Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a bit. I've had a busy last couple of days and had no wifi for two of them. My wifi expired for the month and trying to get customer service to assist me was impossible. Germany has terrible customer service. Like Terrible. Oh well, at least I'm moving to my apartment this upcoming weekend. I am so excited! Cannot wait to settle in and make it my haven. Only a couple more days :)

So this past weekend was amazing! I went with two of my colleagues to Wurzburg, Germany. One of my colleagues owns a house there with her husband and ironically enough, their house is Richard Wagner's old house. For many that don't know, Richard Wagner is perhaps one of the most famous composers of all time (1800s) as well as a theatre director. Many of his influences were Beethoven and Mozart. I've played some of his violin pieces and staying at his house was by far one of the coolest things for being such a classical music geek.

                                               

Wurzburg is such a beautiful city and one of my favorites thus far in Germany. I fell in love with the vineyards, picturesque buildings, and bridge (Alte Mainbrucke) overlooking the Main river. The atmosphere was youthful and the food and the famous Franconian wine were splendid. I will take any of you who come visit :) It is interesting to see how this city rose from the ashes after the bombing raid on Wurzburg in March 16, 1945 that lasted about 20 minutes and destroyed 80% of the city.

Friday
After a 2 hr drive from Grafenwoehr, we arrived to Wurzburg and headed out to get dinner since we were starving. We walked around the town square and walked to the bridge overlooking the main river. Since Wurzburg is a college town, there were groups of young people socializing by the river with wine, beer, and snacks. The atmosphere was so chill and reminded me of day drinking in hoboken and NYC. A restaurant on the bridge sold local wine and everyone was holding their glasses as the sun set. We later went to a bar that was once an old mill. The bar is made of all wood and had cute little seating areas. After a couple of drinks, we walked back home and went to sleep preparing ourselves for a big flea market the next morning.

Main River

Saturday
Waking up at 6:30 am was brutal, but was worth it after all the amazing finds I snatched at the flea market. This flea market happens once a year and there were many vendors selling inexpensive things. I bought decorative wine bottles for less than 2 euro, a quality expensive dress for 15 euro, a cute small ladder for decoration, and kitchen stuff for 2 euro. You have to activate your creativity when browsing through things because you can turn anything to shabby chic and avoid spending a lot of  money at stores like pottery barn or crate & barrel. I am excited to decorate my new place with some the pieces I purchased.

After 4 hours at the flea market, I literally "shopped until I dropped," and napped for 2 hours. Afterwards, we proceeded to walk around and sight see. We had dinner at the restaurant by the bridge and it was one of the best meals I've had in Germany thus far. I order veal with a horseradish sauce, baked noodles with breadcrumbs, and lingonberry sauce. Just writing about it makes my mouth water.  I had gelato of course, shopped around and headed back to bed. My back and feet were killing me. It was a great day.

Sunday
The early bird gets the worm or in this case, the view. We set out early again to the Festung Marienberg, a celtic fortress that was built in 1201 and served as the residence of the prince bishop until 1719. It's located on top of a hill across from the bridge, so we set out for the climb after a hearty breakfast by the river. The views at the top of the fortress garden was spectacular. Seriously, a beautiful sight. Check out my pictures in the slideshow at the end of this post. Before we headed back to Grafenwoehr, we stopped at the Residenz, which is a palace that prince bishops also lived in. The garden and architecture was beautiful. It was heavily restored after WWII and it was definitely a sight to see.


I really am loving Germany. So much history, beautiful places to see and explore. I am definitely trying to take advantage of my weekends and get myself out there with others and or by myself. Anyone that wants to join me in my travels, let me know! Yall are welcomed!

Festung Marienberg

residenz

    

Non-Doing

"I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope

For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith

But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:

So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing."

