’t forget there is a line of about 9) and start saying, “I am stuck. Just KICK it.” I don’t know that seemed like a good idea. Must be the soccer player part of me. Then I noticed this button (looked like a light switch) next to the door. I kind of tried it, but I was nervous something would happen. By this point, it’s been a few minutes and I am laughing, but somewhat glad I am stuck so I don’t have to face the mob outside the door in the hallway. They have already tried rambling in French and every time my response was, “Just KICK it!” They didn’t listen though. After a couple more minutes a Starbucks man came and let me out. Only to inform me that that button next to the door needs to be pushed to get out. Ok, FIRST OF ALL, since when do you push a button to get out of anything!!!! You don’t EVER do that. Why would I know that? For all I know that bomb is for someone that needs help because they pooped themselves. Let’s just say, it was the worst walk of shame I have EVER experienced in front of those people. They all looked at me like I was the biggest idiot, who I was in theory, but still give a foreigner a break. So I went to find Michael in our claimed seats, only to find him snoring and sleeping. Great, another scene right? At one point the girl next to us was looking at Michael and I tapped him to wake him up and he woke up and looked at her as if she poked him. It was funny. She had a look like, Umm...that was NOT me. As you can see, we left our mark at Starbucks and decided to venture to Sarah’s house which is about 40 minutes outside Paris.

Best hot chocolate place in the world.

The train system in Paris is very secure. You need to swipe in and out like every time you walk ten feet, so you have to always have a ticket. We finally got to the stop that her roommate, Chelsea was going to pick us up at. We were just waiting there for a while and had no idea what she looked like. When we would see girls walk by we would say, “Chelsea?”, but nobody responded so we waited and soon enough we found her. They were the best hosts ever. We literally walked in and they had dinner ready. Not to mention laundry available. Theme of the trip was Michael’s stinky feet from his “awesome” shoes. At least they weren’t tennis shoes. Number one rule: no running shoes when walking around in Europe. I did tell him to pack them, and he wasn’t too happy because I ended up not bringing mine. Not my fault they didn’t fit in my small backpack for 12 days of clothes! Michael ended up falling asleep at 8:30 pm and I hung out with the girls, which was really fun. The next morning Sarah was flying in from America so we just met her straight in the city and she was out tour guide for the day. Let me tell you she did AWESOME. Paris is such a beautiful city. We didn’t end up going in the Louvre Museum because of time, but someday I hope to go in because I get in free with my EU passport I found out. Booyah! Anyways, as you can from Facebook pictures it was somewhat gloomy out. Sarah and Michael both claimed how they love that though. Debbie Downers. Sarah brought us to this hot chocolate place that was literally incredible. We tried some French crepes and then for dinner we had Raclette, which I love. It was a good night. Not to mention, Sarah brought back Reese’s!

Eiffel Tower

             We decided to do a load of laundry our last night at Sarah’s and let’s just say the dryer didn’t do much drying. It would be a close battle if I would have blown it dry with mouth. With that being said, Michael was once again in bed by 9:30pm. So that left me in charge of the clothes. Their dryer also stopped every ten minutes so you had to go in and push the button. All in all, I didn’t go to bed until 2:30am and only because I gave up on getting Michael’s clothes dry and decided to go to bed; which then turned into a big fiasco in the morning because he didn’t know what to do with them. By morning I mean middle of the night because once again I made another bad choice on booking the early flight. Part of the reason was because we had to take a bus for an hour to the airport because it was way in the north. It was so cool how the Lord totally provided throughout the entire trip. This morning was one time where it was such a blessing. When walking up to the bus we were putting our things in the bottom and the bus was really full by this time, but we happened to put our stuff in faster than these other two girls and we got the LAST two spots on the bus. It was crazy. When we got to the check in counter the woman made Michael put his bag in the “practice cabin”. I was laughing so hard, because he literally looked like he was wrestling with a lion and everyone was staring at him. After that though, the flight went smoothly to our next stop!

