I Truly Never Expected This...

About 18 months ago when I had the crazy notion of moving halfway across the world to pursue my dreams of building an online business while seeing the world, I had considered a plethora of places to move to but Germany had not once crossed my mind.

The only reason Germany even came into the picture was due to my Aunt Anne and Uncle Ken who regularly had come to my shows at local breweries. They reminded me that my wonderful cousin, Mandy was stationed in Germany and flying for the Air Force. I promptly reached out to Mandy to see what her situation was and she graciously told me she had room for me.

I would like to say I pride myself in having a wide perspective of the world and I do my best to not let shortsightedness get the better of me. That being said, I hadn't thought much of Germany at all and wasn't sure what to expect. 

Now having spent nearly three months in the country, I found that leaving has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know it is nowhere near the end of my journey, but the love I found while being in a small yet powerful part of this world will never leave me.

Those of you who know me know that I don't believe in a God in a religious sense but I know there is something bigger than us out there. I know this because I've experienced the beauty of the universe time and time again in various stages of my life.

When I was in Germany, I could sense the overwhelming feeling that the universe was on my side almost daily. I believe this also has to do with my inclusion of a daily meditation of 20 minutes to help be more mindful of everything I am doing and perceiving. Either way, the culmination of many different habits I have included in my life have truly lead me down a path to becoming my best self and although there is much work to still be done, I know in my heart that there are great things in store for me ahead.

Final Weeks in Deutschland

My last couple weeks in Germany were very rewarding. I visited a few different Christmas Markets around the country, spent some amazing time with the best of company and truly believe that I have discovered an incredible amount about myself and who I am in this new stage of my life.

The Christmas Markets are truly magical as it is not just about the holiday itself, but a sense of coming together as a community. It's a melting pot of sweets, food, gifts and of course hot Glühwein (mulled wine) to keep you warm as you walk around and experience the atmosphere.

Although it didn't snow while I was in Germany, the childhood memories of Christmas came flooding in like a tidal wave and I couldn't help but feel merry. You feel so included in the festivities and there are no pretenses about how one can celebrate their holidays. Although it is a Christmas market, all are welcome and there is plenty of food and wine to share.

I indulged in some of my favorite foods I had learned about including the dampfnodl with weinsoße which is a pan-fried and steamed bun served with white wine sauce that I had tried before. I also tried a hearty and delicious version of a German potato pancake called a “kartoffelpuffer“ that was dipped in apple sauce. It was absolutely amazing and put a pep in your step as you walked through the cold.

The different types of glühwein were also quite interesting. You could have your standard red mulled wine, but they also had white mulled wine and you could mix either variation with a variety of spirits to make your own holiday concoction. Apple cider was also being served in a few different ways of which my favorite was with whiskey and spices.

I also had the pleasure of eating some great brats and frikadellen that were roasted on a wire cage over an open fire. The quality of everything was superb and the prices are just too good. The drinks seem expensive up front but that's because you need to put a deposit on the glass that they serve your drink in. If you wish to keep the glass, you forfeit your deposit and you've got yourself a little souvenir to take home.

Heidelberg

I had visited the Christmas Market in the bigger, local city of Kaiserslautern but I was also fortunate enough to take a day trip to Heidelberg to see their Christmas Market along with a castle the city is very famous for.

The Christmas Market in Heidelberg had even more food and wine to offer and it was separated into several different pockets of activity. You could experience one section and then walk down the street about 200 feet or so and be at a completely new section with different food, goods and sights. Like I mentioned before, there was truly something magical about the setting.

After seeing the Market, I made the hike to get to the castle which was erected around the year 1214. It was known for having the biggest wine barrel in the world at the time (it still is) and the ruins are beautiful.

You can see the castle from the city below and it looks quite eerie especially at night. Once you get to the castle itself, you get a stunning view of the city below and I managed to catch it at sunset which was even more breathtaking.

The history of the castle is fascinating and it was well-made and well-maintained. Seeing history in the flesh is always something that makes me become more aware that life was well underway before the United States of America even became a sovereign nation. It reminds me that America is such a young nation and we have much to learn moving forward. I hope that we as a nation manage to stay humble and be mindful of the fact that countries and even empires have risen and fallen before we were even on the map. Hopefully we can learn from their experience.

Neighborhood Bonfire

My good friend Frank had told me the second or third time we met that he loved having bonfires during the wintertime. It's a great reason to have people over, drink some beers and enjoy a dry, cold winter night. He specifically planned one for a day that I would be free before leaving and I was very grateful that he would do so on my account.

In Germany, I discovered a love for a basic pilsener beer. I hadn't previously given them much thought as I hadn't learned to appreciate the flavor. In Germany, the main beers to be had are pilseners and weizen (wheat) beer. They are both solid choices and very drinkable at any time. I will be exploring more "pils" when I return to the states to see if I can find something comparable.

