Simple Joys Have A Simple Voice: It Says Time Is Livings Prize

Same procedure as last year Ms. Sophie? Same procedure as every year!

Get on a train and go

We left off with the protagonist of the story on a train bound for Cologne. I was quite proud of myself readers! I speak 10 words of German and read EVEN LESS, but I managed to get to all my train connections on time and figure it out! Thankfully I saw the best site ever as my train arrive- my friend and her husband waiting for me on the platform!

Readers I am a very lucky woman. I met my friend Verena at university, just one of the wonderful gifts undergrad gave me. And when she knew I was moving to Europe she kindly offered to have me for Christmas. Now I have spent years waiting for the time when I could spend a Christmas at home, without the craziness (if you knew what my family used to be like, you’d understand) but when the time came, that was the farthest thing from what I wanted. I couldn’t wait to get to spend time with her in Germany.

How I felt being welcomed!

And it was a wonderful four days. The first day out we went to the Christmas markets and I saw the

Christmas market with wine!

Cologne cathedral. I also tried gluwein, which is this warmed wine with ameretto. It was delicious and warmed me right up! The Christmas markets were packed, but gorgeous and so intricate. Each one had it’s own theme and I can only imagine how long it would take to go slowly through all of them! I got to try some German food and really enjoy the night out.

SUCH GOOD FOOD

Then it was back to Verena’s parents house for the night! Her parents are seriously two of the best people I have ever met. From the moment I met them they were kind and generous, they were so gracious in having me and it never bothered them that I don’t speak German. It honestly felt like I had surrogate parents that I really loved being around. We discussed travel, politics, the world in general, all while still telling stories to me about my friend and discussing her daughter. I couldn’t have asked for a better family to spend the holidays with. And boy were the holidays packed!!

There is Christmas eve in Germany, but then there are two nights of Christmas. I will totally be instituting this when I get home! On Christmas eve we stayed at Verena’s

Isn't it pretty?

parents house and we exchanged gifts before dinner, which was really cool. Even though I am not actually family they gave me this beautiful tin of cookies with a picture of the Cologne Cathedral on it so I would always remember my time here! The dinner had more traditional foods and honestly I couldn’t name half of them with correct spelling, but I know that come November next year I will be messaging her for recipes and tips to recreating parts of that meal! Really, really delicious. Then we all watched this traditional movie that is in English but Germans watch it every year for New Years. (I wasn’t going to be there for New Years so they watched it with me then) It’s called “Dinner for One” and has this constant line: The same procedure as every year. (This will also be a new tradition at home!)

We decorated the tree!

The next day was Christmas, everyone slept in and just enjoyed. The day before we had been watching “Hook” at Verena’s and seriously Steven Spielberg was making adult  sequels to kids books before it was cool. It brought back a lot of good memories and we were really able to enjoy it, while I kept the pacifier in her babies mouth. That baby is seriously adorable!

For Christmas however we made sure the tree was decorated, and I got to hold the baby more as

I ate so much

Verena and her husband set about preparing for that nights meal as his family was coming over. It was the coolest dinner ever. LEGIT. You had these mini pans and you filled them with different foods like pineapple, peas, (meat if you eat it, which I don’t, so I didn’t) peppers, just ANYTHING. Then you put cheese on top and place under this heated plate and bam, awesomeness! Verena joked that my time in Germany was meant to help me gain weight- mission accomplished!

Then second day of Christmas I got to meet many of her husbands family members for lunch. Everyone thought it would be overwhelming for me, but actually it reminded me of the holidays at home when my family comes together for a sing-a-long after Christmas. I will share with you all a not-so-secret, secret that just kind of goes against my personality: I LOVE big families. Love them. I mean my personality fits that I like to stay quiet sometimes, or that I tend to walk on my own a lot. But I love having a big and different family. I love how different we all are, with varying interests, and fantastic personalities. And being with his family was just great. Being with both of their families was a gift I can only hope to pay forward one day.

My sister sent me a pic of my kitty at Christmas

I love playing holiday games!

After we finished there we went back to her parents house for “trashy Christmas!” And no readers, I am not being ethno-centric. It’s this family tradition they have that everyone brings a wrapped gift that is really one of the worst things they had in their house. You role a dice and if you get a certain number you pick a present, this goes on until everyone has a gift. Then you role again and the present swapping begins! If you hit a certain number you pass right, another number you pass left. It was great! I ended up with this coaster set that her cousin said was her grandfathers, it looks like an old fashioned clock. It was very fun, we just enjoy it immensely. Then it was that sad time when it was all over.

I was grateful that I had so much time at night to spend with her parents and discuss things, I really

Family is snuggly

felt at home. But then I had to pack and prepare to leave. I never thought leaving would be so hard but it was. And I insisted on a picture with her parents the next day before I left and Verena took me to the train. I was also given a surprise when her mom gave me a lunch package for my train! I really felt like a kid getting treats! I got on my train, with some rather annoying people and prepared to see Belgium, one of my families home lands. (Not as good as Ireland though, no other homeland is as wonderful as Ireland)

This was me talking to the baby...yeah I listen

The time I spent in Cologne was brilliant. But aside from the beauty of the holidays, time spent with the baby, and the joy of catching up with my friend, there was so much more to this trip. It was really wonderful to get to sit there and listen to German. I have never studied it but it was great to just listen and enjoy, I didn’t know what was going on all the time but sometimes that’s one of the best experiences you can have. Americans often think we are the “best” because of our English, but I love these humbling experiences when you realize that knowing English is good, but you need to be open to other languages and cultures to truly be a “citizen of the world” and John. F. Kennedy said. I was so sad to leave, but happy that I made it.

Relevant, but mostly here because I love them

 Tonight's song is "Simple Joys" from Pippin. My friend Glenn sent me the new Broadway soundtrack just before I set out on my winters journey. It was sent to remind me I have "magic to do" and I found a lot of magic on this trip. But also it really is the simple joys in life that make it worth living, like Christmas with a family. 

Anna