Erste Halt: Roma

Where to begin? My life has been in a whirlwind the last three weeks, but it has been amazing. Michael and I started our journey in Europe on December 22. Michael arrived at the airport and then began the journey. First of all, one thing that will be a constant problem throughout the trip will be THE luggage. Michael was only allowed to pack light because he wasn’t coming back to Berlin and we didn’t want to have to check our bags for 40 Euros each time. So lucky me, Michael brought a suitcase full of random things from America that my mom sent, like my Christmas presents, etc. Regardless this suitcase was broken because I am just supposed to throw it away when it’s done. The handle is broken. It made for an interesting trip trying to roll it around. We put it in the back of my bike basket (which later bent) and I biked it the mile from the train station to my flat (Michael wogged). We called the stupid bag “Old Red” because of the hanky that held it together. This was only the beginning of our biking adventures though. To say the least, Michael is not a “biker”. I had two bikes, one which is a little crappy, but gets the job done. It was too tall for Michael so every time he had to get on it he would almost tip over and I would be way ahead of him already (story of the trip) and be shouting for him. Then he would come wobbling around the corner on the bike. I died laughing every time.

Me with Old Red on the bike. It was a long journey.

Our journey began in Berlin. Let’s just say it was quite a journey, but we will save that story for a different time. One night we went out for a nice Schnitzel dinner and then hung out with a few people at a pub for a bit. Then the next day we did the tourist stuff and went to dinner. We didn’t have much time in Berlin, but it was fun for Michael to see my life over here.

On Saturday, we packed our bags bright and early and started our trip. First stop: Rome. We were five minutes late to the airport and they wouldn’t let us check in anymore so we had to fly to Pisa first and then take a train. Great start to the trip. But we learned our lesson from here on out to be early to our flights.

Upon arriving in Rome, we were starving since all we had the whole day was two pieces of bread. The problem was that it was Christmas Eve though and not much was open. We hunted for a restaurant and finally found one. Nothing better than Italian pasta! Michael knew Italian well enough to get us around so that was helpful. On Christmas day we woke up and went to Mass (about 50 ppl) at the school where Michael stayed when he studied abroad in Rome. As you know, I am not Catholic, so I felt somewhat lost in the service. I managed though and asked Michael what to do. After the service ended everyone started rushing to leave and I was practically sitting alone in this room until someone informed me that we were running to see the Pope speak at St. Peters. We got there a little late, but it was fun. Maybe dodged a couple cars, but no big deal. The drivers are crazy in Italy. I came to the conclusion that Germans and Italians couldn’t be more different. Anyways, we met some of the people and then we were informed we were going to be singing carols with everyone in front of St. Peters. I didn’t know how on board I was for this. Let’s be real, I am NOT a singer especially in a crowd of millions. I was laughing because if people ever did that here in Germany, I don’t know what would happen, because it just wouldn’t happen. Tons of people came up and took pictures and started singing with us. Most the people are in choir that we were singing with so I just let anyone who wanted to step in front and move towards the back. St. Peters was incredible though and was so beautiful.