                                                     -T.S. Elliot

Reading this except from "East Coker," resonated how sometimes the best action to take in life is none at all. Just let life unfold. We often seek to control our outcomes and deny our realities causing us to live in turmoil. Letting go of control and accepting all that happens to us allows us to morph into our best selves and releases us from feeling anxiety about the future or depression from our past. It allows us to be present in the Now and let things naturally come about. 

So how do I live a life full of purpose without taking control?

I do believe one should set goals that direct you to where you want to go in life, but sometimes the best thing is to focus on how you want to feel instead of honing in on every detail of getting there. We are shaped by our experiences, insecurities, and relationships with others and that influences the way we see the world and the life we live. We often set goals that we don't really want and that cannot generate the feelings we want to attain, causing us to feel discontent. If you change your outlook on how you want to feel, instead of what you want to have, you won't need to take control because you won't be searching for more.

What are your goals in life? I'll tell you mine.

1. I want to feel happy.
2. I want to feel connected with others.
3. I want to feel loved and love.
4. I want to feel generous and give back.

Although these aren't focused on a particular thing, it sets intentions that I can work on in my day to day life. Visualizing how I want to feel, generates thoughts that later become actions and thus a reality.

Take the time to write down your goals and reflect on the feelings they transpire within you. You will gain an awareness of what is actually important in your life and how you seek to live a life full of purpose.

wheels

I finally got my car and  I'm so excited!It feels nice being able to drive without depending on anyone or for something as simple as transporting groceries. I've looked like a mad woman carrying grocery bags while riding my bike and also walking to the laundromat with a heavy bag of dirty laundry.

I got this Toyota Aygo 2008 sedan for $3500. It has a good maintenance record and has 65,000 miles. I think it's a steal!

Ironically enough, the license plates I received had NJ on it...Couldn't have been any more appropriate. A little piece to remind me of home sweet home.

Cologne

I know the last post was titled Energy, and ironically I have none right now after a weekend in Cologne. I should've worn my fitbit because I believe I walked more than 10 miles. It was a 5 hr drive from Grafenwoehr to begin with, but at least I was able to drive on the autobahn.
For many of you that don't know, there are sections of the Autobahn (german highway) that have no speed limit. I was driving at around 80-100 mph and it was great! Don't worry Mom, I was cautious and knew my limit :)

Friday:
My sponsor Faiza and I arrived in Cologne at around 10:30 pm and checked into our hostel. The hostel was not the greatest, but at least we had a private room that was clean and that we could lock. We had communal showers and toilets, which I'm not used to, but it will do. Once we got settled, we headed to a bar the host of the hostel recommended.  I'm not sure what he was thinking, but he sent us right into the heart of the Red light district (concentrated area of prostitutes, strip clubs, and adult theatres). As we approached the street using our gps, we noticed a large group of men on the left side of the street and another crowd of people on the right. We hesitated at first, but decided we would continue walking and forget about the bar. As we hurried passed the crowd, we were stared down by the different groups of germans- homeless, goths, prostitutes and all I could think was I hope we make it out alive haha Trying to avoid walking back down the street we came from, we walked around the area adding 30 more minutes. The streets were lonely and dark and the city seemed to be sleeping around 12:30 am. We took a train to where the famous cathedral is at and there were so many more weirdos we just decided to go back home and call it a night. By the time we got our train back and walked the wrong way back to our hostel, it was 3:30 am.

Saturday
The next morning we woke up around 9:30 a.m. and headed into the town center hoping Cologne would be better than when we found it the previous night. We got lunch by the rhine river and saw people posted up by the river preparing for the Light Festival, "Cologne Lights", at night. One of the reasons we decided to go to Cologne this weekend was because they hold an annual fireworks festival on the Rhine river. Cologne is one of the oldest towns in Germany and is known for trade fairs and is an important centre for art and culture with museums, historic buildings, and art galleries. Most people associate Cologne with the big Cathedral, Kolner Dom. It really is breathtaking in person. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to climb the 533 stairs because we were too tired from walking around town.  Before we headed to the Chocolate museum, we made a few pit stops buying german gummies and grilled salmon with lemon dill sauce and Kölsch beer (brewed in Cologne).

painting by local artist

The famous Chocolate museum is held in a ship made of glass and metal located in the Rheinau docks. Greeted with a sliver of chocolate upon entry, the aroma of Chocolate was so intense, I was hypnotized and could not focus on the exhibits. A great marketing tool I stumbled midway between the exhibits was having a custom Lindt's chocolate bar prepared within 35 minutes. I obviously couldn't resist. It was interesting learning about the origins of chocolate and its impact on history. 

