The other day I started to write a post I had to stop myself, I wrote for about 20 minutes, the words were flowing, and my mind was churning with ideas but then I stopped and read what I had written. It was the day before Thanksgiving and all I had done was write for 20 minutes about how mad, disappointed and disgusted I was... My words were angry and came from a place in me that is petty and looks toward the negative as an excuse for my current situation, or what I thought was my current situation. I didnt like what I saw from myself, not one bit. But since I wrote those words I've had a talk with my beautiful sister who just found she's pregnant with her second child. I talked with my brave and strong brother who is putting everything he's got into bettering himself at school and doing a bang-up job keeping that cute and crazy dog happy and healthy. I got messages from my mom and one of my aunts telling me they missed me and that they're there if I need anything. I talked to my dad who was smiling the whole time and kept telling me how good I looked and how much he missed me. I talked with my beautiful and driven girlfriend and we are making serious plans about our future together and the sound of church bells seem to be chiming somewhere close by. I played a rugby game with 21 other guys that were sweating and bleeding with me in a hard fought and close game. I started teaching rugby at a school where i get three groups of 25 kids, twice a week and get to teach the game that has done so much for me. I've had a talk with a new company here in Berlin that would love to have me as a member of there staff as soon as I get my papers sorted out. I coached two separate rugby teams that tell me constantly how much they love the session that I put together and how much there enjoying rugby now that I am helping out. I went to my German class where the others often look to me for help and the other day they called me "Deutsch Lehrer zwei" (German teacher 2). I looked around and noticed that I have a roof over my head in a great neighborhood here in Berlin, food in the fridge, a warm and comfortable bed that I can lay with my girlfriend every night in, books to read, TV to watch, computer to work on, and who knows how many other things that people would kill for.
I realized very quickly that i was looking in all the wrong places. I was digging in the dark corners of my mind where the poor, broken, angry things lie and all I needed to turn around and face the light where all the things that have been granted to me, for who knows what reason, are standing big and tall right before my eyes. All the things and people I'm thankful for and have done so much for me throughout my life are all standing and smiling at me watching me struggle and fight the good fight with the knowledge that I have the tools and abilities to overcome the negative, live in the positive, and make the best of the situation I have, which seems to be very, very good now that I look at it again.
One of the great things that has come my way was teaching rugby. I was thrown to the wolves on this one but I'm making the best of it and loving it for the difficulties and triumphs. Two weeks ago I was asked if I had interest in going to the school and starting a rugby class in the gym and I said yes and that I would be more than happy to give it a shot but it very quickly became apparent that it would be a bit more difficult than I thought. The first day I did the class my teammates came with me and we met with the principle of the school, which is a young confident german woman with a heart of gold, and the two sport teachers. They asked if we were ready to teach the class and I said yes, hoping that my german teammate would take the first step and introduce us and explain what we were doing there mostly because his german is fluent and mine is... ok... kind of, but nope.... the ball was in my court quite literally as i stood there, rugby ball in hand in the middle of the basketball court with 25, 12 year old kids looking at me waiting to see what this American Rugby player had to say to them. I also had to do this whole thing in german so I gave it a shot and no time I had the little fellas running up and down the court with the ball, making passes, and scoring tries. So what if there was a general reckless abandon for the rules and we had a few fights as a few kids got pushed into the benches and came up pushing and shoving. The kids were all smiles, laughing, asking all sorts of question, which I understood roughly 60 percent of, and having a generally good time. Great success if I say so myself
After the class the kids were asking if we could do it again some time soon, where they could get a ball, where they could watch rugby, and all sorts of other things about the rules and about the sport in general. Im in my second week of teaching rugby and hope to continue in the future. the sport teachers and principle all seem to support the idea and, who knows, we might be able to get more classes, more kids, and more rugby in Germany!!
Hopefully my positive outlook continues and my adventure keeps on being... adventurous
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Well, I've gone and done it now.
Wow, lets see...
This past year has been a whirlwind of activity for sure. The decision to move to Germany, multiple visits from and too Germany and Switzerland, saving and scraping together every cent i could, going through mountains of bureaucratic paperwork and running all over the stretches of this vast city to compile enough convincing evidence that they should let me stay here in Berlin and much much more.
