It’s barely been a week since I left the states, but man, what a week!
I boarded a direct flight to Germany on the 25th of October, arriving in Frankfurt on the 26th. From there, my three suitcases and I got on a train to the town where one of my best German friends, Linda*, goes to college. I don’t recommend traveling alone by train with 150 pounds of luggage, alas, there was no other way.
After a few days in the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr Valley) – Germany’s industrial center, including a tour of an old coal refinery, Linda and I boarded a bus (think touring bus) to get to our home town. When we arrived, I had dinner with two other close German friends. That was Sunday.
Monday morning Linda and I borrowed her parent’s bicycles and rode into town to run errands. We dropped some clothes off at a seamstress’, got money from the bank, bought some supplies from a street corner fruit and vegetable stand, and then rode by our old school. That evening, I spent several hours talking to another close friend over a traditional German supper of open-face sandwiches. It was quite the day, reliving old memories, and revisiting old haunts.
Tuesday was Reformation Day (not Halloween). And not just any Reformation Day, the 500th jubilee of the reformation. Which means there was one large service put on by the 5 local congregations and held in a high school auditorium. This was another chance to greet old friends and acquaintances.
And that was about the end of my visit. Wednesday morning, I flew out of the local airport to my new home. My boss and his wife picked me up, and I’ve been with them for all of two days. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting some religious ruins, and on Monday we’re off again, headed to East Asia. Not even two weeks gone and already hitting three other countries. Life is exciting right now.
It was really wonderful to be in Germany again. It is the first home I ever knew, and will always hold a special place in my heart. But now it’s time to move onward and upward. I’m excited for what lies ahead, both in this country and the various other place I’ll be going soon.