Vatican City on Christmas Day

The true adventure came on the night of Christmas Eve. Michael’s old Italian professor invited us over to celebrate. We were supposed to meet her at a closed grocery store (weird meeting place eh?). Regardless, she picked us up and brought us back to her house. I was a little nervous because I don’t know a lick of Italian. We walked in and there were about 10 people sitting around a table, playing BINGO. One important detail you need of the invite was Marta told us to, “Come hungry and bring some money to play cards!”, so we didn’t each lunch because it was about 4 pm and we assumed we would get a huge four course Italian meal. Well we were wrong. We got some bread and chocolate when we were there. I was starving. It was fun though they invited us to play BINGO. You could buy in for 50 cents per card. Everyone had like 8, but we figured we would just start with one because we didn’t know what was going on. We came to find out that BINGO here is two in the same row, then you move to five in a row, then you do coverall. Michael won the two in a row and won a Euro back. Then we kept playing and my card was horrible. Mike had two more left to win coverall and sure enough he got it! We won like 6 Euros. It was awesome. Then we played another game that is only in Italy and every person had to put in three Euros. The pot was like 35 Euros. We learned as we go and it was super fun. You have three lives and once you lose you are out and not allowed to talk to someone. If you get someone to talk to you then they have to give you a life and you are back in the game. It was great though because nobody could communicate with us except Marta so I couldn’t lose. It got down to two people, and I ended up winning somehow. So Michael and I won 40 Euros at this point. The next game we played was like Blackjack (except you want 7 and a half) and so we paid in again and pretty much you can win big or lose big if you are the dealer. Well Michael became the dealer and kept getting 7 and a half. He was reeling in the money. Since Michael and I shared money the whole trip, it didn’t matter if I won because it went into the same pot. The Italians couldn’t believe how much luck (I call it skill) we had. They were laughing about it, but we joked around how we definitely probably left being the least liked people there. Winning made me somewhat forget about my incredible hunger pangs. After hanging out for a while we left and found a restaurant that was open. Thank goodness.

Using our winnings to buy dinner :)

On Monday, we decided to do all the touristy stuff. Rome was an incredible city and I really enjoyed it. It was nice having Michael to tell about everything since he lived there. We went to dinner with Michael’s friend that evening and got Italian pizza and then got gelato. It was amazing! I loved Rome and our experience was great because we got to experience an Italian Christmas minus the four course meal we thought we were getting.

Frohe Weihnachten!

1.       It has been awhile since I blogged, so I figured I would give an update on life. I have been crazy busy with numerous things. Trying to figure things out for when I move, planning details of the trip, and meetings. We are currently on a month long break from soccer, which is nice. I have been enjoying long runs. My host sister and I have been waking up at 6:30 to go and let me tell ya those first ten minutes are brutal. SO COLD. It is crazy because it is dark when we leave and when we come back, but it’s nice to have it done for the day.

2.       Last week we had an Advent Tea night for the women on the streets. It was an incredible turnout. 50 women came into the café and hung out and got gifts, etc. They were singing and laughing. It was neat.

3.       Last week at practice we had two Italian girls come. I come out of the locker room and my coach informs me to speak English with them. I got a little excited. The problem was that it was our last practice before winter break and they didn’t bring soccer stuff with them. They thought that they were just meeting with them coach. So we had to find clothes and shoes for them. First of all, they didn’t really know much English. Second, I then had to ask girls to take off some of their layers to provide for the Italians. My coach had to give me some of his clothes as well. It was like a charity event. Finally we got everything sorted out and practiced started. I then realized that how am I supposed to tell them what is going on when I don’t even know completely. Literally it was the blind leading the blind, but I felt sympathy for them because I know what it feels like to be the new girl outcast.

4.       I decided one of my least favorite things in life is the amount of leg room that is provided in public areas. Whether that be buses, trains, planes, whatever it is there is NEVER enough. But I always feel that it gets the most awkward when you are facing another person and it’s like you are straddling their legs. Like my leg, then their leg, then my leg, then their leg. If that makes sense. It’s like I don’t even know you and we are touching legs and this is awkward. Going along with the train thing, my biggest pet peeve is when there are open seats that are not next to anyone and someone comes and sits down practically on top of me. I mean people come one, look at me, I am huge. I need some room. So then I have to cross my legs to fit and squeeze my arms in. It’s a disaster. Partly I wish I could invent a world that is for tall people only. Everything is oversized. Like a Disneyland for tall people, but not rides just doing life. I mean great way to find tall men to date too eh?

