travel

Women’s retreat at Tahoe

February 3, 2020 filed under: holidays, recap, travel, weekend

My friend Susi invited me along for a girls’ weekend with some of her mom friends from German School. We were headed to Tahoe over the MLK holiday weekend and stayed at U’s vacation home in Truckee. I was thrilled to get up to the mountains during winter time and very thankful that I was invited to come along.

It’s always a little awkward when you join a group of people that you mostly don’t know and my introverted self was a little bit anxious, but as so often, the worry was unnecessary and dissipated quickly once we had all introduced each other. We ended up having a really great time.

We arrived around 6 pm at Friday night in a winter wonderland. I couldn’t have been happier.

We had previously talked about things we wanted to do while we were there, and besides some outdoor activities during the day, we had all agreed on just hanging out at the house, cooking together, puzzling, reading, knitting/crocheting, and just enjoying each others’ company.

We also played Cards Against Humanity, which I had heard about, but had never played before. Well, let’s just say that it’s true that it’s “a party game for horrible people”, because some of the card statements made me either blush or drop my jaw. However, I am wondering what it says about me that I didn’t just win this game once, but twice over the weekend.

As J noted: still waters run deep.

Some of the women went cross country skiing on Saturday, while Susi and I and C hung out at the house. We went on a nice snow walk around the neighborhood and then started (the first of two) puzzle(s) when we got back.

The puzzle was really cool: the posters of all the U.S. National Parks.

We started a second puzzle in the evening and everybody got involved.

On Sunday, Susi and I had planned to go downhill skiing, but the week before the getaway, Susi had injured her knee and couldn’t participate in any sporting activities. As I didn’t know if anyone else wanted to go, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to go skiing after all, but luckily, three others wanted to go and so we headed over to Homewood Mountain Resort on the western shore of Lake Tahoe in the morning.

I have my ski boots here in California, but don’t own skis anymore, so I had to rent them and I almost toppled over backwards when I heard that they wanted $99 for just the ski rental for the day. Gosh, Tahoe’s expensive. But hey, there was no backing out now.

Luckily, I had already bought the lift ticket for a discount at REI.

I was a little taken aback by the “outdatedness” of the ski resort. The ticket had to be scanned by hand (I was used to automatic scanners that read the ski ticket through your jacket) and when we got to the chair lift, it didn’t have a safety bar. I’ve never seen that in the Alps.

BUT: once I hit the slopes, it was blissful. Originally, we had planned to ski for a half day, but in the end, we spent 6 hours on the slopes. The others were beginners, so we took the easier runs most of the time, but that was fine with me. I was just happy to be skiing! The day was a little overcast, which was great because the snow stayed great the whole time.

And the views! Just amazing! We kept going back for more and spent 6 hours on the slopes!

Sunday night was for a movie, a delicious dinner, and face masks before we all headed to bed. We had planned to head back home early on Martin Luther King Jr Day to beat the holiday traffic, so the last night was an early night for all of us.

It was a really great weekend though and I am so glad I was asked to come along!

Did you do something fun over the long holiday weekend?

23: Some Ventura Love

November 23, 2019 filed under: NaBloPoMo, travel, USA

Last weekend, Jon and I went down to Southern California to spend some time with Jons family. Jon grew up in Ventura, which – if you’re not familiar – is a beach town between LA and Santa Barbara.

We briefly even lived there when we transitioned from LA back to Sacramento and even though it was a short time, I really have good memories of our apartment and the time we had there.

I miss being close to the beach. I would usually consider myself a mountain person (if asked, because I grew up skiing in the Alps), but there is something about the beach that I also love. Can one be a mountain and beach person at the same time? I’d vote YES.

Let me share some impressions from our weekend. The sunsets were amazing!

Saturday morning, I went running along the beach. I had been looking forward to this for weeks, to be honest, and it was just the perfect way to start the day. It was warm and sunny at 8 a.m. already and there were so many other runners and bikers out, not to forget all the surfers at Surfer’s Point.

In the afternoon, we went up to the “Serra Cross“, a hilltop overlook above Ventura. Many people were there for the sunset!

Sunday morning, I took the opportunity for another walk on the beach and on the Ventura Pier! I knew we couldn’t leave without having put my feet in the sand for a little bit. It was unusually warm last weekend (90F/30C), but the Pacific, as usual, was pretty cold and it was just tad windy.