I guess ill start at decision day, when I really made the choice to move. I was talking with Norina (Girlfriend) about our long distance relationship and where it was headed. What should be done?? make a move or not, the critical decision, this decides if we stay together or crumble at the insurmountable odds of covering not only the physical distance but the cultural, lingual, and any other distance you can think of. Also, who moves, me or her? which is easier? who has the least at stake? who is willing? While both of us were ready and willing the decision came down to which would be easier, naturally. The final decision was for me to move to Germany. While this is not an easy transition it is a bit more forgiving than the alternative of Norina moving to the US, in that the bureaucratic process has many avenues of allowing one to stay in the country while the US process is pretty cut and dry... marriage. This was definitely an option but who wants to be forced into a forever decision when an alternative exists.
So the decision was made and the long road ahead began where all long roads begin... money and the funds needed to complete the journey. We worked our tails off, sacrificed, scrimped and saved, and in a years time had a small savings accrued to the point in which I felt comfortable enough to make the move and have a bit of a buffer to make it through a few months. This was no easy feat if i say so myself, with two rugby seasons, constant invitations to hit the town, a visit to Germany, and a sister who was having a wedding the money seemed to go up in a puff of smoke the moment it entered my hands but thats how it goes i guess. None the less the savings had been saved and I was ready to go.
Now to tell the friends and family... some of the conversations were easy, the rugby guys, while they were sad and upset at losing a friend and teammate everyone was supportive and i actually got a few threats so they made sure I wouldn't "screw this up" and I even got a, "she's better than you so don't blow it", oh how I love the rugby family. Also work wasn't so hard, while the guys at Heartwood Tree Services had become and extension of my family many of the guys would rather have me leave the safe haven of Charlotte so they could live vicariously through me and hear of the shenanigans i got into and reminisce about there earlier days of excessiveness and indulgence which may have only been yesterday for a few of them, but others it just seems like yesterday as time and leveler heads prevailed in the form of family and responsibility. The more difficult conversations came when I had to tell my actual family. First came my sister who i would consider the closest to me along with my brother but her actual physical closeness, being in the same city, made her the first recipient of my decision. she took it well especially because i made an effort to set all my moving dates after her wedding day. my brother was also supportive and especially because he now has a link to Europe whenever he wants to come traveling or just for a good vacation. The really tough ones were the parents, First Mom... she was saddened but supportive and even expressed the need to "learn some German" so she could speak with Norina's parents and started with the motherly duties to make sure I remembered all the important things, debts and responsibilities that may have been overlooked. No matter how old you get, mom's always looking out. The most stressful and emotionally difficult was my Dad. i attempted a few times to start the conversation in passing but never could find the words or right situation to begin but finally i had to take the plunge. "Dad I'm thinking, maybe im going to move to Germany to give things a shot with Norina" I began, and his look of concern and thought worried me but he expressed his support of my decisions stating, "I know your gonna be alright, no matter what" as an expression of confidence in my early onset wisdom and historically good decision making towards things that really matter (nights at the bar don't count). But my Dad finally gave his blessing but also his sadness and frustration that we hadn't had the amount of father, son time over the years he would have liked and i agree with that but sometime I have to grow up and these are the decisions that take a person to adulthood and I'm glad it was with universal support from my friends and family.
The pieces were falling into place and it seemed only a waiting game until the big day, a few days after my sister wedding, that i would move. I began to streamline my possessions, getting rid of old clothes, finding new homes for my nicer things that couldn't accompany me on the journey, and tossing away things that have stayed in my possession far to long after there usefulness had come and gone. it became slightly depressing when, in the final days my entire life's possessions could fit into two heavily laden bags and a book bag. Others had expressed the envy of being able to pick up and go so easily with so few possessions but at the same time i had very little to make my surroundings my own and at the moment, no real place to call home. That all changed of course, as soon as I got settled in with Norina at her studio apartment which is definitely meant for an artist on a budget. But at that moment i was swimming in limbo between homes and countries. The day came up faster than I anticipated, next thing I knew my sister was taking us to the airport and we were wrestling or heavy bags to the check in to make our way. My nerves were shot at the thought of going through the passport check with the knowledge that i had booked a one way ticket on a three month tourist visa and hoping they wouldn't start asking questions. I had invested too much into this to be turned away at the passport check. Even with that cloud looming overhead I put on a strong face and tried to enjoy our short one day vacation in NY City before we took the eight hour flight to my new home and me and Norina's new life together.