Fun Facts:

• The production of chocolate in Germany was restricted rapidly during the two world wars and almost ceased completely. The main reason was a lack of necessary raw materials due to war. During the First World War, the chocolate manufactures first managed to deal with this scarcity by importing cocoa via Denmark and Sweden. However, the Swedish ban on the export of unprocessed cocoa at the beginning of 1916 meant temporary end of german chocolate production. And during the Second World War, food containing cocoa was completely prohibited by the state on September 1, 1942. 

• For the soldiers fighting in the war, chocolate was an important element of their food rations as it had high nutritional value, but also caffeine and theobromine that provided stimulating effect and increased alertness. The hershey company began to develop a chocolate bar in 1937 to serve the US Army as an emergency ration.

As we continued to explore and walk around Cologne, we waited until 10:30 pm when the Fireworks began. The show had synchronized classical music and some fireworks. My view wasn't as great, but I honestly have been to better firework shows (Macy's Fourth of July at Liberty State Park). This was nothing spectacular, but still nice to experience. I was so tired after this long day, that as soon as I arrived at the hostel I went to sleep.

Sunday

I was awake by 7:00 am and got ready to head to breakfast. We went to a spot called Bastians and it was amazing. They had baskets full of varieties of breads and endless cakes and pastries. After a hearty breakfast of sunny side eggs, gouda, bacon, and salad, we set out to the Hohenzollern Bridge. This bridge is known for all of the happy lovers who honor their love by attaching locks on this bridge signifying commitment and everlasting love. The collection of colorful locks were beautiful and I made sure to add my addition to this historic bridge. Even though Mark couldn't be here to close this lock with me, distance only matters to the mind, not the heart. As they say, "Love knows not its depth, till the hour of separation has arrived."

-Good bye Cologne

P.S. Check out photos on slideshow below

Energy

Why am I so tired? I think all of the biking, zumba twice a week, and yoga have caught up to me. I feel so great though. I'm able to run without giving up so quickly and bare the most intense 2 hr zumba class ever. As soon as I feel like quitting, a bolt of energy runs through me and I focus on how this activity will not only transform my body, but my mind. Every muscle that is activated or stretched, releases tension and emotions that are trapped in my body. The more I engage in movement, the freer I feel. I yearn for more of this.

I've also been eating a lot healthier and making most of my meals instead of eating out. There is no point in exercising so much if your diet doesn't fuel your body with all the proper nutrients. I feel so lucky because there is so much fresh, inexpensive produce in german super markets and I'm able to play chef and improvise different recipes using different ingredients. Today I made Ratatouille with penne. I bought the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and herbs for less than 3 euro. Feta cheese is my guilty pleasure so it's a must for this dish. Once I have a fully stocked kitchen , I will be posting lots of recipes on this blog.

By the way, I signed the lease to my apartment in Weiden yesterday and I move in on August 1st!! I'm so excited! It's the apartment I told you guys about in one of my first blog entries.

Hope you guys enjoy your weekend, I'm off to Cologne for the weekend! Lots of pictures to come :)

Passenger

Reflectors... check. New lock... check. Backpack is set, and off I went. 

My new helmet felt a bit tight, but helmets will always be uncomfortable. This is the first bike ride in months and it feels amazing to finally catch a breeze as I ride instead of sweating from walking everywhere. I finally bought a mountain bike last night and I could barely wait until today to ride it!! This will give me an opportunity to explore the towns outside of base and also the many bike trails around this region. Even though I passed my German drivers license test last Monday (yay!!),  I have to wait until I find a decent used automatic car to purchase. Until then, I will bike everywhere!