Our visit to Ventura wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the “Busy Bee Café”, a 50’s diner right on Main Street. I remember when Jon first took me there many, many years ago! It was nice to be back!

This was just a short weekend trip and therefore a very small glimpse of Ventura. I hope we’ll go back soon and I can share more!

Have you been to – or heard of – Ventura?

I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2019

How to pull off a birthday surprise

October 21, 2019 filed under: birthday, family, Germany, travel

Remember when I said that I was keeping a secret?

You probably didn’t notice that it was quiet around here for the last couple of weeks. I had prepared a couple of posts to automatically post during my absence (I am not always that prepared, mind you), so you couldn’t know that Jon and I were actually spending time in a different time zone.

On October 1, J and I got on a plane to Germany to surprise my parents for their 70th birthdays. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought that it was a possibility. I had just been in Germany in May. My parents’ birthdays are 2,5 weeks apart and there was no way I could get time off long enough to be there for both their birthdays. But when my Mom called at the end of August, saying that they had changed their minds about not having a party and were planning one for October 3rd (her actual birthday and a German public holiday), the wheels in my head started turning.

70 is a milestone birthday. My parents are not getting any younger (although I’d like to think of them as perpetually young-ish). I remembered that I was in Germany for their 60th birthdays. How could I miss this big event in my parents’ life and not go? So, I decided that we would go. Just like that.

Well, not really ‘just like that’. I talked with Jon (he was instantly on board!), I talked with my supervisor at work (to request time off), I checked flight prices, and then we just went ahead and booked tickets.

When I told my sister that we were planning on coming, she was beyond thrilled, as she hadn’t really thought that this would be a possibility either. My parents, of course, had no clue that we had booked tickets. In fact, nobody knew anything besides my sister. We were so paranoid that someone would slip up and ruin the surprise.
Believe me, it was hard enough to keep the secret for about 4 weeks myself, as I talk to my parents a few times every week. I made sure to complain plenty about the fact how much we hated that we weren’t going to be there for the party, that we would miss out on the amazing food, and how much it sucked sometimes to live so far away. At the same time, I hoped that I wasn’t coming off too strong and making them suspicious.

Finally, the day of our departure was here and as far as we could tell, the secret was still safe. We arrived in Germany on October 2, my sister had arranged for someone to pick us up from the airport and take us to her house, and then we surprised my parents in the evening before the party.

We had first thought about just “showing up” at the party the next day, but a) I didn’t want to give my parents a heart attack on the day of their party and b) we didn’t want to take away the focus from their birthday celebrations, as it was their day, not ours. (I mean, plenty of people still were surprised to see us, but at least my parents weren’t completely emotionally overwhelmed and could focus on their other guests instead of just us.)

My sister drove us and the kids over to my parents’ house in the evening, but dropped us off at the street corner so that she could see them alone first (pretending that she was bringing over some last minute things for the party). We had taken a picture with the kids in her backyard earlier in the afternoon, which she was going to show them. Since J hadn’t been in Germany with me for a while, they’d hopefully notice instantly that the picture was very current.

Meanwhile, we and the kids had walked up to the front door of my parents’ house and were waiting for them to realize what was going on.

Of course, I wish I could have actually seen my parents’ faces when they caught on to what was happening. My sister tried to capture the moment while trying not to seem suspicious when she started filming them. Haha.

Finally, the door opened and they came outside. My Mom was crying and I could tell that even my Dad, even though he doesn’t get emotional quickly, was moved to see us. I’d like to think: the surprise was a definite success and it felt amazing that we had been able to pull this off!

When I asked my parents if they had suspected something… anything… they said no. Of course, they had hoped and wished that we could be there with them for their birthdays, but both of them didn’t think that it was a possibility because of my limited amount of vacation time (comparatively speaking), the fact that I had just visited for three weeks in the spring, and the fact that flying in from California is not a simple train ride into town.

I am just so, so glad we went. I cannot explain how much it means to me to know that we were able to spend this time with them. I’ll tell you all about the actual birthday party (Octoberfest-themed!) and the rest of our stay (we stayed for 11 days) in another post, but just wanted to let you in on my little secret.

An overnight trip to the North Bay

August 28, 2019 filed under: California, travel, weekend

J and I had talked about an overnight trip for who knows how long. So a couple of weeks ago, we finally just said, enough, let’s go. Since it was going to be a hot weekend in Sacramento, it was a good time to get away.