The moment of truth was upon us as i stepped off the plane in Germany and made my way through the passport check but my worries were unfounded as the barley glanced at my passport before stamping it and sending me on my way. For some reason my bags seemed lighter than air after that moment. The stress of it all seemed to fall away and I allowed myself to really enjoy the cad ride to my new home which was actually a bit fun as we chatted with the very personable cabby who was nice enough to wrestle my 50 pound bags from the cab. A we crossed the threshold into a new life together, to face future problems as one and work towards goals as a team, a new light was dawning and a new flame of possibility was lit.
So begins my new life in a new land with a new language, new friends, new challenges, and new triumphs...
There is plenty more to tell of my adventures so far but thats enough for now
This past year has been a whirlwind of activity for sure. The decision to move to Germany, multiple visits from and too Germany and Switzerland, saving and scraping together every cent i could, going through mountains of bureaucratic paperwork and running all over the stretches of this vast city to compile enough convincing evidence that they should let me stay here in Berlin and much much more.
I guess ill start at decision day, when I really made the choice to move. I was talking with Norina (Girlfriend) about our long distance relationship and where it was headed. What should be done?? make a move or not, the critical decision, this decides if we stay together or crumble at the insurmountable odds of covering not only the physical distance but the cultural, lingual, and any other distance you can think of. Also, who moves, me or her? which is easier? who has the least at stake? who is willing? While both of us were ready and willing the decision came down to which would be easier, naturally. The final decision was for me to move to Germany. While this is not an easy transition it is a bit more forgiving than the alternative of Norina moving to the US, in that the bureaucratic process has many avenues of allowing one to stay in the country while the US process is pretty cut and dry... marriage. This was definitely an option but who wants to be forced into a forever decision when an alternative exists.
So the decision was made and the long road ahead began where all long roads begin... money and the funds needed to complete the journey. We worked our tails off, sacrificed, scrimped and saved, and in a years time had a small savings accrued to the point in which I felt comfortable enough to make the move and have a bit of a buffer to make it through a few months. This was no easy feat if i say so myself, with two rugby seasons, constant invitations to hit the town, a visit to Germany, and a sister who was having a wedding the money seemed to go up in a puff of smoke the moment it entered my hands but thats how it goes i guess. None the less the savings had been saved and I was ready to go.
Now to tell the friends and family... some of the conversations were easy, the rugby guys, while they were sad and upset at losing a friend and teammate everyone was supportive and i actually got a few threats so they made sure I wouldn't "screw this up" and I even got a, "she's better than you so don't blow it", oh how I love the rugby family. Also work wasn't so hard, while the guys at Heartwood Tree Services had become and extension of my family many of the guys would rather have me leave the safe haven of Charlotte so they could live vicariously through me and hear of the shenanigans i got into and reminisce about there earlier days of excessiveness and indulgence which may have only been yesterday for a few of them, but others it just seems like yesterday as time and leveler heads prevailed in the form of family and responsibility. The more difficult conversations came when I had to tell my actual family. First came my sister who i would consider the closest to me along with my brother but her actual physical closeness, being in the same city, made her the first recipient of my decision. she took it well especially because i made an effort to set all my moving dates after her wedding day. my brother was also supportive and especially because he now has a link to Europe whenever he wants to come traveling or just for a good vacation. The really tough ones were the parents, First Mom... she was saddened but supportive and even expressed the need to "learn some German" so she could speak with Norina's parents and started with the motherly duties to make sure I remembered all the important things, debts and responsibilities that may have been overlooked. No matter how old you get, mom's always looking out. The most stressful and emotionally difficult was my Dad. i attempted a few times to start the conversation in passing but never could find the words or right situation to begin but finally i had to take the plunge. "Dad I'm thinking, maybe im going to move to Germany to give things a shot with Norina" I began, and his look of concern and thought worried me but he expressed his support of my decisions stating, "I know your gonna be alright, no matter what" as an expression of confidence in my early onset wisdom and historically good decision making towards things that really matter (nights at the bar don't count). But my Dad finally gave his blessing but also his sadness and frustration that we hadn't had the amount of father, son time over the years he would have liked and i agree with that but sometime I have to grow up and these are the decisions that take a person to adulthood and I'm glad it was with universal support from my friends and family.