Teammates and I at Christmas market after Hertha game

5.       I have been Christmas shopping so much lately and I come out with nothing. I am definitely a perfectionist when it comes to Christmas shopping especially if it is for people you haven’t known that long. I worry that they won’t like it or I didn’t spend enough or spent too much, etc. I know it’s the thought that counts and EVERYONE says that, but you don’t want to be the cheapo that didn’t bring a good gift. The part I love about Christmas here is the Christmas markets. They are amazing. They just make me smile and I love walking around them. I seriously think I will get fat living here during Christmas. The sweets are AMAZING!! I baked four different kinds of cookies yesterday. I know, what has happened to me? That is so girly, but it is kind of fun. It reminds me of my mom and I like that. I also finally made Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday. Everything worked out, except the pie crust tasted slightly salted. Oh well though. Now I know.

6.       Speaking of our Thanksgiving meal, my brother, his friend and I had the funniest exchange. So around the house all of us wrestle a lot or chase each other. Pretty similar to the Woerle household. So I ask my brother and his friend if they have ever heard of a wedgie and what it is in German. For some reason I was already laughing so I kept trying to explain it, but would just die laughing and they kept saying “Vedgie”. While I am laughing my brother shouts, yes I know what a vedgie is; it is when someone doesn’t eat meat. I am dying laughing at this and then finally I pull myself together to tell them. At this point his mom walks in and has been somewhat listening to the conversation and in Germans says something about a man not being able to produce. At this point, we are all just dying. She thought that when you do it to men they no longer can produce. It was hilarious, just another example of how communicating in another language often is not easy even when you somewhat understand.  All in all, it was funny, but maybe you had to be there.

Can't wait to see this kid tomorrow!!

7.       Well tomorrow is the BIG DAY, Michael comes to town! We leave Saturday to travel to Rome and then go to Paris, Dublin, and London. I am super excited and can’t wait. We will be staying with different friends along the way, so it will be good to see familiar faces. It will be quite the adventure. So pray for safe travels! Hope you have a Merry Christmas and next time I blog it will probably be the New Year! I really have missed everyone from home lately. It’s not the same without the annual “Ugly Sweater Party” or “Grown Up Christmas Party” or all my mom’s amazing treats. J

Kurz

So this is a quick post, but I just hung out with two friends that are such an encouragement to me in my faith. Which is exactly what I needed at this time in my life since I have been somewhat lacking desire. One girl shared with us what she had learned about how we need to stop looking so far ahead and just be glad that God has been faithful to us TODAY. Not ten years from now or even ten weeks from now, but that He has provided what we need right NOW. With that being said then we talked about the Lord leading us in our lives. My other friend heard a speaker talk about how God doesn't lead us from far off and years ahead rather He leads us from being seconds ahead in our lives. This got me thinking.

Often I think it is easy to see the Lord as such a distant person in our lives, like a long lost ancestor that we have never met, where in reality He is like our best friend. I know, I know.....Jesus is your best friend. You have probably heard it all your life. But going off earlier about Christ leading us, I thought of an analogy of being on a lake and a boat (maybe I just miss warm summer days). He drives the boat and pulls us behind on the skis (I prefer tubing), and sometimes we may fall and feel as if we are left in the dust, but He always comes back to pick us up and pull us back into the boat. Often I think I view God, and live my life for that matter, as if God has dropped me off on a beach somewhere and drove off in the boat and said, "Come and find me." This isn't how the Lord leads though, rather He calls us to have an intimate relationship with Him and pulls us along on our skis while driving the boat. I want to stop living my life worrying so much about the little things and seek what the Lord has for my life NOW. He IS faithful and HAS been faithful over the years. Where I am today is probably not where I would have guessed I would be 5 years ago, but the Lord led me to Germany and I know He will lead me through the days ahead if I trust and seek Him. So yes, this is quite random, but it got me thinking about how I truly view the Lord in my life and whether I live it out or not.

Ausgang oder Ausfahrt

1.       Last week my parents were here as I had wrote before, and it was amazing to see them. They came to Berlin on November 9^th and stayed for 4 days before they went to Italy. I showed them around Berlin and we ate some good German food. Mom isn’t the biggest history guru and Dad knows all the history since he grew up over here, so we didn’t do too much “learning” if you know what I mean.