Saturday morning, we headed out to the North Bay (which is the area north of the Golden Gate Bridge). We headed out around 11 a.m. and all roadtrips ask for fast food lunches, am I right? So we stopped at In’n’Out for a quick bite.

We had booked a small hotel. the North Bay Inn, in San Rafael and took State Highway 37 along San Pablo Bay. Unfortunately, we hit a bit of weekend traffic, but made it to the hotel by 2 pm.

On our way to the Golden Gate Bridge, we stopped at Philz Coffeeshop for a quick caffeine fix. Jon had never tried Philz Coffee, so it was a good time to give it a try.

Originally, we had planned to drive to the Golden Gate Vista Point on the west side of the bridge, but the exit and a whole stretch of the road was closed. So we ended up driving down to Fort Baker, on the east side of the bridge, which actually provides a really nice view angle of the bridge.

We got superlucky, too. Although it was kinda overcast, the Golden Gate Bridge was not covered by Karl, the fog. I repeat, the Golden Gate was not shrouded in fog. That was not a given at this time of year!

It was fun taking some pictures, we even saw a seal, but we didn’t stay very long as it was windy and kinda chilly.

We decided to head over to Sausalito and walk around for a bit. As always, Sausalito was full of tourists…. we heard a lot of German, French, Italian, and other languages.

There were also a gazillion people on bikes. They’ve done the Golden Gate Bike Tour and were catching the ferry back from Sausalito to San Francisco. One of these days, I’d love to do that bike tour with J as well.

Since we only had an early lunch, we were cold and hungry by 6 p.m. and decided to pick up a pizza, head back to the hotel, and take advantage of the HBO channel. Ha. Our hotel was nothing fancy, but the room was clean, the bed was firm and comfortable, and I loved the bed sheets. (There are few things I despise more than top sheets, scratchy woolen blankets and dingy bed covers.) All this to say, we had a good night’s rest.

Sunday morning, we checked out at 10 am and decided to drive over to Muir Beach. We hadn’t been to the North Coast in a while and I wanted to put my toes in the sand for a little bit before heading back home.

As the day before, it was quite cool and windy, but at least the sun peeked out a little bit and we saw patches of blue sky! And as they say, there is nothing better than standing at the edge of the ocean and taking some deep breaths!

Disregard my crazy hair. Did I mention that it was windy?

On our way back, we stopped at “Philz Coffee” again to get a hot drink and a bagel, since we hadn’t really had breakfast yet.

In order to beat traffic, we headed home around mid-day, but we definitely want to go out explore more soon!

My trip home

June 17, 2019 filed under: Expat stories, family, food, Germany, reminiscence, travel

I can’t believe it’s been ~~four~~ almost five weeks since I returned from my long-anticipated visit back home with my family. Time just won’t slow down and it’s been hard to get back into my blogging game (as you can tell).

I had an absolutely wonderful time and soaked up every minute. I can also say that I was able to almost check everything of my Germany Bucket List.

Like,

… spending time with my niece and nephew (and the rest of the family)

You know what was really, really nice about this trip? That I really enjoyed being at home at my parents’ house and that I was part of everyone’s daily routine. Since my sister and BIL were working and the kids were in school, we didn’t do a whole lot of “adventuring” or “vacation stuff”, but it was nice to pretend that I was always part of their daily routines for a while.

I took my niece to her riding lesson and we had a movie night at my sister’s house and various afternoons and dinners where we just hung out together.

… spending time with my best friend

I didn’t get to spend as much time with my friend as I had hoped to. Shortly after I arrived, she left for an almost two-week stay at a pain clinic (for chronic headaches) where a spot had just opened up. Of course, she had to take it. I wish I could have spent more time with her and build her up a bit more, but I am glad we got to see each other at all. Every hour is precious.

… attending one of my best friends’ wedding

I was stoked that I was able to attend one of my best friend’s wedding during my visit. We met many moons ago on the Internet, but have become really close over the years and to be able to be there for her (and her new husband) on their wedding day was such a treat (for me and for her!). (Separate recap to come.)

… my nephew’s first communion.

Last time I visited for my niece’s first communion, so of course I had to make sure that I am there for my nephew’s as well. So glad I could make this happen. (Separate recap to come.)