The pieces were falling into place and it seemed only a waiting game until the big day, a few days after my sister wedding, that i would move. I began to streamline my possessions, getting rid of old clothes, finding new homes for my nicer things that couldn't accompany me on the journey, and tossing away things that have stayed in my possession far to long after there usefulness had come and gone. it became slightly depressing when, in the final days my entire life's possessions could fit into two heavily laden bags and a book bag. Others had expressed the envy of being able to pick up and go so easily with so few possessions but at the same time i had very little to make my surroundings my own and at the moment, no real place to call home. That all changed of course, as soon as I got settled in with Norina at her studio apartment which is definitely meant for an artist on a budget. But at that moment i was swimming in limbo between homes and countries. The day came up faster than I anticipated, next thing I knew my sister was taking us to the airport and we were wrestling or heavy bags to the check in to make our way. My nerves were shot at the thought of going through the passport check with the knowledge that i had booked a one way ticket on a three month tourist visa and hoping they wouldn't start asking questions. I had invested too much into this to be turned away at the passport check. Even with that cloud looming overhead I put on a strong face and tried to enjoy our short one day vacation in NY City before we took the eight hour flight to my new home and me and Norina's new life together.
The moment of truth was upon us as i stepped off the plane in Germany and made my way through the passport check but my worries were unfounded as the barley glanced at my passport before stamping it and sending me on my way. For some reason my bags seemed lighter than air after that moment. The stress of it all seemed to fall away and I allowed myself to really enjoy the cad ride to my new home which was actually a bit fun as we chatted with the very personable cabby who was nice enough to wrestle my 50 pound bags from the cab. A we crossed the threshold into a new life together, to face future problems as one and work towards goals as a team, a new light was dawning and a new flame of possibility was lit.
So begins my new life in a new land with a new language, new friends, new challenges, and new triumphs...
There is plenty more to tell of my adventures so far but thats enough for now
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Counting On Both Hands
Its been 4 months since i got back to charlotte and in that time i moved in with my friend, got a job, got back into Rugby, saw all my friends and family, became an Uncle, was visited by my Swiss girlfriend, and countless other random experiences.
Once i got back into the US i flew into the Atlanta airport and had a 5 hour layover in which i had to figure out how the heck i was gonna get... I would say home but I didnt really have one when i got back... I had sold my car, gave away my tv, put all my stuff in my moms storage unit and left some with my dad, and i had worked so hard and gave up so much to get to Europe and learn something about myself that i didnt stop to think for a second what the heck i was gonna do when i got back... but after a few phone calls i got my good and trusty friend Matt to scoop me up from the airport. As i got in i lugged all my crap off the plane and got all my stuff from the baggage claim and looked around for all of two minutes until i saw the face of my good friend and current roommate Matt. It was pure excitement to see a friendly, familiar face after 4 months of new faces and new places. To be back home was so comforting and relaxing and it came like a wave of soft blankets, for lack of better description haha. so we got all my stuff in the car and like a true friend and gentleman Matt had a fresh, cold beer waiting for me that went down as smoothly as any drink ive ever had. We got into Matt's apartment (know my apartment to) and i told him what there was to tell of the trip and had a few more beers and called it a night. Over the next days i didnt bother looking for a job i just enjoyed seeing everyone that i had missed for months!! parties, dinners, and nights on the town followed with amazing frequency and it all was a blur of beers, huge meals and hugs and kisses from those who i had thought of and thought of me. What was interesting to me was to see how things had changed in a relatively short amount of time like 4 months. some people hadn't changed a bit, as i expected, but other relationships had changed completely, some because I had changed and others because they had changed. Things change and so do people and its a complicated concept, the fabric of a relationship, one or two small changes and the whole thing comes unraveled. not always bad an sometimes needed but always hard to deal with. As I felt out all the relationships I had when I left it was nice to see that i still had friends and family that wanted to see me and hear what i had seen and experienced. To tell me that they loved me and wanted to hear that i loved them to. Its nice to be able to count the people that you can look to in times of need and and times of plenty and even better when you know exactly who they are and can count on both hands. It really is a comforting and amazing feeling.
