A Day in the Life

You may or may not be wondering what the heck I've been doing with my time, now that I've been living here a month already. The truth is, it's a strange place to be, without obligation, a social life, dropped into a culture different from your own, cut off from the community that was built up at 'home.'

Our weekends are full of explorations, but it's the weekdays that prove to be a bit of a challenge.
In a good way.

I wake up with Mike's alarm as he hits the snooze button repeatedly in the morning. The sun has already greeted the day hours before and is peeking through the sides of the curtains; Michael returns to the room after showering and lets light into our dark space (which provokes slight groaning and rolling around the covers from me, to snuggle in deeper and fight if only for a few moments longer.) I secretly savor his morning routines and how handsome he looks in a suit, feeling a sense of purpose when he asks if his ties match and can I please fix his collar/button the sleeves/can you take this to the cleaners for me?

Once he's gone, I'm up and in the kitchen, preparing coffee and breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and toast on most days, but this morning brought avocado mixed with lime and feta, spread on fresh ciabatta. I'll thencheck Facebook for any updates with my 'community,' because within my soul there's an inherent need to stay connected for fear of isolation. (I'm working on that--- last week I was a bit stir crazy and compulsive with the FB and Instagram, which honestly didn't fulfill the loneliness.. more on that later.)

Anyways, coffee in hand, it's to the porch for some quiet time with Jesus.

It took me four weeks of being here to realize that I need to establish some sort of routine to this brief period of time without structure, or else the boredom and loneliness start to creep in and settle in the empty places. Last week I realized, I'll never have this time again (hopefully come August, when I'll start working and serving with YouthCompass,) so why not use it for good? To grow?

So I spend time each morning on a devotional, unbridled by obligation and time constraints. It was tough at first... I was bored, didn't know what to pray for, but now I look forward to starting my day with quiet time.

The rest of the afternoon I plan trips, I run 'an errand' (I spread out my things to do so that I have a reason to leave the house,) I wander, I exercise (there's no reason not to, yet still it's a mental challenge to get myself going each day.) I go to the grocery store constantly for lack of fridge space, desire for fresh food and really, for something to do. I've made a few lovely friends who I meet up with for lunch. I call home when my parentals are waking up, again when Annie's waking up (my 5pm.) I make lists of things to do, just so I can check them off later. And while 'errand-running,' I let myself get side-tracked by whatever presents itself.... the English-bookstore, an open door entering an old church, German women line-dancing at the American festival, a new coffee shop, watching swans down by the river, the home section at Ikea... the list goes on and on.

Michael comes home, dinner is prepared (maybe while I'm here I'll actually learn to love cooking?) and then we have a good amount of time to fill before we can go to sleep, because it doesn't get dark until 10:30. We don't have TV to fill the dead time, and only one person can be on the internet at a time, so we go for walks through the park, we watch Mad Men, I read. I played myself in Bananagrams the other night, and I won. Wednesdays are now the new 'family dinner' night where we go out with another couple. Maybe it will grow and the Florida tradition will continue, a la German style. It's a quiet, geriatric lifestyle, our weekdays. It's nice.

Like I said, it's just a strange place to be. Almost like a sabbatical or retreat, in which I'm forced to simplify, cleanse myself of the American mentality to have each hour of the day filled, and rely on the Lord to fill my days. I have to work to keep boredom at bay, to not waste the day on the internet and to really make this time meaningful, for never in my life will I have these two months to myself ever again.

August will come, as will a job and a schedule, my seester, followed by Mike's parents, then my own (yipee to all three!!)

For now, I will 'rest' and figure out what the heck God has planned for me here.


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 my 'one-errand-a-day' weekly findings:

Stumbled into a quiet, simple church founded in the 1300s, 

whose walls somehow survived WWII bombings. Perfect setting for a creepy game of Sardines!

Found this gem-- been here twice already. FABULOUS coffee. You walk in and are greeted by the most glorious smells ever. Plus, they have "Eiskaffe" which is not 'iced coffee,' but rather, coffee with ice cream. Mmmmmm.

