The last day was very relaxing. We decided not to do much since we were going to be traveling the day after. We went to the supermarket with Tante Suse for groceries. We ended up buying a suitcase full of German chocolate and candy for Easter. My family always loves when we get chocolate shipped over from Germany because it is so much better than American chocolate. After Tante Suse had gotten everything she needed to make dinner that night, we checked out and went back home to cook with her. We all ate together and had a relaxing night.
The next morning when we woke up to have breakfast before heading to the airport, I walked downstairs to see three Easter baskets on Tante Suse's table. One was for Sina, one for Sandro and one for me. I was so happy and thanked her for the chocolate bunnies and eggs. It was a really sweet gesture and is a good example of the kind of person aunt Suse is. Sina and Bernd drove us to the airport after we said goodbye to everyone and it was really sad leaving. The funny thing about what happened at the airport is they had to search my carry on bag, and because our suitcases were full with our clothes, I had stuffed all of the chocolate and Easter candy into my carry on. So, when the man at the airport had to sort through my things he gave me a pretty weird look as he came across all of my candy. He jokingly tried to take it all from me. Then we had a nine hour plane ride to Atlanta ahead of us and when we finally touched down in the United States for the first time in over a week my cell phone worked again.
Boat Tour
On our second to last day we had a choice to either go to a small amusement park or on a boat tour starting in Heilbronn. Eventually, we decided on the boat tour. Mom, Tante Suse, Sina, Sina's friend, Nessi, and I all drove over to Heilbronn and found the dock for the boat. The boat was pretty big and fit a lot of people. We luckily got on the first one that pulled up because we didn't even check to see when the tours started.
We found some seats at a table in the front of the boat so we could see everything and the tour began. We drove down the river and the captain of the boat explained everything that we were passing. We got to see a lot of castles along the way. There was a camera crew on the boat and we had no idea what they were filming for. We kept joking that it was because we were on the boat. The boat tour lasted for about 2 hours it was really nice to sit outside but it got a little cold with the wind. We weren't in Mexico, that was for sure.
Nessi, Sina and me
We found some seats at a table in the front of the boat so we could see everything and the tour began. We drove down the river and the captain of the boat explained everything that we were passing. We got to see a lot of castles along the way. There was a camera crew on the boat and we had no idea what they were filming for. We kept joking that it was because we were on the boat. The boat tour lasted for about 2 hours it was really nice to sit outside but it got a little cold with the wind. We weren't in Mexico, that was for sure.
All of us on the boat
Castle Hopping
One of the things my mom insisted that we do during our stay in Talheim was to visit the historic castles in the neighboring towns. She said that was something she took for granted while she lived there; she never took the time to see the sights that were so close to her. It's hard to believe that driving past castles is an everyday occurrence for people living in Germany, but the castles sit right on top of hills looking down upon populated towns and cities.
Next stop on the day's adventure was Burg Stettenfels in Untergruppenbach, Gemany. This one was a little bit smaller and completely deserted because it was a Wednesday. The castle had a ditch surrounding it and a big wall. It was very pretty and situated up on a hill so we got to look out over everything. We ate lunch in the Biergarten on the grounds and had Bratwursts.
That night, we decided to go to the pub in Talheim as a family where we sat, drank and laughed. It was near the end of the visit and everyone was completely comfortable with each other. It was funny to see my mom and Angelika, her cousin, interact because they are so much alike.
Mom's friends
After a pretty relaxing day, my mom took Sina and I to one of her girlfriend's houses for dinner and drinks. If you think hanging out with your mom and her high school friends is tough, imagine sitting in on a reunion after being apart for more than 20 years and not understanding the language perfectly. When grown women gossip, tell jokes and talk over each other, they speak fast and loud. I got very good at tuning out whatever was happening and either talking to Sina or sipping on my drink. But, because Talheim is such a small town, most of my mom's friends knew Sina and her family and Sina loves to talk to anyone, so for most of the night my glass of "Sekt" was my best friend. It loosened me up quite a bit and I've found that when I have had a couple drinks my German is much, much better. By the end of the night, I was adding to the conversation and joking with my mom's old friends as well. They all liked to make a fuss over me and how big I had gotten since they had last seen pictures and how I looked so much like my mom when she was my age. Even in Germany, reunions are just as one would imagine.
