A LAP AROUND DEUTSCHLAND - CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS



I hope everyone out there had a wonderful and relaxing holiday season. Whether you spent it at home with family, on the road, or in another country surrounded by new people and good friends (like me), I hope it was a refreshing way to end 2013, and begin 2014!!!

Pictures

CBYX/PPP - 20 - Weihnachtspause, überall Deutschland

My Itinerary

Well, as a quick overview here's a list of everywhere I went in my 17 days away from home during the break. As you can see in the picture, I pretty much just took a lap around Deutschland, and got to see some pretty gorgeous areas/cities, and met up with some great people along the way!

Xmas Break Trip 2013/4

Baden-Wurttemburg

To start off my trip, I headed down to Reutlingen for a couple days to hang out with Dawn from CBYX/PPP. I got lucky and found an ICE ticket to get me down there for €26 compared to €100. BINGO. Well, I got down to Reutlingen and we started the break off on a great note!

First off I was invited to go with Dawn and Kwazi, another cool dude from the program, to the International Student Dinner that the school was hosting before the holiday break. Great Schwabisch food (Spätzle, and something I forgot the name of), and we got to also try out some local beers. Not bad.

At the Dinner, the head of the International Business/Management Department got up and gave a little speech. Let's just say it was an extremely unique experience, and was most definitely the most politically incorrect speech I've ever heard. Hitting on stereotypes was his go to, and he didn't let up. I found it really funny, but it definitely showed that Germans just say what's on their mind. Funny stuff.

I can't remember the context, but here's a quote from Kwazi, "The more things change, the more things stay the same". I need to think through this one, but you can too! That night, we went to a bar and stumbled upon Karaoke night. Let's just say Kwazi was in the zone. And then afterwards, on the way home, we went past the main square. TRAMPOLINES ZOMFG. THEY HAVE TRAMPOLINES BUILT INTO THE GROUND. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW COOL THAT IS!!!

Reutlingen Trampolines

The next day, Dawn and I explored around Reutlingen. It's a nice little town. And we got to walk down the thinnest street in the world. A nice little addition to the day. We then walked around downtown, hiked up a hill (Side note: I FINALLY GOT BACK TO LAND WITH ELEVATION CHANGES!!!) and got a nice view of the area. Then we hopped on the train and went to check out Tübingen. We walked around the main district and the old town, then went up to the castle, which is now the main building of the university in town. That was pretty cool. That night we were all treated to some home-made Mac & Cheese from Kwazi. Ooooooh baby was it delicious.

Barren Tree Stump

Nürnberg

The next morning, we headed off to Nürnberg to meet up with a clan of PPPlers. There were some already there, and others, like us, coming in that day. Me, Dawn, and Kwazi jumped on the train and rolled in to town to be greeted by our own History Buff Zack. He got into town at 4:30am (crazy) and partially fulfilled his historical-sightseeing needs, but had one thing left to do.

So we headed off and made our way to the location of the Nuremberg trials, the location where all of the Nazi leaders were tried after WWII. This was really cool to see. They still use the courtroom as a courtroom, but have a museum upstairs and an exhibition about the importance of the trials, the background, and some other stuff. What was really crazy, is they had monitors in the courtroom that showed video/pictures/footage from the actual trial, and you could move the monitor around to show what the room looked like during the trial. Quite the trip to the past.

Nürnberg Trials Courtroom

Then we headed back into town and headed to meet up with a bunch of other PPPlers. First, we got a little taste of the biggest Christmas market in Germany! It was big, but we just walked through. Later we'd get back and indulge.

We headed to the Altstadthof Hausbrauerei for a couple brews! We had a nice little time in some warmth with a bunch of chatter. It was great to catch up with other people in the program and see how things were going for them! We got a photo together after. Unfortunately, every try was really blurry, but at least the guy who took the picture for us got a good picture of himself...

The Picture Taken
The Picture Taker

This was followed by a lot of Glühwein, some Feuerzangenbowle, wandering around the biggest Christmas Market in Germany (Fun Fact: in southern Germany they're called Christkindlmarkts, not Weihnachtsmarkts), and a good amount of shenanigans all around. Not too bad.

After topping it off with a trip to the world's largest Feuerzangenbowle (Which was a SHAM, on many levels), Me, Dawn, Kwazi, and our new travel buddy Zack headed down to Munich to meet up with Ryan and KC, also from the program, as well as a couple from our little group in Nürnberg.