… eating all the food

My Mom went above and beyond to fulfill all my food cravings. Every day, I made a new request for lunch or dinner and she made it all.

Mettbrötchen (rolls with freshly minced meat, salt, pepper and onions – OMG!) – pork roast with crackling with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes – Schnibbelskuchen (baked potato wedges with eggs on whole grain bread with sugar beet syrup)

potato pancakes – green bean soup with sausages – herring in cream sauce with potatoes and bacon bits

meatballs with kohlrabi and potatoes – waffles with strawberries and ice cream – bratwurst with red cabbage and potatoes

Not pictured: goulash and dumplings, pizza, and ALL THE FRESH BREAD + ROLLS all day, every day.

… walking with my Mom

My Mom has been getting into a regular morning walk routine since I last visited and I did not only join her for one, but many walks (I think five!). It was so great to get out and walk with her, which also gave us the opportunity to talk and just spend time together. I ended up only running once, but the walks were far more important to me this time.

… going for a run with my cousin (and maybe my sister?)

Unfortunately that didn’t happen and I blame two things: a) bad weather (it rained a lot while I was there!) and b) timing (my cousin and my sister had to work, so there wasn’t as much opportunity), but I still got out for a run around my hometown!

… working out with my Dad

Unfortunately, that also didn’t happen, because my Dad had issues with his shoulder and couldn’t go to the gym with me (and subsequently had surgery scheduled two weeks after I left).

… having some quality time with my sister

I got to spend two nights at my sister’s house and I wish I could do that more often. It’s just so nice to hang out, sleep in the same bed and then have breakfast together the next morning (including fancy out-of-the-shower-towel-turbans, ha!) – as if we do that every Saturday. I mean, at least it felt like that… even if in reality, it’s such a rare event.

… seeing an old friend from high school

Timing was difficult because she had to work and my weekends were already filled up with family stuff, but I did get to see my high school friend for a few hours one evening during the week and I am so glad we both were able to make the time to reconnect.

… spending a day with a dear friend in Köln

I did get to meet up with one of my longest, dearest friends in Cologne again and we got to spend some time in our favorite city. (Separate recap to come.)

… seeing a few other dear (family) friends (BONUS!)

I was able to squeeze in a couple more friends (I got to have coffee with an old pen friend that I hadn’t seen in 20 years and I also was able to reconnect with a dear friend, who lives in Hamburg now) and we saw two family friends for a few hours and I am so glad we were able to make it happen.

… shopping for items to bring back to my US home.

Of course, I did shop for some stuff to bring back home (I believe, every expat does!) and even though my must-get list has gotten shorter, there is definitely a few things I always bring back. Wanna know what these things are? I might write a separate post about it, if you’re interested. (Or you can hop on Instagram and Facebook to see the “Germany hauls” some people post, although I am not bringing half of that stuff that other people are bringing back. Just sayin’.)

My time back home was packed full of awesome people, awesome food and I returned to the US with a really full heart.

5 things you can do to get over emotional jet lag

June 6, 2019 filed under: Germany, travel, USA

{Photo by Juliana Kozoski on Unsplash}

Before I dive into a slew of recaps about my trip home (which are already three weeks overdue, I am sorry!), I thought I’d share some thoughts on how I navigate the treacherous waters of emotional jet lag.

I don’t know if that is an official term, but I’ve been using it for a while because it so adequately describes the feeling when I return from a long anticipated visit with family and friends, only to return home knowing that I won’t see them again for quite some time.

Physical jet lag after an overseas trip is pretty common. We all know about time differences, struggling to stay awake, sleeping for 12 hours straight, waking up in the middle of the night to pee, yadda, yadda. I won’t talk about strategies to adjust to a new time zone here.

Instead, I want to focus on emotional jet lag, which for me feels like a “mini-depression”. I am putting this in quotation marks because I don’t want it to be confused with clinical depression, which is so much more serious and because I have no idea what that actually feels like (luckily), but in case of emotional jet lag, I use the word depression in the actual sense of the word, aka “being emotionally down” and overwhelmed. I am lethargic, cranky, and just generally miserable (and justifiably so).