In front of Brandenburg Gate

2.       One morning they came over to my host family for breakfast and got to see where I live. They got along really well with my family and they all spoke German to Dad, but he didn’t really speak it back because it has been so long. He is pretty rusty. I can’t imagine how frustrating that would be to be fluent in your mother tongue and understand everything but not be able to speak it because it has been so long. I would go crazy. 

3.       They came to my game on Sunday, and then that evening we just hung out and relaxed because they left for Italy the next day.  I wish I could have gone, but I had soccer practice and was already missing Thursday for Munich. It’s always so interesting when you have Americans visit. Mom kept saying, “That is weird.” about things and like I learned early being here, you don’t say things are weird you say they are different because weird has a bad connotation. It just such a different lifestyle I guess of walking everywhere and we definitely walked a lot. It’s interesting how it just is normal to me that I hop on Hercules (my bike) to get anywhere. Seriously I would be more upset if someone stole my bike than my cell phone probably.

German food and beer.

4.       Kevin made some amazing German food for my parents while they were here. They stayed at their house because they have an extra room in the basement and it was such a blessing. That way when I was at practice they had people to hang out with. Mom brought so many treats for me from the States. She made Grandma’s caramel or apples which I LOVE and also she made my favorite Christmas cookies that she bakes every year. Also she brought my birthday presents from some friends from home, which included Funfetti cake mix and Reese’s and other cool stuff. I miss both of those things a lot, along with Chipotle. One of the best parts was having my winter jacket arrive since it has been so cold here.

5.       The part I enjoyed the most of the visit was probably meeting them in Munich for three days. We went to Augsburg the first day, which was where Dad grew up before he moved to Munich. It was so surreal seeing where he grew up and it’s like you could almost see the memories flooding his mind as we walked around. It was kind of emotional because it just made me want to know my relatives more and know more about his life growing up. We saw his house, the Church he went to, his old school, the pool where his brothers and he spent a lot of time, and the Bakery they frequently visited. I wanted to knock on the door of the house and ask some questions, but we decided not to. It was funny though because we were parked right in front of it and the people living there were home and the dog kept barking. We tried to not make a scene, but I mean we were walking around with a big camera so it was hard not to. Then we couldn’t get our rental car started so I kept saying maybe this is a sign that we are supposed to knock and ask, but then we got it going.

On top of the TV Tower in Munich

6.       Speaking of car though, this is what turned out to be the biggest problem of the trip. First of all if you know Mom, she is paranoid when it comes to driving and so the Autobahn and she don’t go well. She closed her eyes the whole time in the back seat, and it just made me laugh. Dad was obsessed with the GPS and we both thought we knew best how to get places so that turned into a couple arguments, but in the end we got there. I forgot to mention that the rental car was a stick shift, and we haven’t owned a stick shift in a LONG TIME. So let’s just say it was a bit of a jerky ride at times. We went down a couple one ways and it was funny people would just stare at us, and Mom would be so embarrassed in the backseat and I would just laugh, while Dad was flustered. Good thing we had an Italian license plate so they didn’t know we were Americans, but gave us a little grace because we were tourists.

7.       I think the funniest driving experience was when we were in a parking ramp and there were two signs as we were trying to leave, one that said “Ausgang” and one that said “Ausfahrt”. I know that “Eingang” is entrance so clearly Ausgang is exit, but “Ausfahrt “ also means exit. So the first problem is that we killed the car up the hill and there was someone behind us that was honking. Next we took a left because we decided we wanted “Ausgang”, which then realized the sign was for behind us because it was a dead end so we had to turn around and the car was still upset behind us. So once we turned around and went back down we realized that “Ausgang” is an exit for only humans and really we needed to go out “Ausfahrt”, so that meant we had to turn around again. Let me remind you we are in a small ramp and at this point I think my head slammed against the headrest maybe only 8 times because the jerkiness. I mean I wouldn’t do better so I can’t complain, but Dad and I were dying laughing. Then the whole time Mom is sitting in the back saying I think we want “Aus-FART” and finally I was like Mom that is not how you say it. Maybe you had to be there, but I was hilarious and when we finally made our way to the exit, we had so many people staring at us because we killed the car to avoid hitting pedestrians, while Mom was saying “THERE IS A PERSON, BE CAREFUL.” This story may only make sense if you know our family and our personalities, but to say the least it was as if there was a circus in the car. Note to self: Use public transportation when traveling to foreign places

We were fascinated with the BIG leaves.