München

You know you've got a good friend, when as soon as you get into town they hand you a beer. Well, Ryan did just that, and it was a sooper special brew that was just recently brought back. Oh the benefits of having a brewer as a friend. Thanks Ryan!

Well, we got in late, and dropped off our bags at Dawn's friend's place (who hosted us both nights!). The plan was to do a little bar/club hopping. But due to a early end to the bahn system and a high cover fee, Me, Ryan, Zack, Dawn, and Florian (Dawn's friend) headed to a chill bar, found a nice loungey spot, and had some great conversations/debates. (A repeating theme, and is discussed later in this novel).

The next day we did some hardcore Christkindlmarkt exploring. Me, Dawn, Zack, Kwazi, KC, and Ryan wandered around München to the various markets. First we hit up Tollwood, which is the more alternative market. They had a cool Feuerzangenbowle stand that had a specialized mug for it. It looked cool too.

Feuerzangenbowle

Some walking around, Döner, and walking beers led us to the main square, where there was another, bigger market we got to check out. The way we walked was exactly where me and Toblerone were last year. It was really weird being back, and remembering back on the time with me and Zach last summer.

Back to the story, we walked around, drank more Glühwein, had some amazing food, and then visited some more markets, along with seeing some cool monuments, statues, and getting another flash history fun fact from Zack. Oh, and some horseplay on a plastic reindeer... We ended the night at a Mexican restaurant putting back a couple beers and having some more great conversations/debates (patience people, more to come).

Bodensee (Lindau, Friedrichshafen, Konstanz)

Just to preface this, I think our day on the Bodensee right away became my favorite day of this program so far. Everything about it reminded me of the PNW. The water, mountains in the background, ferry rides, everything. It was absolutely amazing.

Landau Harbor

Well, we headed out from München pretty early and headed to Lindau. Lindau is a city in Bayern, but is situated on an island on the Bodensee. The Bodensee is a giant lake in the southwest of Germany that also borders Switzerland and Austria. We had a gorgeous train ride into Lindau, and then spent a couple hours walking around the town and enjoying the AMAZING weather. Topped it off with a couple local brews at a cafe right next to the harbor, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Summary: Lindau. Absolutely amazing. Walking around the little island city on a BEAUTIFUL day with great friends. Sitting around at a beautiful little cafe and enjoying some delicious beer and great conversations with great friends in front of a little harbor at the footsteps of mountains. So. Amazing.

Landau Harbor on the Bodensee

Next we jumped back on the train and headed to Friedrichshafen. The plan was to take the ferry from there to Konstanz on the other side of the lake. Let's just say it was probably the perfect plan. Before our ferry left, we got to go up a little lookout tower right on the lake and get an amazing view of the water and the mountains behind. Ho. Lee. Cow. All I know is that I will be going back there at some point in the future. And we got all sorts of lucky. Our ferry was going right as the sun was going down, so we got a spectacular sunset right on the water. Perfect? I think so.

Ferry Leaving Friedrichshafen

Konstanz was cool too. We were all a little tired and hangry, so we were dragging a bit. But one highlight was we were able to walk to Switzerland. Not something you do every day. And Zack made the most of it by going a little crazy inside neutral political lines, but we'll let that slide. After a long and absolutely B-E-A-UTIFUL day, we headed up to Reutlingen for the night.

Early the next morning, I was standing at the bus stop in Reutlingen waiting for my ride, and all I could hear were birds chirping like it was spring time. It was such a beautiful sound and peaceful moment in time.

Then, when I got to the train station, I went into a bakery to grab some breakfast. There was the first time getting randomly questioned about my flag patches. It came from a bunch of rowdy young 20-somethings at a bakery in Reutlingen at 6am. Auf Deutsch too!

Rotenburg (Wümme)

That morning I'd gotten up ganz früh (really early) and made my way up to Niedersachsen for a German Christmas! I was invited by my friend Lutz to come share Christmas with his family, and was very excited to do so! I jumped into a plush ICE train and made it up there, and had a few days of a true German/family Christmas.

First off, I gotta explain something. Christmas is a little different here in Germany than what I'm used to in the States. Naturally, there are going to be a range of differences based on who's family celebrations you take part in, but overall there are some differences.

In the states, we've got Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is usually smaller, and people go to church for an evening service (pretty much just speaking from my experience and experiences I've heard of). Then Christmas Day is where the presents are opened, exorbitant amounts of food are consumed, and family and friends are visited.