It’s also caused by that vacuum that you’re in when you travel large distance by plane, because it’s not like a road trip, where you can see the changing landscape and adapt slowly from one place to the next. No, it’s like one minute you get on the plane in Germany and – poof! – just like that you exit the plane and you’re back in the US. It’s never easy to go from 60mph to literally ZERO in a matter of hours and I always find the transition from being there and “all of a sudden” being here again difficult. The sensation is bizarre and has, even if faded, not completely disappeared.

I am assuming that many people experience some sort of emotional jet lag when they travel internationally just because they just experienced new cultures, new foods, new people for a short, but intense period of time. So much to “process” and “digest”.

In my case, it is the abyss between being immersed in a place and culture that is so familiar to me (more familiar than anything really, but which has also become a little distant and foreign in a strange way ever since I moved away) and the everyday life that awaits me upon I return to my current home.

It feels like part of me is traveling back in time with some serious déjà vus thrown in, and then, all of a sudden, I am propelled forward again at lightning speed to the time and place where I live now.

The first few days back, I usually wonder: how did I end up here? Why do I live so far away from family and friends, or more accurately, what compelled me to make such a decision? And then I remember that, oh yeah, there was a guy and I kinda liked it here and it kinda just happened (gradually), without me really consciously making the decision that I want to live thousands of miles away from home. At the time, in my 20’s, it might have looked like bravery to some and it, for sure, felt like adventure to me, but you can’t really grasp what it actually means to move away unless you do it and live it for a while.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret it, but if you are also someone who moved (far) away from home, you’ll know and understand that your heart will forever be split between two worlds.

But I digress.

So, what do I do when I come back from a trip overseas and I feel so emotionally hung over that everything feels a little off and I don’t want to deal with anything or anyone?

Here are five things that usually help me get over the emotional jet lag.

1) I allow myself to wallow in my feelings. I personally don’t believe it’s a good thing to suppress any emotions, regardless of how icky they make you feel. I usually give myself some time and spent a couple of days scrolling through the photos on my phone and reliving every single moment of the previous few weeks. It’s like by intentionally exposing myself to the memories, I somehow purge the pain out of my system or something. I talk to my family on the phone and tell them how much I miss them and what a great time it was and how shitty I currently feel (because honestly, I know they feel the same way and why not be honest about it? Saying goodbye stinks.) But at the same time,

2) I try to get back into my routine. I mean, it’s probably something none of us can avoid anyway, as we have to go back to work and deal with the shenanigans of daily life, but it also helps me tremendously in finding my groove again. It puts me a bit on auto-pilot (which is just what I need), where I don’t have to think much or make decisions, but just go through the motions (while I sort out my mental state).

3) I start working out again right away. Working out always, always lifts my mood and makes me feel better, no matter how shitty I feel. So obviously, it’s something I wanted to get back to right away. The other reason was that I had to catch up on my half marathon training ASAP, so that gave me an extra push to not delay getting back into my workout routine.

4) I put plans on the calendar that I can look forward to. We had a couple of outings planned upon my return (seeing friends and going to a concert), which gave me something to focus on. I must admit, it also helps that summer is just around the corner here and we can get outside and enjoy the parks and the beer gardens. When I am homesick, I try to remind myself of the things I love about California and all the things I’d love to do this summer.

5) I talk and write about my trip. While part of the reminiscing process makes me sad (because the trip is over), writing about and recapping my trip also puts a smile on my face and I will tell everybody that will listen about the wonderful time I had. Because regardless of how hard it is to go somewhere and then having to leave again, I wouldn’t want to miss the experience for anything, least of all to avoid the subsequent heartache.

Everbody knows that all good things must end, but aren’t we fortunate to have experienced them?

HOW LUCKY I AM TO HAVE SOMETHING
THAT MAKES SAYING GOODBYE SO HARD.

– A. A. MILNE

Now, three weeks later, I still think a lot – pretty much daily – about my trip, but I also slowly feel like I have mentally arrived back here in the States and that’s a good thing.

Have you experienced emotional jet lag? How do you deal with it?

Tap, tap… is this thing on?

May 20, 2019 filed under: about me, Germany, travel, USA

Hi strangers. I am writing to you from the fog that is having your heart split between two worlds.

I just returned from my long-anticipated trip overseas and it was everything that I hoped for and more. But – as always after each visit – I am emotionally hungover and cranky. Saying goodbye to family and friends is hard. You’d think that this kind of thing gets easier with time, but to the contrary. I feel that it’s, in fact, getting harder every time I visit. As much as I love my life here, those visits always show me quite plainly what I am missing out on.