8.     The next day we went back to Munich and we decided to ride the trains the entire day and leave the car parked. Mom was beyond thrilled. So we went to our hotel, which we realized was NOT in the city and in the middle of nowhere. It was nice though so that was good. We had booked it a day ahead because the night before in Augsburg we had waited until we got there and we literally called twenty hotels and not one had a room available. Plus, I always snuck in because the hotel system is different here than in the states. First of all, King mattresses don’t really exist, it is either a twin or you put two twin beds together. So that is what most people sleep on. So the second night we had two twins together as one bed. And I was going to sleep on the floor until we realized that we didn’t have more blankets. Mom asked for an allergy pillow because it was offered on a sign, but clearly not many people request them because the man had NO IDEA. We got another pillow then and I was going to use towels for blankets, but in the end we decided we would all just bunk up in this big bed. It was like a slumber party when you are a child all over again. We shared two twin duvets and Mom was the lucky one who got to sleep on the crack. It was quite the trip.

9.       We walked all around Munich and went to the markets. I would love to go back there and just spend more time in the city. We saw Allianz Arena from the outside and it looked incredible. I can’t imagine how sweet it is when it is lit up. I am determined to get to a game before I leave this country. For those of you who don’t know that is the arena that Bayern Munich plays in. We also went to the Hofbrau Haus, which reminded me just like how it was at Oktoberfest. It almost feels like a cafeteria to me. It was such a fun trip to Munich though and I loved being able to get a glimpse of Dad’s life growing up.

10.   It was hard to say goodbye, because I don’t know when I will see them next. I am so blessed to have amazing parents like I do that take time to come here and visit me. I miss them so much already, but like I have said before I know this is where I am supposed to be and it means so much to just have them supporting me. I feel like I have so much to write, but this is really long, so maybe tomorrow. 

"Flugpunkt" und "Green Men"

Picture demonstrating "Flugpunkt"

Well it has been a busy week since I last blogged, but I am having trouble remembering all the things that have happened. One thing I am excited about is that I made a new friend that is going to teach me about photography. I have never had an “eye” for art to say the least, but I am going to try to learn. He travels to America quite frequently for his job and is a camera man for movies and commercials. It is crazy hearing about his job and what he does because it is a whole different world than what I use to. I realize how little I know about actors, actresses, singers, artists, etc. because I mainly just know athletes. Regardless, it has been cool learning about how movies are made and all the work that goes into it. With that being said the first tip I learned about taking photos is called the “flugpunkt” in German. I guess I didn’t learn what it was in English, but that translates to “flight point” so I am assuming that is what it is. This is the picture I took to portray what that is, and of course it was on my first try (ok, not really maybe fourth). It is on a wall for a neat café we went to and all the words are opposites. 

On Saturday, it was a fun day. First I met my friend and her boyfriend at IKEA for an early lunch, we never go to IKEA to actually buy things, usually to just eat breakfast or lunch because it is cheap and tastes good. Then the real adventure began when I met a woman from our soccer club to go to the Hertha game. I knew ahead of time that we had VIP tickets, but I guess I didn’t understand to what extent we were VIP. I felt so in over my head. We met two hours before game time to eat and have a couple drinks. First we walked in, and she explained that there were four levels of food and we could eat and drink as much as we wanted. I was like a little kid in a candy shop and was just fascinated with all that was going on around me. I went to the bathroom, and some woman opened the door for me and ripped my paper towels for me. I felt inept to a certain extent. I almost wanted to ask her if she could wipe for me too.

