If you told me my life was a dream, I would probably believe you. In what world does someone from a town with one gas station get to travel Europe with a backpack and her camera? Someone once told me that someone like me would never make it out of my hometown. I wasn't cut out for the city life, I wasn't programmed to make it in a world that would swallow me up and spit me back out. Their words echoed in my head for several years before I finally stopped believing them. The truth is, no one knows yourself better than you do. People can't tell you what you're capable of. You hold the map. You have the keys. And you own the car. If you choose to stay, stay... but never for a second believe that you aren't able to go.
My "car" was a plane an my "map" was a globe. I'm like my grandfather. I do what I want. I get my mind set on something and I won't stop until I have it. Everyone wants to see the world, we all have a bucket list, and we're all searching for that life-changing vacation. For some of us, it's not possible to just give up everything and buy a plane ticket. Sometimes the adventure is a few miles away from us. Others live vicariously through television, magazines, books, and other people. Whatever the case may be, we all have the same dream.
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| Alpsee Lake, Germany |
I believe that there are two types of people in this world, both of which have the same suppressed desire for traveling. One of them craves it so much that they'll stop at nothing until they have it. The other can live off the idea and be perfectly content without every having to take their feet of the ground. I fall into the first category. I'm the type of person that lives for the adventure and staying in one place for too long makes me restless. I want to see it all. Indonesia, Cuba, Japan, Finland, Botswana, Peru, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, Iceland. A new country pops into my mind every day and I think of all the reasons I should visit it. Granted, some of them I'll never be able to see, but there is a gene in my DNA that tells me it could happen. Nothing makes me feel more alive than staring out of a plane window, flying over the Alps, the ocean, the Mediterranean Sea... Seeing the rising sun on one side of the plane and the moon and night sky set from the other. This is what I was meant for and I'm never going to be able to give it up.
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Germany. Alemania. Deutschland. No matter what you refer to it as, Germany is easily one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen. It was one of those hidden gems that I would have never noticed had my friends not suggested a weekend trip to Munich. We spent three days in Bavaria, long enough to hike in the Alps, visit Neuschwanstein, tour Dachau, and eat as much German food as possible.
Living in Spain has been complicated for me in a sense that I cannot blend in with the culture. Spaniards are very dark complected with dark hair and brown eyes... which is virtually my polar opposite. I can't walk down the street without someone staring or calling me "rubia." (Which is Spanish for "blonde.") Most people are giving compliments because the Spanish culture is very open to expressing themselves, but after a few months... that gesture tends to get old. It's frustrating to be generalized by your hair color and some people see blondes as being "easy" or some prize to be won.
When I arrived to Germany, it was the first time in months that I blended in. I was walking through a plaza next to the New Town Hall when a newscaster tried to interview me in German with her microphone. Every time I walked into a restaurant, the waitress would greet me in German, but address the people I was with in English. One woman even went as far as thinking I was the waitress. When I went to purchase a rosary from St. Peter's Cathedral, the woman whose name tag said she spoke both English and German addressed me in German without hesitation. I didn't come off immediately as an American or as a foreigner, and for the first time sense I've been in Europe, I actually felt like I physically belonged.
Dachau:
One my very first day in Germany, we decided to visit a concentration camp. For me personally, Dachau was a very humbling experience. Standing on the very ground that over 500,000 people were murdered on made me realize just how truly blessed I am to be so fortunate in life. All of my problems seemed trivial compared to what these people were put through. Dachau was easily one of the most memorable places I've ever visited and is a destination I would highly recommend to people who are interested in experiencing something so incredibly powerful.
My initial response to Dachau was silence. I found myself unable to speak as I walked through the site. Nothing had ever broke my heart as much as that place did. As I walked through the museum, I ventured off to myself because I knew I would inevitably cry. By the time I reached the photos of dead prisoners, my eyes were soaked. It's unbelievable how cruel our world is capable of being, but after reading the wall in the center of the site, I knew there was hope in forgiveness.
Forgiveness is what enables the world to move on. You cannot blame the current generation for what their ancestors did no more than you can blame our ancestors for the genocide of Native Americans. We can't keep paying for mistakes we didn't make. What we can do is keep the past from becoming our future and to stand up for those who can't stand for themselves.
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| "May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect to their fellow men." |
If you ever visit Germany, or even Poland, be sure to visit a concentration camp. Don't be afraid to look at their faces, read their story, and learn about what they went through. Their memory deserves to be heard the way their voices never were.
New - sh - won - stine:
Every little girl dreams of living in a fairy tale. Disney programmed us to believe that dreams come true and that our prince will sweep us off our feet. Though the prince part is complete bullshit, the dream part is very much capable of happening. I believe fairy tales come in many different forms because not every person will have the same idea of what magic is, but I found my fairy tale at Neuschwanstein. |
| The Bavarian Alps as well as Alpsee Lake |
After touring Neuschwanstein (by the way, spelling and pronouncing that is too much of a hassle) we decided to hike in the Alps. I can add that accomplishment to my resume. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever plan to see the Alps, let alone stand in them. After hiking, I did what every other Kentuckian would have done. I took my shoes off and stuck my feet in the freezing cold water of the Alpsee Lake. My mother would be so proud. I may be classy, but sometimes I just can't help myself. What can I say? I was raised in Kentucky.
Füssen, Germany
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| Herzl am Rathus is the yellow building in the back. |
Füssen is a place that will hold little significance to many of you because you probably didn't know it existed. The small and quaint town is hidden among the mountains and nested along the Austrian border. Our train to Neuschwanstein stopped there and gave us some time to explore and have dinner. We went to a restaurant called Herzl am Rathus. When I was younger, sauerkraut and potatoes was a regular meal in my household so I was very excited to be able to finally try the real deal and I was in no way disappointed. At this restaurant, another German customer thought I was an employee.
(as previously mentioned)
The English Garden:
A friend of my suggested that if I came to Munich I should visit the English Garden. After relaxing at Alpsee Lake and feeling how tranquil it was to sit along the water, I wondered if the English Garden would be as soothing.
The Garden was massive and spread out over several kilometers, all of which is very lively and very green. There are several different species of birds throughout the park, swimming in the lakes and streams. Munich has done a very good job at providing something for everyone inside of it. There were places to lay in the grass for a picnic, bike trails, horse trails, places to walk your dog, areas to relax and have a beer, ice cream vendors, waterfalls, flowers, trees, paddle boats. Anything you'd want in a park, the English Garden could facilitate. We spent a nice afternoon walking around the trails, eating bratwursts, drinking a beer, taking photos, and people watching. This place was without a doubt the most interesting landmark within the actual city of Munich. Everywhere else I had visited up until that point had been either on the outskirts of town or 2 hours south.
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Where do you want to go? If there is a place that immediately pops into your mind when you hear that question, then don't hesitate to take yourself there. The only thing you should ever regret in your life is the things that you didn't do.
For all of you that check in on me through my grandparents, thank you. My grandmother and grandfather (other than my mother) are my biggest fans. Their eyes light up whenever they get to talk about their grandkids. It makes their day and because they are happy, I am happy. Thank you for reading.
Until next time, xoxo
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