Baby Cows
The day after our trip to Oberstdorf, my mom and I woke up feeling active so we took a long walk down the path she used to walk when she was a kid. It was really awesome getting to see everything that she grew up living around and hearing her stories another time but being able to see the aspects of her stories. So, we walked down a long path into the next town over and I got to see the lake she would sneak into to swim in with her friends and the field that let up to the house her dad bought. While we were on our walk, we stumbled upon a farm with a massive flock of sheep out front. It was really cool we walked up to the the edge of the flock that was not fenced in and saw the herding dogs keeping them on the property. When we walked back, we went with Sina to "der Stall" to feed the horse she takes care of. We got to brush, feed and pet the two horses and also see the other animals on the man's farm. He had a number of cows including one baby that was especially fond of sucking on my fingers.
After visiting the barn, we had a family dinner and then Sina and I went to a bar with France where we relaxed and had some drinks. We sat and talked for a while and my German was getting better, especially listening to it and picking up what the conversations were about. Sina and her friends thought it was funny to give me words and phrases to say out loud and then laugh when I said them in my American accent.
Oberstdorf
After only four hours of sleep, I was woken up so we could drive two hours to Oberstdorf, Germany, a little town in the Alps with a very high ski jump (Schiflugschanze). I'm sure if there was an actual speed limit on the roads it would have taken much longer to get to Obserstdorf, but thanks to the Autobahn and Bernd's driving, we were there in no time. When we got there, the mountains were beautiful. It was late March so there was not much snow and it was not ski season anymore. Walking up to the ski jump, it was hard to believe people actually took off from that high.
After admiring the ski jump, we got back on solid ground and walked around the park for a while. We then went into the little town of Oberstdorf and visited shops and walked around. We ended up having lunch in a small Biergarten-like restaurant and afterwards, we headed home on the Autobahn once again. We had a relaxing night at home because we were all tired from traveling, especially Sina and I after only getting four hours of sleep the night before.
So after we admired the ski jump from the ground, we decided it was time to climb up to the top. Luckily, there was an elevator in the base of the jump that took us up most of the way. When we got to the top, the view was incredible. The jump overlooked a frozen lake to one side and then the mountain on the other.
Attempting to describe the view from the top of the ski jump in words is impossible. The height of the jump was absolutely unbelievable. If I were able to ski, I don't know if I could ever get myself to jump off of it, but I stand by what I say in the videos; if I could go down in a sled, I would be totally up for it.
After admiring the ski jump, we got back on solid ground and walked around the park for a while. We then went into the little town of Oberstdorf and visited shops and walked around. We ended up having lunch in a small Biergarten-like restaurant and afterwards, we headed home on the Autobahn once again. We had a relaxing night at home because we were all tired from traveling, especially Sina and I after only getting four hours of sleep the night before.
Soccer and a night out
I woke up and ate breakfast. Still the most delicious breakfast food on the planet. Then I decided that I should probably exercise a little bit and went on a run. I decided to go through the vineyards across from Sina's neighborhood. I could not get over how pretty it was there. The rolling hills and the farmers out tending to their crops in the field were beautiful. While I was running, I could see for what seemed like miles. After I ran for a while, I decided to head back and ran through the neighborhood to get back to Sina's house. The whole family was surprised that I went for a run. I guess they have stereotypical views of Americans and how lazy we have become. After I showered and got ready for the day, the whole family went over to Angelika's brother Jurgend's house to watch the local soccer team play on tv. We all had a few drinks and sat around while Suki, Jurgend's wife kept bringing more and more food out. She was such a good hostess and was very nice to my mom and I.
That night, Sina took me out with her friends, France, Holger and her boyfriend, Alex. We went to a bar in Heilbronn and danced. The music they played was almost all from the US, and everyone was surprised and laughed when they saw me singing all the words. I taught them what the rappers were actually saying in their songs and tried to explain what everything meant. Needless to say, that night was fairly entertaining. After we were done at the bar, we decided to go in France's car to McDonald's and get something to eat. It was around 3 in the morning and I was a little confused why McDonald's would be open then. Once we got there, though, I saw it was really crowded because apparently all of the young Germans like to go there after they go out at night. We said goodbye to all of the people we met up with and France drove us home. Even though our mom's told us to be home early because we were going to Oberstdorf in the morning, Sina and I rolled in at about 4 in the morning. She told me, "Schlaf gut!" laughingly knowing tomorrow morning would be rough on both of us.