Here in Germany, they have Heiligeabend (Christmas Eve), and then two days of Christmas. Heiligeabend is normally a little smaller, the immediate family and grandparents or so. Presents are opened, a good family meal is cooked, and then the late night church service. Then the next two days of Christmas are usually spent going from family gathering to family gathering.

So, with this in mind, I was getting the opportunity to experience a new form of the holiday I've known for so long. But, I was not necessarily going to celebrate a German Family Christmas. It's more like I was celebrating German Christmas with the Lutz's family. Just like in the US, families here are guaranteed to have tons of different ways to do things. So I got a taste of how Lutz's family does it!

Well, on Heiligeabend, his grandparents came over, and we made Raclette. HOLEECOW is that delicious. Right off the bat, I was surrounded and welcomed by the awesome generosity of great friends. Being welcomed as a stranger to share the holiday season was a real treat, and I will never forget it. Great food, great people. Always a good combination.

Rothenburge Weihnachtsessen

Overall, I experienced an absolutely awesome Xmas. It was what I kinda always imagined it to be. Growing up, my family never really had any big family gatherings (that I can really remember). My dad's family was all the way down in Cali, and my mom's over in Wisconsin. So it was always expensive to meet up with everyone. But to experience an entire family gathering, talking, catching up on each other's lives, happy, fun interactions, and overall joy and contentment with lots of jokes, wholesome conversation, and a completely merry time. That was really something I will cherish for a long time, and try to make happen with my family down the road. It was great to see a close family, and it really made me miss mine.

Small Sidenotes:

Hamburg

After a great time at Lutz's family's place for Christmas, me and Lutz headed up to Hamburg for a little fun. We got in in the afternoon, dropped our stuff off, then headed to the harbor. One of the coolest things about Hamburg is that there are ferries that are included in their bahn system! Naturally that was the first thing we did. Jumped on the ferry, trolled through the harbor, and had some Glühwein!

Elbphilharmonie Hafen

After our awesome ferry ride, we walked around town a little bit, grabbed some food, and had a pretty low-key night out.

The next day we were in for a treat! His super awesome landlord, Elke, took us on a little driving tour of town. We went over a giant bridge overlooking the harbor, went up a former bunker that is now a water storage facility, and had a little adventure on the island of Wilhelmsburg.

Hamburg Skyline

After we worked our way off the island, me and Lutz went to the miniature railroad museum, which, I think, is the largest in the world! This was pretty cool to see. Tons of railways, models of all different areas of the world, and a bunch of trains, planes, cars, etc. going all over the place! I even got a little treat from the PNW that rolled up right in front of me. :-)

The Sounder in Hamburg

After the museum, we wandered around the harbor in the dark. Which was pretty cool. Then we made it back to Lutz's place and made some DELICIOUS burgers. Omnomnomnom.

The next day, more wandering around the city. Early on we went to the fish market, grabbed some fish, walked around, and saw what was up. It was freezing cold, but I saw a lot. (See the picture album for a visual rundown). Later on in the day I met up with Matt Croschere, from my program, and his buddy. We did a little more walking around. Later on I headed back to Lutz's place to a delicious meal of fresh fish we got at the fish market in the morning. Then I got to watch my Packers pull out the win against the bears!

Hamburger Hafen
Wendlohstrasse Feast

The next couple days were a mix. Some sightseeing, some lounging around and not doing anything, good food, kinda a little bit of everything.

For New Years, we bummed around all day, and made some delicious pizza in the afternoon. At night we headed down to the harbor to check out some fireworks and celebrate the arrival of 2014. We headed to Landungsbrücke and there was a platform above the stop that gave us a great view of downtown, the harbor, and all of the fireworks in the vicinity. It was a great place to ring in the New Year!

I just wanted to say that Germans have no responsibility when it comes to fireworks. None whatsoever. On the landing that we were watching the fireworks, people were lighting them off right into the walkway, and some just right into the crowd. We had an awesome view of the harbor and stuff, but it was frightening how irresponsible they were with lighting them themselves.

After the fireworks, we went to a club and danced like woah. It was awesome, and we had a live band come on at 3am that tore it up. So that helped out a lot: awesome New Years. That's for sure. Ended with homemade pizza waiting for us when we got back. Can't beat that.