With these relationships that have lasted i have begun to make a new life for myself, not so different looking from the outside but completely different looking out from the inside. I no longer worry what i will do next with my life. I no longer am unsatisfied with the things and people around me. I no longer feel like my skin doesnt fit quite right and i feel like the path im on is exactly where i should be because it is the path that i am making with my own two hands with the help of the people that i love and that love me back.
Once i got back into the US i flew into the Atlanta airport and had a 5 hour layover in which i had to figure out how the heck i was gonna get... I would say home but I didnt really have one when i got back... I had sold my car, gave away my tv, put all my stuff in my moms storage unit and left some with my dad, and i had worked so hard and gave up so much to get to Europe and learn something about myself that i didnt stop to think for a second what the heck i was gonna do when i got back... but after a few phone calls i got my good and trusty friend Matt to scoop me up from the airport. As i got in i lugged all my crap off the plane and got all my stuff from the baggage claim and looked around for all of two minutes until i saw the face of my good friend and current roommate Matt. It was pure excitement to see a friendly, familiar face after 4 months of new faces and new places. To be back home was so comforting and relaxing and it came like a wave of soft blankets, for lack of better description haha. so we got all my stuff in the car and like a true friend and gentleman Matt had a fresh, cold beer waiting for me that went down as smoothly as any drink ive ever had. We got into Matt's apartment (know my apartment to) and i told him what there was to tell of the trip and had a few more beers and called it a night. Over the next days i didnt bother looking for a job i just enjoyed seeing everyone that i had missed for months!! parties, dinners, and nights on the town followed with amazing frequency and it all was a blur of beers, huge meals and hugs and kisses from those who i had thought of and thought of me. What was interesting to me was to see how things had changed in a relatively short amount of time like 4 months. some people hadn't changed a bit, as i expected, but other relationships had changed completely, some because I had changed and others because they had changed. Things change and so do people and its a complicated concept, the fabric of a relationship, one or two small changes and the whole thing comes unraveled. not always bad an sometimes needed but always hard to deal with. As I felt out all the relationships I had when I left it was nice to see that i still had friends and family that wanted to see me and hear what i had seen and experienced. To tell me that they loved me and wanted to hear that i loved them to. Its nice to be able to count the people that you can look to in times of need and and times of plenty and even better when you know exactly who they are and can count on both hands. It really is a comforting and amazing feeling.
With these relationships that have lasted i have begun to make a new life for myself, not so different looking from the outside but completely different looking out from the inside. I no longer worry what i will do next with my life. I no longer am unsatisfied with the things and people around me. I no longer feel like my skin doesnt fit quite right and i feel like the path im on is exactly where i should be because it is the path that i am making with my own two hands with the help of the people that i love and that love me back.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Crossing The Road And Going Home
The other day i was talking with a friend about my exerience in Europe and the things i liked, didnt like, and the things i learned. I met so many people and each with a different background, upbringing, views, and thoughts and each with their own experiences stamped on their personality like an open book. Its easy to see how people think and behave once you take the time to learn of their own life and what they went through. But as i talked with my friend about these differences in people and places i realized you can tell infanitly more about a general population if you look at how they cross the road... It sounds strange but if you realy take the time to look it makes a lot of sence. Americans, with our numerous backgrounds and origins have such a hecktic population that we dont have much of a pattern when crossing the road. Cross where ever when ever and hope you dont get hit by a car or choose to wait for the green light or not. no one really cares how you cross. But as i looked at how people used their systems in their home country it really made the difference on how the people are as a population. For example... The Italians, with hecktic and congested roads, the people cross quickly and where ever they can and hope they make it without getting hit by a scooter on the sidewalk when and if they make it across. The French... use the walk signs and cross walks on the road and they take their time and dont think much about anything else but their agenda and what they need to do, catch the next train, grab a cab or take their sweet time. Their going to do it how they want to and at their own pace. The Germans... while i was in Berlin most of the time i think i got the general flow of things on the street, wait for the cross light, use the cross walks and follow the rules.... pretty straight forward but if someone runs across when there's a break in traffic, no one really cares. The Swiss.... You use the cross walk, you wait for the light, and thats how its done, follow the rules, dont ask questions and keep to yourself. If your dart across the street during a gap in traffic be ready for an angry look or a quick comment from a local. The Dutch... the bike is King and thats it.... and believe that. dont get in the way and if you are, be ready to get side swiped by i giant dutchmen on a bike. Its the small things that make a country, and its people, what it is. Of course ive learned more about culture and life in new countries but these small things make all the difference in understanding how things work and enjoying them or just being another tourist looking in from the outside.