I tried to be present during my visit. Hence, the lack of blog posts, and only the occasional Instagram update. I usually take advantage of those trips by pretty much completely unplugging from the Internet. It’s nice to not be tied to your phone all the time. My Feedly Reader had 1000+ unread posts upon my return and I honestly could care less right now. (But no worries, you know me. I’ll try to catch up on all of your lives!)

I had the best three weeks and I am happy to report that I was able to almost check everything off my Germany bucket list. My time was incredibly dense and packed full of love and friendship, which was so needed to recharge my emotional batteries, but going from 60 back to nil is an adjustment, to say the least.

I hope May has been treating you well so far. I am hoping to be back with some recaps and regular posting soon!

My (updated) travel carry-on essentials

April 24, 2019 filed under: Germany, my so-called life, travel, USA

Two years ago, I shared a list of my travel essentials when I travel internationally. Not too much has changed, many of the things are still must-haves during travel, but I thought I’d update my list a little bit.

The most important stuff:

I might be a little paranoid, but when I travel internationally, I like to keep all the important stuff (passports, wallet, phone) close to my body. I haven’t invested in one of these travel money belts yet (haha), although on second thought, I could probably repurpose my running belt. But for now, I use a small cross-body bag that stays on me at all times (yes, even when I am in my seat or got to the restroom).

In this bag goes my travel wallet. I bought this over-sized coin purse at DSW many moons ago and it’s slowly falling apart (you don’t want to see the backside), but it’s the best small travel wallet. I usually don’t take all my cards and everything with me when I travel (esp. internationally) and this wallet fits everything I need.

I also have a “Germany” wallet (from Bungalow360 – aren’t those patterns fun?) which holds my Euros, a German SIM card, and my German bank card.

The bag also holds my iPhone and my passports.

I will be ok if I have this bag, even if, for some reason, I’d lose the rest of my luggage. But, here are the things that make life a whole lot easier and more pleasant when I travel.

Comfort/personal care:

Simple cleansing wipes and Grove Hand Sanitizer.

I always have a Labello Pearl & Shine Lip Balm (which I got in Germany) in my purse when I travel. It keeps my lips happy and adds a bit of shine (like a gloss). This Nivea lip balm is a similar alternative.

Can’t leave anywhere without deodorant (Schmidt’s is my favorite and Target has the best price!). I am always a sweaty mess when I travel.

I always have hand creme, currently using this one from L’Occitane. Do your hands get so dry too when you fly?

I got this Clinique Moisture surge moisturizer as a sample and it’s the perfect size to stick in your carry-on.

I usually don’t use mists in my skincare routine, but when I travel, I really like spraying something on my ever-dried-out skin to make it feel refreshed. This Derma E Hydrating Mist was in a subscription box and I really like it.

I also always have a travel toothbrush and/or mouthwash, mini hairbrush with me and I found my favorite dry shampoo from Batiste in travel size. Hallelujah.

Tech stuff + entertainment:

Now that I own a phone that uses the same port to charge your phone and plug in your headphones (still not a fan, Apple!), I sure am glad to own some awesome Jaybird X3 Bluetooth headphones now. The Jaybirds are not advertised as noise-canceling headphones, but they’re definitely noise-isolating, which is a plus when you travel, and the battery lasts a good while.

I am so excited that I finally upgraded from my old and cumbersome nook to the Amazon Fire. I know, you probably swear by your Kindle Paperwhite, but since I don’t own a tablet (gasp, what!), I thought it would be nice to have something that functions as both a tablet and e-reader.

While my iPhone 7 still holds a decent charge, I will definitely need my power bank + all charger cables (for various gadgets) during travel. Have you ever noticed how incredibly slow the outlets in airports charge phones (if you can find one that isn’t occupied)?

Don’t ever get stuck in a foreign airport without a travel adapter when your power bank has no juice anymore. It’s the worst.

I always bring a USB stick when I travel. You never know if you need to transfer some pictures before you head home (although I must admit that ‘air drop’ on the iPhone is a pretty nifty thing these days. The USB stick is just a back up option, really.)

I also usually have a Sudoku book and whatever piece of knitting I am working on in my carry-on.

Snacks

We all know airport food is expensive and what they serve on airplanes (if you get a meal at all) can be hit and miss. Therefore, I always have some snacks in my carry-on, you know, just in case.