The next day was uber lazy. Movies and doing nothing. Great way to kick it. Overall had an absolutely awesome time with Lutz! All German spoken with lots of frustration on my end for making the same mistakes over and over, but nothing but patience and help from him. A great true friend that has been nothing but welcoming and I can't thank him enough!!!

Rostock

Got into Rostock, met up with Zack. We walked around town, and got to see the sights. Then we went on the hunt for fireworks, which just led to Zack getting really sad because they already took them all off the shelf. For dinner we decided to be adults and we made lasagna, with out a recipe to go by, just kinda winging it. Turned out delicious. We are adults.

Rostock Markt

The next day I took a little day trip up to Warnemünde with Anne, a friend from frisbee. We had a nice time walking around the beach town, and more practice auf Deutsch! Woot! I got back into town and did a little more wandering around with Zack. Ended up on a mini pub tour, filled with insightful conversations (almost there!), and great beer. And I don't remember the context, but at some point Zack blurted out, "NO!!! BAD OBAMA!!! You don't do that!!!".

Rostock Hafen

Well, while Zack and I were having a delightful conversation over a few beers, we stepped into an interesting adventure. All of a sudden this German guy in a cowboy hat across the room shouts "Hey, California!!!" and invites us back to his table. Well, he just starts going off on all sorts of stuff, talking about how he used to be a prisoner in the East Germany, and then got bought out by the West. Zack's ears perked up quick on this. Well, he started out believable, then goes on talking about a bunch of random stuff. He at some point said he was a U.S. Marshall, and that kinda put the cap on his crazy. Interesting to hear though...

Awesome time with Zack in Rostock. Being adults n stuff. Great conversation, good friends, can't go wrong.

Short Story

Small anecdote about my guest grandpa. He said that when he recovered his Stasi files after the reunification of Germany, there were at least 20 pages of jokes that he told that were recorded by informants. 20 pages, not too bad. And it just goes to show you how he can produce a joke to match any conversation.

COMMENTARY, the boring, yet insightful part

Feel free to skip. Or not. Do what you want.

Intelligent Conversation

As I've hinted to a couple times in this post, conversation is something that happened a lot during this trip, and overall during this program so far. Not just conversation like how the weather is and what they ate for breakfast, but intelligent, wholesome conversation, with opposing viewpoints, and unique ideas, all that kind of stuff.

There was a group of us that went out for beers in Munich. I think I am slowly developing the ability to have intelligent conversations, to have my own opinion and express it amongst others. It was quite enjoyable being able to talk about a vast array of things going on in the world and put my point across and mix it in with others. In all honesty, I think it comes from the ability of the Germans to just talk without stop, with no limit on the topics, and I think some of this talking ability might be rubbing off on me!

Obviously I've talked to people before in my past. I know I'm not the most social person but it has happened. But during this program, being surrounded by the people I am (in and out of the program), the frequency of intelligent, wholesome conversation has exponentially increased. I'm finding myself with a viewpoint that I express, and taking in others and comparing them to mine. Or intelligently breaking down an issue and discussing the different sides. All 'adult' things and they can take place.

If find this to be extremely awesome. Not only can you take conversation anywhere, on a train, bus, in a bar, anywhere. But it is something that you can do with anyone, and helps you to hone yourself as a person. I'm slowly becoming more aware of what I know, what I believe, what I feel strong about, what I think is ridiculous, etc. And through this you get to learn a lot about the people you connect with: what they know, what they believe, what they feel strong about, what they think is ridiculous, etc. Both of these facets are extremely constructive in relationships. I could probably go on about this a lot longer, but let me just say that I am thoroughly enjoying and trying to make the most of this new addition to my life.

Transportation Related Things.

You know the stereotype that we have as Americans about Germans? How they are always on time and in order? Ready when they should be? Well, they have a dirty little secret, and it boils down to two letters. DB. Almost every damn time you DB to go somewhere, there's a 90% chance you'll start stacking up 5 min delays and miss a connection. It is so friggin stressful and annoying.

However, when they are pünktlich und ohne Verspätung (on time and without delay), the Deutsche Bahn ICE (InterCity Express) system is quite the excellent way to travel. Sometimes it can be a little pricey, but on the times that I have used it, both this past summer and so far during this program, it is quite luxurious. Plenty of space, normally pretty quiet, comfy chairs, it's a great way to go from A to B.

