Hallo meine Lieben! I have returned from Germany, and assimilated back into the real world.

I had so much fun in Germany with my cousin, and also very much enjoyed my brief stint in Dublin. Here's a brief description of my trip:

Sunday: Arrived in Dublin. Checked into my hotel, and headed into the city. First stop was Trinity College and the Book of Kells. All very cool. The Long Room was my favorite, by far. Afterward, I went to the National Museum of Ireland: Archeology, and saw a whole bunch of really cool and very old artifacts. Got some EXCELLENT lamb stew and a Guinesses in a very cool pub, and then went for my walking ghost tour.
Dublin is probably my new favorite city. Never once felt unsafe walking around by myself, and everyone is kind and acts as though they've known you their whole life!

Monday: Made it to Germany, and got to take a train to Kassel, where my cousin is! The view of the countryside was breathtaking, with windmills off in the distance and solar panels that all belie Germany's want for clean energy. Rendez vous-ed with my cousin, and we walked around downtown Kassel, talking by the river and through a park. Then, we grabbed Ethiopian food, which was something I had never eaten before, and it was delicious. The rest of the evening was spent at her apartment resting and relaxing.

Tuesday: Kassel is, apparently, well known and famous for its hillside park, built by a rich dude a long time ago. After grabbing a bite of lunch (delicious), we took public transportation up the hill to the top, and then progressed slowly down. What a beautiful place! There is a fake aqueduct, a fake medieval castle, and a schloss (palace). There were so many steps and downhill bits that our legs were sobbing by the end of it. We then met one of my cousin's friends for voner, or vegan doner, which is basically schwarma. The evening was spent cackling away at comedic movies back at my cousin's apartment.

Wednesday: It was up early to take a train to Wurzburg, a place devestated by bombing in World War II. Wurzburg is a city in Bavaria, which is where you see more traditional German culture (at least how Americans might percieve traditional German culture). There were beautiful cathedrals, the second oldest bridge in Germany, and fantastic open-air markets. I gave bratwurst a try, spätzle, and real, legit pretzel! We took a turn around the prince-bishop's residence, which was absolutly elegant and ornate. And then we headed back to Kassel, where we relaxed again, and watched a movie.

Thursday: After sleeping in a little too long, we headed for a marketplace that kind of reminded me of one I saw in Budapest. We ate lunch, and then headed back through downtown, meandering our way to the Grimm museum. Before we got there, we stumbled upon a medieval fair, with guys in armor going full tilt at each other, sparring. It was a pleasant surprise, and very cool to see. So, apparently, the Grimm Brothers spent a lot of their lives in Kassel, compiling a German dictionary that they never finished. They were commissioned for ten years to put it together, but after 25 years, they died having only reached the letter "D." It was one of the coolest museums I've ever seen, and I very much enjoyed learning their story. I've always loved the Grimm's tales! Afterward, we ate at this amazing burger joint, and went back to another of my cousin's friend's apartment to relax and chat and watch a movie.

Friday: Friday was spent in Frankfurt, as I would be leaving SUPER early the next day. Frankfurt is also a fantastic city. It's the home of the Euro, other financial/banking, beautiful cathedrals, a gorgeous riverwalk along the Main, and a neat archeology museum. We packed it in early, stopping at a grocery store for some snacks (we had dim sum for lunch, sooo good), and chilled. A great conclusion to a fantastic but brief European vacay.

Saturday: Literally 24 hours of travel. I was down for the count on Sunday. Also, IcelandAir names their planes. I love that.

Thank you to my cousin, the inestimable Maxine, for hosting me on this trip. I had so much fun, and most of all, I was very happy to see her! I hope she rocks her thesis!

Now, as the infamous Eminem states, it's back to reality. The first week back flew. And we have about 43 more days of school. I can handle that!

What I apparently CAN'T handle is Camp NaNoWriMo! I wrote about a thousand words the first week while I was in Germany, but haven't written since. How does a person consistently write? By forcing yourself to write? That doesn't work for me, because I talk myself out of it. Maybe I just don't want it badly enough?

I think a goal for this summer is going to be reevaluating, and trying to glean what it is I want out of writing. The Romance Writer's Conference may help with that, or maybe not. We'll see!

Until next week, and HAPPY GAME OF THRONES NIGHT!

Ciao, friends!