We were lucky enough that by the end of the year I still had a good portion of vacation days left over. Paired with German national holidays and weekends, I was able to join him in New York for a little over 3 weeks throughout December which was a big luxury.
Our first Christmas together was a roller-coaster. We were living in Hamburg (Germany) at the time and had made plans to spend Christmas eve with my younger siblings and their significant others at our family home on the outskirts of Berlin.
I first encountered the legend of the German Christmas pickle as a German exchange student in Florida when I was 16.
Every family has different Christmas traditions. Here is a list of a couple that I personally like.
This year has been a grind for all of us. The ups and downs in short succession can feel like the ocean is tossing us all over the place.
On a Wednesday in May, I suddenly had trouble breathing and my heart kept racing. Additionally, my throat was scratchy and I lost my sense of smell and taste. I felt super fatigued and I had a hard time formulating clear thoughts and concentrating.
By the end of that first month, my cabin fever was raging. I was miserable, physically and mentally. I was anxious and lacked perspective, maybe I was even slightly depressed. My spirit felt caged with no end in sight.
I was still optimistic when COVID-19 started picking up speed back in March and thought that we would be back to normal within 1-2 months.
Democracy takes work. You have to show up. Decide who best represents your beliefs and values and cast your ballot. If you don’t, the extremes are going to decide the course of your country for you.
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for doughnuts. It's a truly guilty pleasure of mine and please don't bring up the actually calorie count.
I can only chime into the German Chancellor's plea - as hard as it might be - for everyone to stay reasonable, especially during the holidays. Let's not give into the temptation of living in the moment for the sake of the future and actual lives.
Some people are said to have resting bitch face. I apparently have concentrated murder face.
Wandering Explorer Travel 