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| Dresden, Germany – January 2016 |
Once a month I do a lookback post. Usually it's things like songs I'm listening to, books I'm reading, or DIY crafts. Instead, for January I'm going through the alphabet with the many feelings I felt and concepts that have stood out following our recent travels to New York, New Jersey, France, Germany, and Czech Republic. While I'm sure that 26 emotions doesn't quite cover it, I think this list does summarize the emotional roller coaster that was my last vacation for me. Enjoy reading through my list and feel free to share with me if anything strikes a chord with you and reminds you of travels past. I know I'm not the only one to have some of these feelings! :)
A -anxious. About traveling. About making flight and train connections. About all of the hiking I knew I was in for. ;) About carrying such heavy luggage. About finishing everything I needed to finish before Christmas.
B -bored. In the car driving. Seriously, I was way more intrigued by train travel.
C -cheery. I got to see snow!! So much fun! May have made my vacation that much better. :)
D -discouraged. I didn't study any German, French, or Czech before traveling. Last time I went to Europe I had been playing games and reading books. This time I was just so stressed out. Then, a week after we get home, Justin says "you were ordering your food wrong!" *facepalmª And the whole time I was in Germany when I went to order anything I'd be secretly hoping Justin would do it for me because I knew I was doing something wrong but I wasn't sure what! Ahhh! The stress! It made France that much more enjoyable though. ;)
E -excited. We stayed in different hotels every night for 90% of our travel time. It was so much fun being surprised at what kind of view would be in store for us at the next hotel … and the next… and the next.
F -friends. And beer. And more beer. And maybe some wine. :)
G -guilty. I really, really wanted to throw snow at things. And touch it. And draw in it. Sometimes I did; sometimes I didn't. And sometimes I found the snow more exciting than the actual places we were visiting. I guess that's what happens when you see snow maybe once a year. *shrugs*
H -hurt. I slipped and fell on the bathroom tile when I got out of the shower at the Westin Bellevue in Dresden the last morning we were there. There was absolutely nothing to grab onto. I fell onto my wrist and bruised my leg. It hurt and shook me up so much that I had to lay on the bed for a few minutes to recover. (I pass out when I get hurt badly or see blood.) The rest of the day I was a nervous wreck walking on ice and snow afraid that I would fall again and make the situation worse. (The wrist I fell on was the same one I sprained while in high school.)
I -inspired. By Paris, France. Ohmygosh the window displays of Galeries Lafeyette were amazing! So intricately designed and detailed. Absolutely beautiful.
J -judgemental. Apparently that's what I have to be next month when I go in for jury duty for my first time ever. :-/
K -kooky. Germans are weird. I don't mind being the first to tell you. Someone had to. ;)
L -lovely. There were so many pretty views from the majestic Christmas trees to the fog-covered bridges, lovely store and window displays and beautiful fireworks on the the 1st. Truly everything about our trip was magical. :) (We even saw a double rainbow in Georgia as we were headed home!)
M -misunderstood. It sucks when you are looking at a menu in a different language and you keep seeing "fleisch" and thinking "I don't want meat." You indicate to your husband that the only thing on the menu that you want is "eis" (ice cream) to which he assumes you don't understand the menu and promptly picks out a thing with "fleisch" in it for you to eat. *sigh* And then you eat it, because there is nothing but "fleisch" on the menu anyway…
N -naive. This is how I felt in Europe seeing the sick and poor on the city streets using whatever they could find to stay warm. I felt rich riding in cabs from hotel to hotel, blessed in so many more ways than I realize on a day-to-day basis.
O -overstimulation. As our train left it's last destination in Germany, I felt a little sad (ok - a LOT sad) to be leaving friends behind knowing that our vacation had come to an end (with them). Luckily, the vacation wasn't over for myself and my husband, and in the two days following, Justin and I went gallivanting through Paris and NYC. Those last two days were enough of a distraction that when I finally returned home I was too tired to be sad and forlorn. All I was left with were the positive feelings and memories from the crazy days before. If I could end every vacation like this, I think I would! :) Goodbyes suck.
P -Charlie Puth "Marvin Gaye". I heard that song played so much on the radio in Germany. Argh. I love me some Meghan Trainor, but don't Europeans have anything better to listen to? #insertheadphones
Q -quick. You never realize how short your legs are until you are trying to keep up with 6 foot giants.
R -random. That moment when we pass by an art gallery and randomly go in even though it's not on the itinerary…
S -stubborn. The feeling that you are on your own fighting for something and no one seems to understand why you care so much.
T -touched. Honestly, it was the little things. Like when our friends added a restaurant in Prague to the itinerary that they originally had said no to. Was it the beautiful view or the kindness of friends that made me tear up a little?
U -unimpressed. The Grünes Gewölbe (historic Green Vault) in Dresden, Germany left me less than impressed. Yes, the artwork was beautiful, but the explanations were dry and felt more like opinions than facts. In other words, I felt manipulated and sold to. If that's all they are going to offer in an audio guide, I think I'd rather peruse the artwork on my own without one.
V -villainous. That moment when I told my husband he could not visit Spain without me for a guy's trip. Yes, I'm mean, but I have good reasons. 1) I plan all of the vacations. 2) I've never been to Spain! It's not fair to go to a new country without your wife!
W -wasser. (or water.) Seriously! Medium gas? Either go all of the way or none of the way! Plus, it just feels so inherently wrong to ask for water with gas. Carbonated water sounds so much nicer. Or even sparkling. Yknow … as in pretty like a princess? You can't fault me for that, can you?
X -exuberant. I think it must have been the snow that brought out that trait in all of us.
Y -yielding and distrustful. Especially when your tired husband bumps into a guy near Times Square with a bag of broken glass who then asks for $20 to pay for his "broken whiskey" when not a single drop of liquid can be found on the sidewalk. How about you keep your broken glass and I keep my $20? #scams
Z -zen. When at the end of the trip you feel closer to the people you are with than you do at the beginning of the trip. :) (The feeling closer isn't the zen; it's the full circle of choosing something, forgetting why you chose it, and then remembering again. Being calm, relaxed, and at peace with a decision you made.)
Has your January been as emotion-filled as mine?