ICE in München

During my trip, I think I experienced all forms of ground and water transportation that Germany has to offer. ICE (InterCity Express), IC (InterCity), RE (Regional Express), RB (Regional Bahn), S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Straßen-Bahn, Bus, and even Ferry. Pretty cool.

A Near Disaster

For a brief moment in time, I was actually tempted to purchase and use a scarf. But I was too scared of what that would bring upon me, and thankfully I didn't do it.

As a side commentary to this, the last couple of days I haven't seen any scarfs being worn, but more like throw rugs or down comforters that are just being wrapped around peoples necks. I think it looks absolutely ridiculous.

Confidence

I don't do well around unsure people. If someone is supposed to lead but is too unsure or insecure/not confident enough to do it or doesn't realize they are in the position to, that makes me frustrated and agitated. It just makes me feel uncomfortable, a) that the 'leader' is clueless of what they're supposed to be doing and b) because they're uncomfortable.

I appreciate the fact that, when I feel like I'm in a position to lead or take charge, regardless of if I have any sort of idea what to do, I still go at it and do my best to lead. If I don't know what's going on or what to do, I know when to ask for help or fake it til I make it. But when I do, I can say that I feel comfortable in charge and leading whatever may need to be led. A little bit of a pat on the back for myself, but something I appreciate about myself and am proud of.

Directness

I also had my first true experience around a very direct, honest, and forward German. The stereotypical 'says his mind' kind of German. It was a very interesting interaction. You can tell he wasn't trying to be mean, he was just being curious and honest. And what he had to say, although it could easily be taken as a slight, was just him being honest about the situation and providing his genuine opinion.

In my opinion, I think this is something missing from society, especially in the USA. I will fully admit to not always saying my honest opinion of things. But the fact that we were told to always be nice, we find any sort of honest opinion that may either go against what we believe, or more importantly, what we want to believe, as an insult and in a negative light. It is so much more helpful to get the honest opinion from people than having to try and guess what they really mean behind their subtle attempt at being nice although they find your opinion really dumb, or some other example.

Family

As I talked about earlier, I miss my family. There's been a lot of changes going on in my family lately, pretty much reshaping it. And being on the other side of the world through that has been pretty tough, not being able to help out and be there for the ones closest to me.

Thankfully we have the wonders of modern technology so I can talk to all of them on a moments notice. Even though I can't be there, I can still be in close contact with them and we can all keep each other up to date on what's been going on.

Now during Christmas, I really wished I could've shared an experience like that with my family. Despite not ever having a big Christmas/Holiday with a lot of family, I really want to be able to do that with my family, immediate and extended, as I keep getting older. Family time doesn't have to be stressful. Just a few people, food, and alcohol, and that's usually enough for a good time. I really hope we (my family and I) can find a recipe to suit us!

Friends

Everyday I am thankful for the great friends I have around me, near, far, everywhere. I am lucky to have met a lot of great people in this world, and am blessed to have a lot of them still close and in contact. One of my good buddies from the program had something super true to say during a conversation.

Great friends are priceless, and really show their true colors when you're in a time of need.

This pretty much hits the nail on the head.

Frustration

So unbelievably frustrating. There are so many things I would say in English, quick phrases, exclamations, who knows all the random stuff I say. Well, when I try to say them in German, 9 times out of 10 I am flat out told no one would ever say that in German. It feels like I need to completely change how I talk to speak this language. That is über frustrating because I love some of the things that I say. And even for basic things that go hand in hand with daily life, it's a little debilitating knowing that I look like an idiot every time I try and translate it. Sad face.

Nerve-racking

As all you sports fans out there know, I take a lot of pictures. A lot of good ones, but wayyyyyyyy more bad ones. That's why I sit through my albums and hand pick the ones I want to show.

Well, in Hamburg, Lutz wanted to see the pictures I had taken thus far, so I showed all of my Hamburg pics that I'd taken. Mind you, this was before any filtering, sorting, selecting, processing, anything. In all honesty, it was pretty nerve-racking. Not knowing how they look on a screen other than that on my camera, and not knowing how the reaction would come out made me kinda question my technique, my ability, and all that. There's nothing like getting your work questioned and analyzed at its most raw level.

Options

Something I and other people in my program have noticed is that America always has the options. Or at least an array of options. That is definitely not so much the case here in Germany.