That night, Sina took me out with her friends, France, Holger and her boyfriend, Alex. We went to a bar in Heilbronn and danced. The music they played was almost all from the US, and everyone was surprised and laughed when they saw me singing all the words. I taught them what the rappers were actually saying in their songs and tried to explain what everything meant. Needless to say, that night was fairly entertaining. After we were done at the bar, we decided to go in France's car to McDonald's and get something to eat. It was around 3 in the morning and I was a little confused why McDonald's would be open then. Once we got there, though, I saw it was really crowded because apparently all of the young Germans like to go there after they go out at night. We said goodbye to all of the people we met up with and France drove us home. Even though our mom's told us to be home early because we were going to Oberstdorf in the morning, Sina and I rolled in at about 4 in the morning. She told me, "Schlaf gut!" laughingly knowing tomorrow morning would be rough on both of us.
Shopping in Heilbronn
On the second day, I woke up at 9:45 am even though I felt like I could have slept forever. We ate breakfast as a family in Tante Suse's kitchen at 10 am. The food in Germany is the most delicious stuff ever. For breakfast, we had all kinds of different breads and fruit. I would put Nutella on my bread and eat it with a banana. It was very, very good. Sina took off from work for the entire time we would be in town so she could show us around and do things with us each day. After breakfast, we decided to go into the city near by where Sina works, Heilbronn, and shop. We spent most of the day going in and out of stores which were all very similar, if not the same, to stores we have here in the US. We bought a few things and then stopped in at a little cafe for some lunch. We ordered Falmmkueche which is kind of like a pizza without the sauce and you can order it with different toppings. I was hesitant about trying it, but it ended up being very good.
When we got home, tired from shopping and walking around all day, Sina and I started watching The Proposal. We watched it in German with English subtitles. Although I had seen the movie several times, it was way more entertaining in German. Apparently, the Germans have the same voice for each of the big actors and actresses so the voiceovers are all the same, which I thought was interesting. So, Sandra Bullock sounds the same in all of her movies even to the people watching the movie in German. Sina, her brother, Sandro, Bernd, Aunt Suse, Uncle Erhard, my mom and I all went out to dinner at Angelika's restaurant. Ordering in German was difficult for me for the first few days, but after a while, I got used to it. After dinner, Sina and I went out to hang out with her friends. She introduced me to about five of her friends and her boyfriend. We went out to the pub and sat with Alex, Sina's boyfriend, and her other friend, Francesco. We called Francesco, France. The four of us stayed out and talked for most of the night and then Sina and I went home. Every night when we could come back from being out, I would go upstairs to Aunt Suse's house and she would stay downstairs and go into her room. She would say, "Schalf gut, meine Kusine." (sleep well, my cousin) and I would respond with "Schlaf besser, Sina." (sleep better, Sina) It became a habit with us and happened every night after.
When we got home, tired from shopping and walking around all day, Sina and I started watching The Proposal. We watched it in German with English subtitles. Although I had seen the movie several times, it was way more entertaining in German. Apparently, the Germans have the same voice for each of the big actors and actresses so the voiceovers are all the same, which I thought was interesting. So, Sandra Bullock sounds the same in all of her movies even to the people watching the movie in German. Sina, her brother, Sandro, Bernd, Aunt Suse, Uncle Erhard, my mom and I all went out to dinner at Angelika's restaurant. Ordering in German was difficult for me for the first few days, but after a while, I got used to it. After dinner, Sina and I went out to hang out with her friends. She introduced me to about five of her friends and her boyfriend. We went out to the pub and sat with Alex, Sina's boyfriend, and her other friend, Francesco. We called Francesco, France. The four of us stayed out and talked for most of the night and then Sina and I went home. Every night when we could come back from being out, I would go upstairs to Aunt Suse's house and she would stay downstairs and go into her room. She would say, "Schalf gut, meine Kusine." (sleep well, my cousin) and I would respond with "Schlaf besser, Sina." (sleep better, Sina) It became a habit with us and happened every night after.
Our first day. Welcome to Talheim!
When my mom and I got off of the plane and went down to get our luggage, I looked out the windows of the airport and saw two heads of blonde hair. I recognized one of them as my cousin (that's basically how we are related), Sina. As soon as we walked over, my mom bursted out in her fluent German with her cousin, Sina's mom, Angelika. I had been pretty confident in my German skills because of the time I had spent talking to my mom at home, but when I heard her full-speed conversation that first day, I knew I would be catching 50% of the conversations at best. We were introduced and the similarities between my mom and Angelika were immediately apparent. I was introduced for the first time in person to Sina next. Sina speaks English fairly well so we started out speaking that. We drove into Talheim which is about 30 minutes away from the airport in Stuttgart. Along the way, my mom and Angelika caught up on the years they had not been together while Sina and I sat in the back of the car drinking Cokes.