I feel so so fortunate to be able to do what ive done and i know ill never forget what ive seen and done, the people ive met, learned about, and loved, and the things ive tasted, felt, and experienced. the trip of a lifetime is coming to a close but my lifetime is in full swing and i will take these things home with me and use them at every oppurtunity, tell my story to anyone that wants to hear it and make more and more memories with the people i love and have met here and at home. my brain is racing with the past 6 months, working my ass off at home to save money, meeting new people i did not expect before i left, coming to a new country with a handful of bags, a shoe string budget, and making it everything i could. Rugby and sledding in Switzerland, Beer at Oktoberfest, Sightseeing in Paris, Cocolate beer and fries in Brussels, Bike riding in The Netherlands, Beer and kisses in Berlin, and Friends all over the world. What else is there.
I did this for myself and in so many ways i needed to be selfish on this one. I thought of my family and friends constantly but was so happy to be here. Now im happy to be coming back to the people ive missed and loved back home. The real world begins, jobs, money, bills, love, heartbrake, friends, family, and the story of my life continues.
Until Next time
I love you and thank you all.
Michael Felts
I feel so so fortunate to be able to do what ive done and i know ill never forget what ive seen and done, the people ive met, learned about, and loved, and the things ive tasted, felt, and experienced. the trip of a lifetime is coming to a close but my lifetime is in full swing and i will take these things home with me and use them at every oppurtunity, tell my story to anyone that wants to hear it and make more and more memories with the people i love and have met here and at home. my brain is racing with the past 6 months, working my ass off at home to save money, meeting new people i did not expect before i left, coming to a new country with a handful of bags, a shoe string budget, and making it everything i could. Rugby and sledding in Switzerland, Beer at Oktoberfest, Sightseeing in Paris, Cocolate beer and fries in Brussels, Bike riding in The Netherlands, Beer and kisses in Berlin, and Friends all over the world. What else is there.
I did this for myself and in so many ways i needed to be selfish on this one. I thought of my family and friends constantly but was so happy to be here. Now im happy to be coming back to the people ive missed and loved back home. The real world begins, jobs, money, bills, love, heartbrake, friends, family, and the story of my life continues.
Until Next time
I love you and thank you all.