I have recently raved about the Perfect Bars because they’re the only protein bars so far that I can stomach. In fact, they taste like a ‘treat’, but are actually full of protein and good things.

Usually, I carry a snack-sized bag (or two) of Trader Joe’s trail mix in my purse on a regular day, so I also take some when I travel.

I usually stock up on these Dextro energy cubes when I am in Germany, but I think you can find them here now, too. They give you a quick boost of energy when you need it, and they simply taste good.

My current go-to snack if I just want something to suck on: licorice. Gustaf’s Dutch Licorice Coins from World Market are my favorite right now.

A few other things; not pictured:

Shawl– I don’t go onto a longer flight without a shawl/blanket scarf. It looks stylish (if it’s cold enough to wear it), comes in handy as a blanket, shoulder wrap or pillow on your flight.
Wet Wipes – always. They come in handy not just to freshen up.
Sunglasses.
Neck pillow – (I have a cheap inflatable one from Target – it does the job). Originally, I thought that neck pillows are kinda silly, because you can just roll up your sweater and rest your head against the window, right? Well, unless you don’t have a window seats and ever since I intentionally book aisle seats on longer flights (because I like to be able to get up whenever I want without bothering a stranger in the aisle seat), I’ve come to love the neck pillow.
a change of clothes (not pictured). It only happened to me once or twice so far that my luggage didn’t make it to my destination. When it happened, I was either at my parents’ house or back home, so I wasn’t stranded somewhere with NOTHING but the clothes on my back, but I still have gotten into the habit of packing a set of fresh clothes in my carry-on now when I travel.
Some money in international currency (luckily, I always keep some Euros on hand from my last trip)
Travel insurance (copy)
Medications (I don’t take any medications except for birth control and a supplement, but I always take some Zantac and Aleve, just in case).
Valuables (I have a little pouch with all my jewelry. Even though none of it is really expensive, I would hate to lose it and don’t like to put it in my suitcase.)

What are your must-haves when you travel?
Do you travel with a bagpack or a (big) purse?

My Germany bucket list

April 22, 2019 filed under: about me, family, friends, Germany, travel

Once again, I’ll be traveling home soon and I have a bucket list of things to do when I am there. Everyone does have such a list, right?

Since I haven’t been home in two years (gasp!), my list is long, but again doesn’t include much out of the ordinary, unless you count being able to attend a wedding AND a communion during ONE visit out of the ordinary (which I guess it is).

However, visiting home usually includes mostly just simple things that most people take for granted and that I miss out on by living so far away from family and friends. So, I soak them up whenever I can.

This time around I am looking forward to…

… spending time with my niece and nephew (and the rest of the family)

Always. I miss my two munchkins and wish we could be together more often.

… spending time with my best friend

I told you about my best friend who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008. She’s been through so much through those 11 years and I just wish she’d get some relief already.

After her last treatment over a year ago, she developed trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition of the trigeminal nerve of the face, and even though her tumor has been in remission, she’s has been dealing with this severe nerve pain since then. She just can’t catch a break, it seems, but I hope that I can cheer her up some.

… attending one of my best friends’ wedding

I am so stoked that I’ll be able to attend one of my best friend’s wedding during my visit. I’ve missed so many weddings and events by living so far away, so it’s really a strike of luck that this worked out.

… my nephew’s first communion.

Last time I visited for my niece’s first communion, so of course I had to make sure that I am there for my nephew’s as well. So glad I could make this happen.

… eating all the food

I always have a list of things that I want to eat when I go home, mostly because these things are a) not available in the US or b) homemade by Mama. Some include “Mettbrötchen” (rolls with freshly minced meat, salt, pepper and onions – OMG!), my Mom’s potato pancakes, all the fresh bread + deli meats (there is a much larger variety than here!) , and white asparagus (it’s asparagus season in Germany!).

… walking with my Mom

My Mom has been getting into a regular morning walk routine since I last visited and I am looking forward to joining her on one (or many) of her walks!

… going for a run with my cousin (and maybe my sister?)

I haven’t brought it up with them yet, but I hope they realize that I’ll be expecting them to run with me while I am there.

… working out with my Dad

As you know, my Dad is a retired P.E. teacher, but he still keeps active by playing tennis, golfing, and going to the gym a few times per week. One of my favorite things to do when I visit is join him for a workout. I’d do that all the time if we lived closer.