When we drove over a hill my mom pointed out a cluster of red roofs down in a valley: it was Talheim. The town my mom grew up in. We arrived at the house and were greeted by Tante Suse, my mom's aunt who lives above Sina, Angelika and her husband, Bernd. She hugged me immediately, told me how much I looked like my mom and her sisters, and then offered to feed me. Little did I know, this would be a common thing she would do every day throughout the visit. My mom, Angelika, Tante Suse, Sina and I all went on a walk and my mom was proud to show me where she used to live and each of her old houses. We walked all the way around the little town and then back up to the house.
Mom's old house and some chocolate from an old friend of hers
Sina and I in front of mom's other house
Talheim
After our walk around the town, we sat outside on the terrace and talked for a while and I was falling asleep in the sun, so I went upstairs to our little room and took a nap. I was woken up for dinner and we had salad, potatoes and chicken. After dinner, Sina took me to the barn where the horse she takes care of lives. We got to take the horses out with one of her friends, Nessi. We rode the horses down into the hills by the vineyards and got to gallop down the trails. Sina and I both tried to ride her horse at the same time and she bucked us off. We landed in the dirt and could not stop laughing. When we got home, we both showered and joined the family on the little deck for drinks and talking. By the end of the night, I was exhausted and decided going to bed was a very good idea because it had been one of the longest days of my life.
When we drove over a hill my mom pointed out a cluster of red roofs down in a valley: it was Talheim. The town my mom grew up in. We arrived at the house and were greeted by Tante Suse, my mom's aunt who lives above Sina, Angelika and her husband, Bernd. She hugged me immediately, told me how much I looked like my mom and her sisters, and then offered to feed me. Little did I know, this would be a common thing she would do every day throughout the visit. My mom, Angelika, Tante Suse, Sina and I all went on a walk and my mom was proud to show me where she used to live and each of her old houses. We walked all the way around the little town and then back up to the house.
Mom's old house and some chocolate from an old friend of hers
Sina and I in front of mom's other house
TalheimAfter our walk around the town, we sat outside on the terrace and talked for a while and I was falling asleep in the sun, so I went upstairs to our little room and took a nap. I was woken up for dinner and we had salad, potatoes and chicken. After dinner, Sina took me to the barn where the horse she takes care of lives. We got to take the horses out with one of her friends, Nessi. We rode the horses down into the hills by the vineyards and got to gallop down the trails. Sina and I both tried to ride her horse at the same time and she bucked us off. We landed in the dirt and could not stop laughing. When we got home, we both showered and joined the family on the little deck for drinks and talking. By the end of the night, I was exhausted and decided going to bed was a very good idea because it had been one of the longest days of my life.
The Flight
To start off the trip, I got to take two extra days off of school, say goodbye to all of my friends and head to the airport with my mom and all of our luggage. We boarded our flight in Indianapolis and headed to Atlanta. With a three hour layover in Atlanta, we got something to eat and I tried to learn everyone in my new, extended family's name. I was pretty nervous about my first flight over an ocean, my first trip to Europe and meeting this family I had only heard about in stories.
The flight lasted for nine hours. Somehow during those nine hours, it went from 3 in the afternoon to 7 am. The jet lag was one of the most disorienting things I've ever experienced. I tried to sleep on the plane a little, but in a span of 3 hours the flight crew fed us dinner, it got dark out the windows and we were expected to sleep. There was a big map in the front of the plane that told us where over the ocean we were, though, and that was really cool. I was beyond excited when we finally landed in Stuttgart, Germany.
The flight lasted for nine hours. Somehow during those nine hours, it went from 3 in the afternoon to 7 am. The jet lag was one of the most disorienting things I've ever experienced. I tried to sleep on the plane a little, but in a span of 3 hours the flight crew fed us dinner, it got dark out the windows and we were expected to sleep. There was a big map in the front of the plane that told us where over the ocean we were, though, and that was really cool. I was beyond excited when we finally landed in Stuttgart, Germany.
Germany?
Usually when one thinks of Spring Break, images of white, sandy beaches, sun, waves, and palm trees come to mind. So, naturally, when my mom asked me where I wanted to go on my senior Spring Break, I immediately started looking up resorts in Mexico and Florida. All of my friends were planning their trip to Cancun and I really wanted to join them. When my mom started looking into it and complaining about how expensive the flights were to Mexico around this time of year, she decided to look into other options. How Europe came into play, I have no idea, but somehow my mom figured out if we flew to Germany and stayed with her relatives, it would be less expensive than a trip to a resort in Mexico. All of a sudden, my senior Spring Break turned out to be a trip to Europe with just my mom to meet my long distance relatives for the first time...
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