“Here is what a Polish citizen living in the United
States told the writer Laura Klos Sokol about Americans: ‘When Americans
say it was great, I know it was good. When they say it was good, I know
it was okay. When they say it was okay, I know it was bad.’”
—
Eric Weiner, The Geography of
Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World
[L enjoying some of my homemade, baked mac 'n cheese. 9.5.2011.]
a weird thing happened when i got to germany. well, maybe weird isn't the right word. rather, let's say an unexpected thing happened:
i started cooking. that's not the unexpected part. i'm an au pair, of course i'm going to cook. the unexpected part was the love i discovered i had for cooking. deep in a usually unnoticed part of my heart i happened upon a love for cooking. for getting my hands and practically my whole self covered in flour. wiping off my brow with my forearm, attempting to keep the sauce covering my hands out of my hair. enjoying a piece of bread - bread you kneaded with your own hands, bread you watched rise before your eyes - you will never enjoy a meal so much as one you made yourself. from scratch. it's a magical, fulfilling kind of enjoyment. it's something i had never quite experienced before my time in germany.
so now, happening upon new recipes, how-to videos (like the brilliant one below), & sites full of tips, i get giddy. i literally feel myself smile from the inside out. i love it. and i'm so happy that i can leave this adventure with such new appreciations and loves. and let me tell ya, my familia will certainly be glad, too. ; )
[train ride from berlin to eckernförde. 7.30.2011]
even when you feel like you’ve
been swept away. when you wonder if maybe you’ve lost yourself or lost
your ground. you stop & think & look & there you are.
always there. always you. even if when it’s barely visible, a hint, an echo, a sheer layer of chiffon, the you that’s really you is always there.
august brought with it laughter, a bit of homesickness, new friends, wonderful moments of growing & many, many miles of exploring.
i had my first experience at a diskotek: we danced (with new friends) until 6 in the morning. i danced on the table to Party in the USA. i laughed so hard when this song & this song came on, i couldn't even dance. note: it was a popular club, with lots of teenagers. this type of playlist would not have gone over well in america.
i embraced german hits such as this.
i went climbing in the forest: i climbed obstacles that were both exhausting and terrifying. i only lost my shoe once and had to tell only one group of teenage boys to find something else to watch and judge.
i got accepted into uni.
it was a great month.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.