Michael Felts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Three Types of People
Before my trip to Amsterdam i thought there were two types of people, those who can ride a bike and those who cant. this doesnt really include BMX riders or mountain bikers and stuff but thats what i thought. then i went to visit a good friend that is living and working outside of Amsterdam, in a city called Haarlem and i found out there are in fact three types of people; Those who cant ride a bike, those who can.... and the Dutch... They ride their bikes and roll cigarets, they ride there bikes and hold hands with each other, they ride there bikes and walk their dogs, they ride their bikes and do everything. Ive never seen so many people so good at riding bikes. I found myself so happy to be in such an active society and with such a free people. I got to Amsterdam with a really good friend of mine from Berlin to meet up with my friend from Charlotte. As soon as we all met up we were tossed into the nightlife of Amsterdam which is lit by the neon lights of the Red Light district, it all swirls with the Smoke from countless 'coffee shops' and is fueled by countless Heinekens and Amstels.We had a few drinks and watched the local soccer club win on tv and get ignord by our server who was also watching the game with everyone else in the bar. We then roamed through the very open underbelly of the city and saw all of the store fronts with things a bit too harsh to mention but was memorible to say the least. We then went back to my friends place, he lives behind the people he works for and told me that he had to get up really early to get the boys ready for school and make them breakfast so odviously i offered to help and was so glad i did. We woke up early and headed into the house of his employers to wake up the children that he takes care of and i met all three of the little hellraisers (which i mean in the best way possible) and we got them ready and jumped on the bikes and rode to school with them after making their lunches, found lost shoes, and made sure backpacks and jackets were all zipped up. Afterwards we ran a few errands and proceeded to cruise the streets of Haarlem which is amazingly eazy, one because there are more bikelanes then roads and two it is AMAZINGLY flat so it takes no effort to get around. The day ended by us picking up the kids, wresteling for 2 hours and then making dinner and had a few beers before we put them to bed. Once the weekend rolled around things got very interesting, going to sleep as the sun came up and getting back up after the sun went down just to start it all again. the story of most weekends really. But then monday came back around and it was back to work which was actually more like fun for me because it consisted of riding bikes, making food, wresteling with kids, playing video games, and having a few beers. After a week of this i was feeling like a part of the family and the parents of the children were so great and were always happy to have me around... or at least they said so. Once i felt i was about to overstay my welcome i made my train ticket to get back to switzerland so that i could say goodbye to all the friend i had made here before they left for vacations and moved back home after a semester of study abroad.
The next few days will be goodbye parties and nights out on the town so until next time ... Cheers
The next few days will be goodbye parties and nights out on the town so until next time ... Cheers
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Now Thats A First
I went to Brussles to see a good friend from that I played rugby with in the US and his wife who moved there a few months ago for work. I left Paris for Brussels around eleven in the morning on the speed train expecting to arrive an hour and a half later. the weather was kinda nasty but nothing too extreme, a little rain and a little wind. around me sat 2 other backpackers, one from the UK and another from Argentina. Two really sweet girls that i hit it off with very quickly. about 30 minutes away from our destination the train started to slow and came to a halt in the middle of the track with an anouncment that came in four languages stating that the train had stopped... odviously... and that we had a delay of 30 minutes.... no big deal, if everything on my trip went to plan i wouldnt have had nearly as much fun as i am having. but 30 minutes passed and another anouncment came on saying the delay was closer to 2 hours.... nice. then all one of the train opperaters walked through the train speaking in very fast french and everyone seemed pretty angry all of a sudden and we were frantically looking for some to translate what was happening. so through three people we finally got the message that the train had been cancled due to flooding on the tracks and we would have to get off at the next station and take busses into brussels. well we get to the next station and there are no busses but we must go to another terminal and get on city trains one stop and a train there would take us the rest of the way. so one stop later we had 2 more companions, a guy from Chicago and a guy from Amsterdam. so now 5 strong we get off only to be caught in mass confusion in too many different languages to get any information... As we looked for someone to ask what was going on a sweet looking girl came over to us and asked if we were trying to get to brussels, we frantically said yes and she said we must get back on the train and go for a few more stops. now six people strong we got back on the train and found nice seats to take the 30 minute train to another city so that we could finally make it to brussels. we all started to talk and found out that our new companion was a north carolina girl from hikory and that we actually knew some of the same people... small world, i know. so we finally made it to the correct stop and caught the correct train to brussels, our one and a half hour journey turned into 5 hours but in the process we gained a lot more friends and once i found my way in brussels i met up with two of the train crew and we saw all the sights together... that was a first for me. But getting into brussels my friend Va'a and his wife Shinobu picked me up from the train station and with a great sigh of relief i sat in there car happy to not worry where i was or if i was ever going to make it to my destination. for the next few days i saw the beautiful sights of brussels with Va'a, his wife, and my new friends from the train, i tried alot of the belgium specialties including chocolate, beer, waffels, fries, and mussels. I also had the privalege to go to rugby practice in brussels and get smashed by some really great guys that really know their rugby. As the week came to a close we decided to go to Bruges for a day and saw the belfry, alot of the great shops, and the same places that are in the colin ferrel movie "In Bruges".
