I've spent this entire week frantically essay-writing, holed up in my room or in a library cubby for hours at a time, so I've been a little too stressed to write about GERMANY. I spent this last weekend in Hamburg, with my flatmate Kelsey. She had a German friend who was a for
mer exchange student in America, who served as our very helpful guide. Some cities I think I could survive on my own: Hamburg is not one of them. Everything is in really unpronounceable German, and the metro system is the most confusing tangle of lines I've ever seen. I really noticed on this trip what a difference it makes to be with a local resident. I think that may have been one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. I hate this reoccurring feeling of being a tourist, of just casually consuming the culture for whatever I want to get out of it. Be
ing with a German made it feel like I was somehow briefly tapping into the soul of the city, more so than if I was just wondering around looking for tourist destinations. Hamburg is the 2nd largest harbor city in Europe, so looking out at the waterfront and the massive ships everywhere was really fantastic too. Culinary highlights: eating schnitzel, authentic bratwurst, apple strudel, and delicious German butter....all German dairy products have a higher fat content than in America, thereby making them infinitely more delicious!I discovered recently that I have acquired a few Scottish/English readers on this blog, so let me reaffirm here publicly: I love the United Kingdom! Yes, it takes a bit of adjustment, but it is wonderful. I'm not sure if I've said this yet, but I think Scottish people may be some of the friendliest on the planet. Once you get used to the biting sense of humor, people really are incredibly kind. This is particularly evident in random encounters on the street and with store clerks. Yesterday, a man absolutely made my day by calling me "bonnie lass" as he rang up my groceries. I just sort of stopped and stared for a minute, unsure how to respond....I mean, how often in your life are you called "bonnie lass"?! Ah, the joys of Scotland.
Then th
ere was today. I've been really sick the past couple of days, and it won't stop pouring rain outside. Today was equally dreary, and I woke up incredibly stressed about figuring out my trip to Paris. I'm mostly going to be traveling alone, and I'm more anxious than I've ever been about travelling. But then I ventured out into the rainy city to run some errands, and I was cheered by some of the friendliest Scottish employees I've ever encountered. One man's kindness completely turned my day around when I was on the verge of tears.My day was also brightened enormously by walking into Starbucks and discovering that the Red cups have returned! This, of course, means that Christmas season, with all its joy and delight, has officially arrived, along with Gingerbread Spice Lattes and Peppermint Mochas. Nothing cheers your heart like a good Christmas coffee!
As previously mentioned, I am headed out to France tomorrow, where I will be for the rest of the week. I'll be in Paris for a few days, then heading out to a more rural region of France to stay with a friend from America who is living/working in a chateau. I'm really excited, but I'm also really scared to do all of this on my own....especially considering that I don't speak French. I would really appreciate your prayers for safety and peace of mind over the next few days....thanks so much!
