waking up in bavaria

one journey ends

 

{Us, right after we were dropped off. 12 pieces of luggage to check and 12 pieces of carry on--oh.my.gosh!}

 

We are home. And it feels so good, so familiar, so comfortable. Can I tell you just how wonderful it is to walk into a store and chat with the sales clerk? Or pick up anything with writing on it and be able to read it? To finally eat some of the foods we love and were such a regular part of our life? Ah yes. So good to be home! It's these little things that you take for granted until you are in foreign land. I know it's cliche, but there really is no place like home.

For all my praise of home, there is much that we will miss about living in Germany. Of course, most especially the people who have become a part of our lives now. As we drive around here I'm starkly aware of how few and far between bakeries are. In Germany there is one on every corner almost. In Germany, where one eats very little with their hands, I found myself a little lost at a recent party when I needed to eat my pineapple chunks without a fork. I really wanted a fork. When we introduced ourselves to the people we didn't know, we proceeded to shake everyone's hand before we remembered that not everyone does that here. We reminisced how we liked that the Germans acknowledged everyone in that way, and have laughed with affection at watching them shake everyone's hand in a extra large group! There will be much to miss about our life there, and I have no doubt that as the days go buy more and more memories will tap on our thoughts and bring a warm smile to our face.

The flight home went off without a hitch. Can I just brag for a moment on how well Noah did? By the time we arrived at the Portland airport it had been about 26 hours since our journey started (starting from the time we got out of bed the morning we left) He slept only for the last two hours on the plane. Not a complaint out of him, and a happy attitude during the whole ordeal! Wow. We were looking forward to a three hour layover in Chicago to stretch our legs and move around, eat a leisurely meal, grab a magazine etc...but it turned out that we needed every minute just to get through customs and security again. We arrived at our gate with only five minutes to spare before boarding. I felt a little like crying but with Noah as my example I decided to suck it up.

It really has been such a joy for me to keep this journal, and the icing on the cake is that you wanted to read it! Thank you, so much. I have read every comment and daily felt thankful that you took the time to share your thoughts and send your greetings. I'll say it again, Thank You--to each one of you, whether you commented or not, for coming here and being interested in our life. It really does make me so happy.

Some have asked that I keep this blog up, and really, that is so sweet. It does cost me monthly to do that and I'm not so keen on paying for a blog that I no longer contribute to. It was a personal time in our life that has come to an end and, though I enjoyed sharing it with the public during the journey, it feels appropriate to me that it ends now. I think I will give myself a couple of weeks to store all the content on my computer and then Waking Up in Bavaria will become a book for my family to remember by.

If some of you want to continue following my blogging adventures you can bookmark my new blog, 

Porridge.

I will continue to ramble on there about life and all things creative, because well, I'm a blogging addict. I'm actually very excited about this new venture! I hope you'll come along.

I'll say goodbye now! It's been one happy adventure with minimal bumps in the road. What a gift and what an experience!

you can follow me over here...

In less then then 24 hrs. we board our plane home. Definitely excited over here! Amazingly, I've found a few moments here and there to get my next blog rolling and I'm ready sooner then I thought to share it with you!! I have 3 posts up already so it won't sit too lonely while we travel home and get settled in. I do hope you like it!

porridge. satisfying things.

Ok, back with one last post here soon after we're home. See you then!

  

full circle

 

I woke up extra early this morning, just like I have been for the last few weeks, around five-ish. My body wakes with the sun and these days it's shining early (although that doesn't mean I get out of bed just yet) I lay there gazing at the clouds through our skylight, watching them go from a tinted pink to a soft white and then with hints of that warm, golden yellow that the sun is so good at. I hear the church bells ringing in the distance, it's 6:00 a.m. My thoughts are on our life here this past year, and knowing that very, very soon I will no longer be waking up in Bavaria. These last few mornings are precious and sentimental. 

How does one sum up a year of living abroad? For myself I'm not sure where to start. There is just so much, it has been so full, it has been a gift that we never expected. We've had our challenges here. I would be amiss to lead you to believe it has been one big vacation, and maybe I have. No, actually there were moments when I threw myself on my bed in tears, wishing we could just go home. When not being able to speak the language kept us from enjoying simple things because we just weren't feeling brave that day, or enduring the stares of everyone in our small town because we were definitely the "outsiders" to name a few. But blogging for me is about the positive, the good, the happy, the beautiful. And there has been an abundance of that here for us. Such an overflow of goodness that we wouldn't change a thing. The hard times helped us to treasure the good times, our first long, cold winter made us love the spring even more, the unkindness of some helped us to embrace tighter those who showed kindness. It's been a time of growth that has been very valuable--if you look at it the right way. By far, it has been one huge blessing.

I have been thinking about my last post from Germany now for several days. What pictures would I share? New ones? The most memorable ones? A recap of the year? And then I came across this one above, taken recently, and it struck me as being perfectly symbolic. The hands of Hannah and two of her friends wearing the bracelets they made locked in a circle. We've made solid friendships here, the kind that will last. We've intertwined our cultures, our faith, and our lives. We've made strong bonds, we've learned much from each other and for all our differences we've found that we are very much the same too. 

When Mark and I first came to Germany it was the first week of July last year. Two months later our family was living here, and now in just one week we fly home--the first week in July. We've come full circle. Bavaria is a beautiful land with lovely people and a fascinating culture, how happy we've been to share in it--to wake up in Bavaria each morning for the past year. Our hearts are full. 

If it were possible to give a country a big hug I would. Goodbye Bavaria, until we meet again. xox.

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(One last post when we arrive home and then I'll be saying goodbye to this blog...)

two weeks

{Mark and Hannah up ahead. I'm always last because I always stop to, you know, take pictures}

Exactly two weeks from today we will be flying home. We are both excited and sad to be leaving. I find my self each day now taking moments to imprint on my memory all of the little details I have loved about living here. Watching Oma putter in her garden next door while her kitties follow behind, the cute way that the Germans say "Hallo", the neighbor's chickens that are always escaping---these are a few of many, so very many.

One thing that I know we all will miss a great deal is the bike rides. You can peddle for miles and miles, winding through back country roads and tiny villages. The beauty and the peacefulness is so soothing. And now, at this time of year the weather is balmy, the skies are ever changing works of art, the crickets are chirping, the kitties are prowling in the fields, the cows are grazing and stop to watch us pass, and the birds are singing their summer songs. If we time it right, we can catch the little red train on its rounds as we cross the bridges. In short, it's just been a magical part of our time here. 

 

collective

 

{A daughter and a daughter-in-law} 

Oh my, it's been so long--too long. It didn't help that our internet service was kaput for the last three days either. But anyway, hello! I'm happy to finally sit down here with you. My photo taking, as usual, is miles ahead of my posting--so here is a collection of some recent days. Back soon (fingers crossed) with tales of Paris! (another reason I've been absent here--but somebody had to go :)

 

{A night away for Mark and I }

 

{Bike riding at the golden hour}

 

{Coffee and cake on the balcony}

 

{A steady supply of wildflowers in the house now}

 

{The haircut}

 

{Someone turned sixteen}

 

{Gnomes in the garden}

 

{The charm of Ramsau}

 

{The magic of a spring storm}