… having a heart-to-heart with my sister

One of the things I miss most is being able to just hang out with my sister and talk about everything. Of course, we talk on the phone and we always know what is going on in each other’s lives, but it’s not the same as talking in person and sometimes life is busy and we don’t get to talk and share stuff as much I’d like to.

… seeing an old friend from high school

I won’t have much time to see a lot of people during my visit because of family commitments, but I’ve been Whatsapp-ing with one of my old high school friends recently and I hope I can see her for coffee or something.

… having brunch with a friend in Köln

I will probably meet up with one of my longest, dearest friends in Cologne again and get to spend some time in my favorite city. Win-win.

… shopping for items to bring back to my US home.

The list of things I shop for and bring back to the US when I visit Germany has become shorter over the years, but there are a still a few things that I always have to get on my visits. That’s normal, right?

This is only a partial list of what I want to do and I know there will be things that I won’t be able to fit in; again. But hey, I am always, always grateful for the time that I do get to spend back home.

How far away is home for you?

Monument Valley and Goosenecks State Park | Utah

August 13, 2018 filed under: photography, travel, USA

Hey, remember the road trip that I went on with my cousin B and his girlfriend in September when we visited all the National Parks? I am still catching up on the recaps! Here are parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

After the amazing tour through Lower Antelope Canyon and a quick stop at Horseshoe Bend, we got back on the road to our next destination: Moab.

Of course, road tripping through the American Southwest is never just about the destination, but also about the journey, because there is just so much to see.

We had also contemplated driving a little detour to see Four Corners National Monument (where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico touch), but the extra driving would have been substantial just to be able to say “we were there”, so we decided against it this time. It would have been cool though.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to enter into Monument Valley this time (as B and I have done on a previous visit), but luckily, a lot of the monuments are visible, and not less beautiful from the distance.

Remember that article that I shared in one of my Link Love posts, about how everybody snaps the same Instagram travel photos? Well, I guess, it’s true. We did, too. It’s just too cool to pass up.

After we left Monument Valley behind, I made sure we included a stop at Goosenecks State Park.

This site, though declared a state park, is still largely undeveloped. There are some very primitive campsites and no developed hiking trails, which really boggles my mind. Honestly, I think it will just be a matter of time until someone will realize the potential of this place, because just look at these views! Those are some of the most impressive views of one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander on the North American continent.

I first learned about these impressive meanders of the San Juan River on my geology field trip in 1998. Turns out, not even my nerdy, geology-enthusiastic co-workers knew about the Goosenecks. Wild! I feel like I am on a mission to introduce them to anybody who will listen! At the same time, it’s very nice to visit a site that is not overrun with people. Just sayin’.

The State Park is just a short drive off US 163 and very worth a stop, IMHO. You can’t miss the turn-off, because it will come up on the left just when you leave Mexican Hat behind on your right. The name “Mexican Hat” comes from a sombrero-shaped rock outcropping on the northeast edge of town.

As always, my posts come with a little geology lesson. You’re welcome.

The San Juan River is a major tributary of the Colorado River and drains the Four Corners region. It originates in the San Juan Mountains (which are part of the Rocky Mountains) in Colorado and flows 383 miles (616 km)[2] through the deserts of northern New Mexico and southeastern Utah to join the Colorado River at Glen Canyon. The river drains a high, arid region of the Colorado Plateau and along its length it is often the only significant source of fresh water for many miles. The San Juan is also one of the muddiest rivers in North America, carrying an average of 25 million US tons (22.6 million t) of silt and sediment each year.(Wikipedia).

Millions of years ago, when the land was relatively flat, the river meandered on its normal course (as rivers do). Then, about 20 million years ago, a period of uplift occurred on the Colorado Plateau. As the land rose, the river flowed faster while still following its meandering course. The river cut into the land, eventually creating the impressive entrenched meanders.

Anyway, long story short: the geologic history is fascinating (IMHO as a geology nerd) but you can also just stop there because it’s such a beautiful, impressive view. Everybody can agree with that, am I right?

We made it to Moab just in time for dinner. We checked into our hotel and then of course had to get burgers at an old favorite restaurant, “Eddie McStiff’s”, where I had eaten with Basti and my parents on a previous trip to Utah!