Dog parking space at IKEA. Yikes.

After a while, we were standing there at our table and the woman had left to bring drinks to her brother outside, so I looked like the awkward loner. I mean whatever though, just stood there and people watched, until out of the corner of my eye I say this guy coming towards me. I was hoping that he wasn’t going to talk to me, because since I have lived in Germany I always just try to mind my own business and not let anyone know that I don’t know German. It is weird because I do understand a lot of German, but for some reason when strangers talk to me it is like I go blank and freeze. I usually assume people aren’t speaking to me; so many times they have to repeat themselves and come directly in front of me. Regardless, this guy came up to me and he had 7 other guys that were at a table behind him, and he asked in English if he could take a photo with me. First of all, I was like, “Do I look that American?”, because I even looked kind of Euro and wasn’t wearing a T-shirt, or sweats or having a fashion emergency according to Europeans. Then I froze and didn’t know what to say and had a panic attack and said, “Um, why?” and he proceeded to ramble on with some reason, in which I said fine because I didn’t know what else to do and I just didn’t want to make a scene, which it was too late. By this time the tables around us were all staring at us and his friend was coming over to take a picture. So I smiled trying to make it as fast as possible, until I see a red light on the back of the guys phone and he is videoing us, and then I realize the guy in the picture is making a kissing face towards me and too close for comfort. I didn’t know which one to stop first, so I started shouting to the guy that he was recording, while the guy next to me is saying, “Please just give me one kiss.” So I am pushing him away and telling him no, turning bright red from embarrassment, and trying to get this guy to hurry up, while all their friends are laughing and somewhat wondering if they should stop it. Needless to say, it was a disaster. Finally the guy was finished taking a “picture” and the other guy stayed and chatted. He was going on about how they were from Iceland and was here for the weekend and just wanted to have fun. I proceeded to tell him that it was sketchy what just happened but finally, I was saved when the woman I was with came back. Now I know next time to be direct and say no from the beginning and to not panic in those situations.

So we watched the game, and after we sat around and ate more food and had a couple drinks with two of the other women from my club. Right when we were going to leave, I had quick gone to the bathroom and I thought they knew, but I guess not because they left without me. So now I am in this big building and have no idea how to get out. A couple of the players had come out and so I decided to go in the elevator, but then realized I didn’t know what floor to get off on because I hadn’t paid attention when we came in. I guessed and ended up getting out on a floor with a bunch of people in suits who all stared at me like what are you doing here. I quickly pushed the button and got back on, and tried to act like I knew where I was going, but had NO IDEA. Finally, I made my way out and was thankful that most the people from the game had probably already gotten on the trains and so it wouldn’t be as crazy. You think you have seen crazy fans in the States, wait until you go to a soccer game with 60,000 people in Europe and these people are die-hard fans. And I was so wrong about missing the crowd. I got to the train stop and was pretty sure I was in the right place, until I saw literally over 40 policemen. Scary looking too, because they wear these green suits with helmets and body suits and have zero emotion. They were blocking the stairs to get to the train, so my first thought was that something really bad had happened. The fans were shouting and singing and going nuts, and I didn’t know whether to turn around (but I knew this was where I had to be), attempt to ask an emotionless “green man” in German what was happening, or just play it cool and wait it out. I went for the play it cool and wait it out option. A couple randos started to talk to me and I just pretended I wasn’t being spoken to. As if there wasn’t enough noise with the screaming, chanting, and singing drunken people; the police dogs were right by me and barking like crazy. If they didn’t have a muzzle on I think they would have bitten my legs right off. I didn’t know whether to laugh at this sight, or be scared. It was one of those times you wish someone was with you to laugh. So below are a video of the barricaded area and a picture of the police lined up before the train came. It was quite humorous. I was graced with chanting and pounding on the train walls the whole way home.  Lucky me. This is long, so the end.

The Emotionless "Green Men"