And being a housewife equals an attempt at desserts. Don't be deceived by their appearance-- they were quite good! Mike ate this whole plate for dinner. 

Baby Swans

Nothing much going on this week. Spent the first half with the sniffles & complaining of the heat. Met some lovely friends for coffee milkshakes and lunch. Looking forward to whatever randomness the weekend provides-- more festivals, farmers markets and the like.

Late posting (I forgot to upload the pictures...) but last Sunday we ventured to our local "Palmgarden," an expansive, beautiful green space with lots of color and lakes. And baby swans. I was beside myself, squealing like a little girl when I saw his little rear end popping up into the air. 

.cuteness overload

Can you spot the oddball? And I'm not talking about in the picture below...

photobombed

We'll be back to the gardens, especially in the winter when I'm homesick and in need of some serious palmtrees. There's even a mangrove room. We walked in and right back out... definitely felt like Florida in there.

And that's it, really. Not much else to say (I'm slightly stir crazy and need to get out of the house.) 

Happy Friday!

I'm melting.

This post is devoted entirely to whining.

I'm serious... I just need to get it off my chest, then I'll stop complaining and embrace the sunshine, for I'm sure there will come a time this winter where I would kill to be uncomfortably sweaty.

With that said, it's hot. Like, Florida hot, except mixed with that Las Vegas dryness where the wind blowing against your skin reminds you of what it must be like to live inside a dryer. 

It's not so much the heat that makes me want to plunge my head into our minuscule freezer...it's the fact that much of Europe does not utilize precious air conditioning, our apartment notwithstanding. Last night I wasn't myself-- Snippy, lethargic, with the dexterity of a sloth. The warmth of the apartment rendered me useless an unable to get up off the couch, our one dinky fan desperately trying to do its job as it pitifuly blew dry air onto our faces.

"What's wrong with you? Did I do something to make you mad?"

I couldn't even muster an articulate response, sounding something "uhhhhhhhhhhhimsoooohooooootttttttt."

This Florida girl can certainly deal; it wil just take time to get used to the lack of aircon in my own home. (How do people do this who never had it? Who live in places where it's non existent? Now I feel guilty for whining...)

There is one plan to ward of the insanity---lots of this:

And that one place I can always count on for aircon and icy drinks.... 

Good ol' Starbucks,where I will be parked for the remainder of the afternoon. 

Hallo, Heidelberg!

Day trips from Frankfurt-- Heidelberg Edition

Heidelberg is a quaint town boasting an impressive  castle, which is partly in ruins (but has a few functioning rooms.) I'm looking forward to returning for an opera in July; the outdoor stage is nestled between two crumbling facades, the perfect setting!

At the end of the day we explored the castle...

Took this picture because I loved his expression- then realized later that it seems like he's flipping me the bird?

We thoroughly enjoyed riding the funicular to the castle (and saying 'funicular' as many times as I could because it's a fun, rarely used word!) You could also ride it to a higher viewpoint, which after some debate decided to go for it.

And it was well-worth the view!

"Konigstuhl" (King's Stool)

Prior to the castle, we meandered through the town. It was strange to be surrounded by so many tourists (particularly American ones) since Frankfurt is not really a tourist destination. I guess Heidelberg is an easy stop when people are traveling on bus tours through Germany... but we still enjoyed the busy-ness of the streets and our favorite pass time of people-watching.

Heidelberg is a beautiful place to visit; I can't wait to return with Annie for some hiking, then again in the fall with my parents when the trees are multicolored.

My attempt at being artsy-fartsy... inspired to start learning how to use the camera properly!

It was a lovely weekend.

Now I'm home, sick in bed and trying to recoup so I can go enjoy the "America Festival" that is raging in one of the main squares. It promises "real country music" and cow-wrangling. I can't wait. 

A Weekend's Worth

This past weekend found us at 'home,' exploring our new city and all its offerings. 