I headed off to a public pool near base that I discovered last week and paid 2.50 euro to enter. The pool is surrounded by a huge park and camping ground and has a small cafe. Most of the people who go are Germans, but there are also many Americans. I posted my towel on the wooden deck and alternated between the water and tanning under the blazing sun. I'm so happy that I am able to enjoy the water and the sun. It finally feels like summer. :)

The temperature this past week has been in the 90s and since Germans don't believe in Air conditioning, I've been dying in my room. All of the fans in the PX (military version of target) are sold out therefore I've been taking cold showers before bed and considered applying icy hot to cool me off haha... The temperature today is in the 80s so it feels a lot cooler.

After the pool, I biked around the small town and captured photographs of some of the beautiful flowers, buildings, and landscape. I also bought a basket of nectarines, greens, and spaetzle for 3 euros! I am amazed how cheap locally grown fruits and veggies are. I will definitely have no problem being healthy here in Germany despite all of the pretzels, beers, and bratwursts. It was a wonderful relaxing day and hope to continue having days like this as I adjust to life in Germany. Miss you all and hope all of you had a wonderful Fourth of July Weekend!!

Munich

Walking down the cobblestone streets, I took in the beautiful architecture, wild flowers, rich history, and beer. Munich is such a vibrant city. Not only is it the capital of Bavaria, but it's sometimes's known as Germany's secret capital. Most people know Munich because it has the country's biggest folk festival, Oktoberfest, which is held in Theresienwiese. I have to buy a dirndl (traditional dress) before then. :)

I arrived on Friday night after a much needed escape. I had been feeling depressed, lonely, and home sick and was ready for a change of scenery. I guess its normal to feel this way after a huge change of routine. Patience and trusting in the present moment is what I repeatedly uttered to myself.

I went sightseeing on Saturday, but due to the pouring rain we were not able to visit Schloss Nymphenburg, a baroque palace in Munich, or Englischer garten. We walked around Marienplatz, which in Medieval times used to be a salt and corn market, but today is a central square full of shops and cafes. Later in the evening, we decided to do a food and beer tour and it was amazing!






We started off at the Beer and Oktoberfest museum where we sampled 3 different types of beers and learned about the history of beer in Germany. Because water was scarce and unsanitary in the 6th century, Benedictine monastaries began to brew their own beer. Beer was supposed to be nutritious (liquid bread) and plentiful making it easy to feed families, children, poor and wealthy people. These monks would even use it as a way to pay taxes or pay for other services and supplies. It was also believed that the more beer one drank, the easier one could reach enlightment. Most monks used to drink about 4 liters a day!! I don't think they knew what the difference between drunk and enlightenment was haha... There are 6 Big breweries in Munich: Löwenbräu, Hofbräuhaus, Augustinerbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr Bräu, Spaten. 
It was also so interesting to learn about the history of Oktoberfest. It used to be a festival held to celebrate the marriage of King Ludwig and Therese von SaxeHildburghausen. A few years later it became an autumn fair and today a festival that hosts up to 6 million people. 

After the museum, we went to a restaurant where we were served a platter of meats, cheeses, bratwursts, pretzels and a liter of beer. We then ended the tour at the biggest biergarten in Munich, Hofbräuhaus. It was filled with hundreds of people, great folk music, and lots of beer.  

On Sunday, we took a 2 hr train down to Neuschwanstein with a tour group. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  The landscape and castle were majestic and the weather was perfect. I  highly recommend it!

It was an awesome end to the weekend. After witnessing so much beauty around me I could only smile and feel excited to be living in such a beautiful country. Despite the fact that sometimes the feeling of missing my loved ones outweighs many things, I am taking this as an  opportunity to develop into my best self, gain experience in my field, and explore/appreciate the wonders that surround me everyday.