Early on friday morning i jumped back on the train and headed back to Berlin to hang out with the great friends ive made there. so far weve all been out to the bar together, made nice dinners together, and went dancing together. This past weekend we decided we wanted to go to the hottest club in Berlin called Berghain but saturday night we were just too tired so like any normal people would do we thought it would be perfect to get up on sunday morning and go to the club... at 7:30 in the morning... so we did... we got up at 7:30, got ready, had screwdrivers for breakfast and got to the club around 10 to a pounding beat that you could feel from outside and people actually in line... i knew this was gonna be fun. we got to the door and the bouncers looked at us and he was actually contemplaititng not letting us in.... on a sunday morning.... but we made it in and started with a few energy drinks to wake us up and began dancing for the next 8 hours to some pounding electro. i saw things i hope to never see again in that place, guys in bondage outfits, girls with shaved heads, and too many other things that im trying to force from my brain. but it was an amazing time and ill never forget it.
Definately a few firsts and i hope a few more soon
Early on friday morning i jumped back on the train and headed back to Berlin to hang out with the great friends ive made there. so far weve all been out to the bar together, made nice dinners together, and went dancing together. This past weekend we decided we wanted to go to the hottest club in Berlin called Berghain but saturday night we were just too tired so like any normal people would do we thought it would be perfect to get up on sunday morning and go to the club... at 7:30 in the morning... so we did... we got up at 7:30, got ready, had screwdrivers for breakfast and got to the club around 10 to a pounding beat that you could feel from outside and people actually in line... i knew this was gonna be fun. we got to the door and the bouncers looked at us and he was actually contemplaititng not letting us in.... on a sunday morning.... but we made it in and started with a few energy drinks to wake us up and began dancing for the next 8 hours to some pounding electro. i saw things i hope to never see again in that place, guys in bondage outfits, girls with shaved heads, and too many other things that im trying to force from my brain. but it was an amazing time and ill never forget it.
Definately a few firsts and i hope a few more soon
Saturday, November 13, 2010
My French Connection
My good friend from the rugby team in Switzerland came to me a few weeks ago and asked me if i wanted to go to Paris, i said of course and he found me a place to stay with a friend of his that lives and studies in Paris. I was emersed in culture, history, art and much more. I had 4 great friends that showed me the city with great knowledge of its inner workings and history. I saw priceless works of art from Van Gough and Monet, the wonder that is the Eifel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, and countless other priceless and beautiful pieces of art and history. This city is is a beehive of activity and movement, similar to New York with its tourists and busy nature. The friends that showed me the city were two friends from the rugby team and their girlfriends so i was playing the role of the fifth wheel pretty well which they didnt seem to mind and were quite willing to have me tag along. I walked the city for five to ten hours a day and loved every second of it. seeing the shops with things too expensive to buy, the cafè's too expensive to eat in, and the sights too expensive to experience i found it all very charming and didnt mind one bit not having the money. This trip has taught me that there are things better in life than what can be bought with money and that I cannot live for work but rather work to live so that i can experience life to the fullest and take in all of its wonders, because without life, life is not worth living. I worry sometimes what i will do when i get home but then i see the friends ive made here and remember my friends at home, I dont worry anymore because i know that i will never want for anything as long as my friends and family are at my side. One thing i have thought of alot in Paris is what i value and what i will take from this experience, ive decided that i have a passion for passion. what better place to come to this realization than in Paris, the city of love. I thought of my friends and family and what i see in them that attracts me and i came to see that they all have one thing in common, Passion. Passion for life, work, sport, learning, and countless other facets of living. If anyone knows me they know that i am a passionate person and live with happiness and excitement. sure there are parts of life that are less than desireable but as the saying goes, 'this to shall pass'. I am a firm believer in the power of a smile and I think that others pull energy and happiness from the energy and happiness of a smile so even when things get hard or are not so fun I always try to smile so that others can see in me that there will always be better times ahead and more smiles to come.
Brussles on Sunday...
Hopefully more break throughs and a few more beers
Brussles on Sunday...
Hopefully more break throughs and a few more beers
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