Friday brought a much-anticipated english meetup at a rooftop bar decked out like South Beach. We grabbed sausages at the still-happening "Fressgasse Fest" close to our home, then walked up to building that housed the 'Long Island Summer Lounge.' 

You enter a parking garage (?)

"Are we in the right place? Follow those other young, well-dressed people!" And when you've taken the elevator to the top floor, a red carpet greets you up a once-car ramp, where you pay a cover and enter a rooftop wonder greeting you with a view of the entire skyline. Mini-pools dotted the place where the locals dipped their feet, giddy that the longest winter of all time has finally concluded. 

We can now enjoy rooftop lounges; summer has officially arrived in Frankfurt!

Saturday's mission: Seek the best-lookin' bike in the city for the greatest value. Easy, right? Ready, and go.

Welcome to the Saturday morning flea market, which boasts blocks of thrift-store junk. A hipster's paradise, if you will. Not exactly Michael's cup of tea; I'll save this treasure-hunt for Annie's impending visit. 

Bike's were sought but all was futile. Either we were there too late for the good deals, or Europe's idea of a 'used bike' will always include a hefty price tag of 300 euros. I'm convinced all the bikes were stolen anyways, since the people selling them were pretty sketchy. The search continues.

I don't remember the rest of the day, but I know it included a lot of walking around as we tried to find bike stores. And ice-cream-- I've succumbed to the Germany way. Germans always have a cone in hand, no matter what the weather is outside. 

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Sunday greeted us with the promise of a thunderstorm (there's thunder and lightning here?!) and a failed attempt to check out a church (we forget that "it takes a half hour on the subway to get there" also has to account for the 10 minute walk to the station and the 15 minute way for the train to get there, if you just missed the previous one. oops.) We schlepped around for a while at home then got a little stir-crazy, so when the rain let up, we ventured outside. 

With no destination in mind, (and the knowledge that the city shuts down on Sundays,) we just started walking. Which turned into, "Want to get on a subway and see where it goes?" 20 minutes later we were at a mall in the 'burbs. Even though it was technically closed, there were still a good amount of people there, window shopping, roller blading, eating at McDonald's which was conveniently open. It was strange.

Later that night we ate greasy cheeseburgers and went to see "The Great Gatsby" at the english theater. I was excited that your ticket purchase includes an assigned seat. 

Ended the night with Yoda at our new-favorite hangout in the park.

I quite enjoyed the "no-plan" plan that the weekend brought about as we get to know our new home. Time for a day-trip, though--I'll spend today planning that! 

Happy Wednesday, friends. 

Festivals Galore

I haven't figured out if this is an all-of-Germany (or even Europe thing,) but Frankfurters LOVE their summer festivals!

Since we've arrived, there have been festivals every week, sometimes even overlapping. They're as grandiose as the Skyscraper one during our first weekend with motorcyclists on tightropes and bungee jumping off buildings, or as simple as a few food trucks lined up on sides of the streets.

Many festivals have bands covering old-school American songs that most Americans haven't heard in forever...

We're continuing to enjoy the "Fressgasse" fest by our apartment, because one never tires of street meat and cheap beer. All of the major streets seem to be a hosting a block party at some point over the summer. Our street will have a few, the most prominent being a wine-tasting one in September when the other Checchias are here. Yes, please.

It's pretty much an excuse to enjoy the beautiful weather after work in the company of friends (which we do not have yet, haha) and to consume fantastic food. 

Yesterday, we stumbled upon the "South Korean" festival outside Mike's work, sampled some kimchi, enjoyed people-watching for a bit. Mike said he kept hearing "Gangnam Style" throughout the day; the South Koreans are apparently proud of their connection to the world-wide hit.

Cuteness overload, Gangnam style

We keep seeing this guy everywhere. I call him "Beethoven." Apparently he's a Frankfurt institution... what's his story?!

Here's to the weekend, which promises an epic hunt for bikes at a riverside flea market, pancakes for breakfast, and who knows what other shenanigans. Stay dry, Florida friends! 