I had been telling Frank and Melanie about different styles of beer that we enjoy in America including my father's favorite, IPA. Frank was intrigued as he was a pils man himself so I told him I would buy some and bring them to the bonfire.

When I got to the bonfire, I was met by many familiar faces including that of Melanie and many other regulars from my local neighborhood bar, Sascha's. The host, Frank's cousin had anything and everything one would need including cold beer, hot glühwein, snacks and a raging fire. It turns out that it's illegal to have a fire in Steinwenden, but they said their neighbors are all cool (and are mostly comprised of their own family members) so they weren't worried about anyone calling the police.

We were all chatting and having a great time when I pulled out several bottles of IPA to share with the crowd. Frank wanted to be the first so I popped a bottle and handed it to him. He took a big swig and this was his reaction:

Needless to say, Frank was NOT a fan of IPAs and couldn't stop talking about how terrible it was. The bottle was passed around and nearly everyone had the same reaction. There was one person who quite enjoyed it so I gave her another bottle or two and told her that she was welcome to them. I reminisced about the first time I tried an IPA and to be honest, I didn't care for it either. It definitely takes a bit of an adjustment to the palate but I think the reaction from Frank and Co was about as good as could be expected.

Landstuhl Castle

One thing that had been on my list that I never got around to doing was going to the nearby town of Landstuhl (where I played my gigs) and visiting their castle. It's a bit more modest than the castle of Heidelberg but they have a restaurant next to it where you can enjoy some delicious homemade local food while getting a great view of the city below.

I had looked up the menu before and knew that I wanted to try a sampler platter of different meats with sauerkraut. There were three types of meats included: Bratwurst, liver dumpling and saumagen of which I was most interested in trying the liver dumpling.

I wanted to order the sampler platter because I wasn't sure if I would like the liver dumpling but it ended up taking the cake! It was quite rich in flavor and when combined with mustard and some sauerkraut, it opened up into a myriad of flavors that were sensational. Washing it down with a dark wheat beer was the cherry on top.

The saumagen was a mix of pork and onions fried in a patty and was also stellar. The bratwurst. although quite standard, was no less delicious than the others. Considering I had hiked up to the castle, I consumed it all with gusto and made the trek back to the train station with a full belly and a happy feeling that I wasn't wasting my last days in Germany.

Final Days

I got quite a bit accomplished my last few days in town. I grabbed lunch with Mandy's neighbor, Michael who has been an amazing friend and local guide. We continued our previous conversations about geopolitics and he told me that he really enjoyed the way that I am always willing to meet and talk to anyone. He said it's a trait that more people in this world need and I felt very honored that he held me in such high regard.

In fact, not to stroke my ego too much, but I've been told by many people on this trip that I always bring charisma, happiness and love to those around me. I've never thought of myself as being “special” in this regard, I just do my best to be myself and to be genuine. I guess it's working because I've made friends and connections that will stay ever-present with me for the rest of my days and I am so, so grateful for them to allow me into their life.

You never know who you're going to meet, when, and under what circumstances. Never take that for granted because you might surprise yourself and have someone enter your life who changes it forever. I had such an experience in Germany and it will always be a part of my life no matter what happens moving forward... but that's a story for another day.

My last day in town I made plans with Frank, Melanie and Co to meet at Sascha's for a last hurrah of sorts. We had some beers, I stuffed my face with döner for good measure and we played several rounds of the dice game “16 or Dead.” 

As closing time came around, I found myself teary-eyed and in denial that it was coming to an end. I shook hands with some, gave hugs to most and Melanie and I embraced for at least 3 minutes without letting go. 

 I later contemplated how I could be so sad to be leaving people I had spent so little time with.

A realization I've had over the past decade is that if you want to make meaningful relationships, you have to put yourself out there. Whether it's with friends, family or a partner, I always put my heart on the line 100% knowing that sure, it could get the absolute crap beaten out of it and I'll be hurt, but I can recover. But when you put your all into a relationship and open yourself up to the possibilities, imagine how full your heart can be. When you really put yourself out there for the world to see, you have the opportunity to experience happiness like you've never felt before.

That's why I know it's OK for me to be sad that I'm leaving people I've only know for a short amount of time. That's why I know it's OK for me to consider Germany a home I can always return to. That's why I know that this is not the end of the journey, merely an exploration of a path not yet forged.

I never truly expected to fall in love with Germany but here I am, headed home with a head full of memories and relationships that will forever help define who I am.

My Last Sunrise in Germany

I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and challenge you to work on becoming a better version of yourself in 2020. I know I will be working on my self day in and day out. Here's to change and leading your best life.

Cheers,

Tony G

P.S. I will be taking a break from my blogging activities until January 2020 when I will be exploring Thailand and Vietnam with my good friend Scott. Until then, be well and keep an open heart.