Grocery store example. I was looking for some spicy jalapeño peppers. The stuff that'll really get you, but go good with everything (IMO). Well, I have yet to see anything of that sort in Germany, only your basic chili pepper, or bell pepper. Nothing extravagant, not many options, none of that. I could go to Kroger in Columbus and have my pick of a few numbers of not just peppers, but pretty much any other food stuff. It's a completely different ball game here in Germany. And to be honest, I kind of miss the options that I had back home. I'm an options kind of guy. And losing options or choices is not an enjoyable thing for me.

Foggy Windshield

Sometimes I get too caught up in the moment or too caught up in my ambitions to appreciate where I am in life. For example, right now I am looking for an internship for the last phase of my program. I'm doing what I can to find something meaningful, something that would fit with my interests, and could potentially lead to a full time job. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any leads yet, and this is pretty stressful/annoying/frustrating/whathaveyou.

Well, although I may not be finding the perfect internship, I need to realize that no matter what, I'm getting an extremely unique experience here. I may not get my dream internship, but I'll be working, in Germany, for a German company, doing something that I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to do if I was still in the U.S. No matter what, something cool is going to come out of it, whether that be something that I can transfer to a career, or just a great story. Something will happen, and I can't let my ambitions and wishes cloud up my view of what's coming at me.

Spätzle

I am not sure if this is the actual recipe, but it's what I vaguely remember seeing and writing down during the process. This is here because I'm too lazy to put it on a piece of paper and keep as a recipe.

Spältze: 509g flour, 4 eggs. Salt, pepper, enough water to make it thick. Strain dough after letting it sit, through a noodle maker into boiling water. Let it cook for a couple minutes, strain out. Mix the spätzle with meat onions and cheese, or layer it in a casserole dish.

Transitions

There were a couple of points during my trip where I felt more and more comfortable with the language. Every now and then, I'd be talking in English with people, but then would be jumping to German for short bits. I felt like I am getting to the point where I can be speaking English and switch to German for a bit without skipping a beat. And honestly, I'm pretty proud of myself for that. Going from nothing to that in 4 months is awesome.

Hindsight

I'm a pro at making decisions that have already been made. Should we go to the bar or a house party or a club? Of course I choose the right decision in hindsight, but most of the time I'm too passive to make the decision in real time. I definitely need to change this. And, this ties into the whole 'Directness' section above. Most of the time I don't want to say what I actually think because I'm worried of how it will be perceived. Screw that, I need to say what I think, get my opinion out on the table, and see what others do with it. At least I'll know that I've made my case known, and can then argue for what I want to do. It's better to have this than not saying my opinion, then getting upset when my first choice isn't picked. Directness.

Disappointment

Something that has been true about me for the longest time, is I'm really good at letting disappointments get to me. When something bad happens, or something that I didn't want to happen happens, or I got my hopes up too high and they come crashing down, I unfortunately am in the habit of taking it out on other people or just letting it sour my mood and get me upset. It's not good, but it stays with me. I need to get to the point where, yeah, shit happens, but that's when you move on. No need to let something bring you down and affect other people.

Garden Shacks

Something you'll see in pretty much every German city is patches of green space with a bunch of little huts spread out on them, and little garden patches belonging to each hut. When I first got here, I definitely though they were people's homes. Well, after finally finding out (not recently, but within the last 3 months), they are garden shacks.

In the US, we're used to a much more plentiful supply of land in our cities. So when people own a house, they'll have a garden in the back yard. Well, that's not as doable here in Germany/Europe. Most people that live in the city living in some kind of apartment building, or a duplex, or such (generalizing, this is not always the case). Well, living in an apartment building gets you no green space to have a garden, so people will buy these garden shacks and have their own little garden in a little community with a bunch of other people doing the same thing. Compared to what I am used to, this is extremely different. But I find it really awesome. Despite the space constraints of their living situation, they make a conscious effort to get their green thumb in action.

Quote

"That's a very engineerical way to describe that." - Kwazi

Up Next

I am headed down to Italy in a few hours! Me and Zack are headed down to Venice for a day, then over to Modena and Bologna to meet up with my roommate from last year at OSU, Luca! He moved back and is living with his gf in Modena, so we're going to go hang out with them for the weekend, drink some Italian wine, indulge in some amazing food, and get a little taste of a new country (for me)!

Beard Update

Straight killing it. Kinda torn if I want to keep it or cut it once I get to the yeard. The decision still has some time, but the thoughts are brewing. Regardless, when it's all prettied up, it looks pretty awesome.


Peace out, and I'll talk to you all soon!



Original Publish Date: January 8th, 2014