My husband, the problem-solver

".... I forgot the bottle opener!" I moaned after digging through my bag for a couple minutes. How were we supposed to enjoy our cheap bottle of rioja on our river-side picnic? I scanned the spooning couples for glasses of wine. Surely there would be another who was fully prepared for wine consumption-- but alas, there was none.

"Don't worry," Mike confidently announced, "I've got this."

Apparently, you can stick a bottle in your shoe, bang it against a flat surface for about 5 minutes, and the pressure from the wine all shaken up causes the cork to come out of the bottle enough to where you can just pull it out. Did you know this?! My husband is amazing. (He found it on "Stumble Upon," the man-version of Pinterest.) 

The evening was redeemed. We drank our wine on the banks of the Main, just like I dreamed we would do one day in a big city. We reveled in the height of the water (we had to cross police tape and walk a bit for this prime spot,) watched baby ducks and people attempting to ride their bikes through the water on the sidewalk. My favorite part of the night was waving vigorously at a Rhine cruise ship floating by (it cleared the bridge by inches, and was probably the last ship able to do so this week as the water levels are insane...) When it passed us, a group of guys dropped their pants and mooned the people on the ship. Mind you, the passengers were all sweet elderly people... 

...but the best part was an old man turned around, dropped his pants, and mooned them right back from the ship.

I about died laughing.  Mike missed the whole thing.


The summer will bring about many more picnics.. care to join? 

Black Forest Cake, how I love thee

Michael had a four-day weekend, so we decided to set off on our first excursion. We had our sights set on somewhere big-- London perhaps, or Paris? ... but soon realized that these types of trips typically have to be planned in advance, unless you want to pay four times the amount. Lesson learned.

We decided to explore the southern part of our country, the famed "Black Forest," the inspiration behind the Brothers Grimm, cuckoo clocks, and a beloved dessert of cherry chocolatey goodness. Only a quick train ride away, we found ourselves amongst centuries-old buildings and quaint, quintessential southern German culture. 

Our first stop was in Freiburg, a 'college town' known for its grand cathedral and canals throughout the city which once brought fresh water to the townspeople. 

Reminiscent of Venice?

It was a sleepy, relaxing town... the only sunny day of the weekend yet to come. We walked around, ate typical food (sausages, spaetzle, which is like a cheesy fried noodle dish, all my favorite things, yes.) And we found the neatest bar which made phenomenal drinks, all on an illuminated ice bar (Hemingways.)

Our second day brought us to Triberg, renowned for inventing the cuckoo clock and for hosting Germany's 'biggest' waterfall.

Even sleepier than Freiburg; might have made a better stopover than a place to spend an evening. While absolutely beautiful, we felt like we were in a retirement community... it was empty. Granted, it was cold and rainy and a place made for biergartens and the like. It was beautiful, anyways, and the hotel we stayed at was cute, in a old-beach-hotel-run-by-cute-elderly-people kind of way. Even the Black Forest cake we consumed was done so in a quaint cafe setting run by cute old grandmas, with fake flowers and china and other old people filling the tables. I felt like I was in Melbourne, eating a slice of French Silk pie at "That Little Restaurant." 

The cuckoo clocks were incredible; I can't believe I didn't take any more pictures! Hand carved wood, different animations (my favorites were the ones that had beer wenches coming out to serve the gentlemen in leiderhosen, pounding their empty glasses on the tables...)

The Black Forest itself is beautiful-- I want to come back to hike, or to see it covered in snow!

The squirrels are strange, with long pointy ears (and they're red!) I have the best picture, but apparently it didn't upload and I'm too lazy to do it right now. Will add later. 

My morning's coffee view

The trip was beautiful, relaxing, albeit slightly wet. We eventually tired of walking through the rain, so our trip was cut a day short in favor of sleeping in our own beds.

The right choice it was, for Sunday was sunny and full of festivals! 

But that's another post for later.