Day Tripping: Limburg an der Lahn, Germany

I felt very nostalgic editing all these photos and thinking up what I wanted to write out in this post. This was our very last day trip in Germany before heading back stateside for good. D and I had driven past Limburg an der Lahn about 4 dozen times on trips to Cologne and onward to Belgium (and beyond). It was the village we could see from the Autobahn...the one with the beautiful church that commanded a low-lying valley and the half-timbered town below it. We talked about visiting it every single time we drove past, so it seemed quite fitting to have it be the last town we wandered around just 24 hours before departing Germany. A few close friends joined us for exploring, making it even more special to us both. 

We did a lot of the usual...snapping photos, shopping for gummie bears (I bought 50 euro worth to bring back home--worth it!), and commenting on the colorful quaintness these towns are always so good at showcasing. I also did a lot of stopping and "taking it all in" that day. A lot of letting the current moment sink in and reveling in the 3 years of German perfection we were about to let go of. I appreciated the flower boxes a little more. The Riesling at lunch tasted a bit sweeter. The cobblestone streets under my feet became a bit more charming. I let Limburg bear hug me until the second we hopped back in the car to head back to Wiesbaden (for the last time). There was nothing particularly unique about this town when comparing it to all we'd seen around Germany, but it was the last of the lasts, so it rests comfortably in my mind as bittersweet memory of just how idyllic Germany was all the time.

It's safe to say there will always be a Germany-shaped hole in my heart filled will beautiful places like Limburg. To those of you new to your adventure in Deutschland, be sure to add Limburg to your undoubtedly long list of day trips. No better day tripping material. And be sure to bear hug it right back for me. ;)

If you'd like to read more of our day trips around Germany, visit my WANDERLUST page!

7 months later...

It's in quiet moments like this, with a cup of coffee on the nighstand and a sleepy pup beside me, that I have time to remember life before Florida. 7 months feels like 5 years these days. Germany might as well be a lifetime ago. I can walk around my home and see pieces of Europe around me...in photos on the walls, in bier steins on the bar, in knick-knacks resting on the shelves...but then I look outside my window and see palm trees and I'm brought right back to reality again.

I miss Germany, but not everyday. I thought I'd think of it constantly, but honestly, with a new job, new house, needy pup, and new life to carry on with, I think of it only in these quiet moments...or when I reach for a bottle of Riesling. If you had asked me 4 months ago how often I pined for Germany, I would have said EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Cut to the 7 month re-pat mark and life's very different. We've adjusted...almost completely, although I can say it was hard. Really hard. And for more reasons than I care to mull over. But even in those hard moments, we realize we're in such a sweet season of life. One we knew we wanted, just didn't know when or how it would come about. We finally own the home we've always wanted, I've finally found a job that I can truly say I love, and we're getting back in the swing of life before Germany. A sweet season, indeed. It's almost like we pushed pause on June 23rd, 2011 and didn't press play again until June 24th, 2014. So weird how that happens...picking up right where we left off (or close to it, at least). Because I'm sure you think you know where this is going, I'll stop the reading ahead and tell you no, we're not expecting (sorry to disappoint you baby crazy ladies!)...but the conversations about that are more frequent than not. Seems like the natural progression of things, but we're still not there yet.

In other news of life post-Germany, D's new job is good. Different, but good. He still feels like the new guy and thinks he gets lost in the shuffle of business there. The squadron is massive, so it makes sense to feel this way, but with each passing week he gets more confident in his role, so that's a blessing. He's on the last leg of his Master's and will finish in May! Praise the Lord! I'm so proud of him. There's literally nothing D can't do. In fact, his possibilities are endless. From time to time we have those mind-jarring discussions about possibly leaving this Air Force life, but then we wake up with new eyes and table the discussion for later. I'm sure other military families can relate...the grass seems greener, but is it really? Taking it one assignment at a time, our motto of late.

A new biz update--being a travel agent is so fun! But it's also tough navigating working from home. Like, really working from home. I always thought I kind of did that with the blog, but that was nothing compared to the kind of busy I am now. I'm so grateful for a booming inbox and flurry of traveling souls to help (it's a great feeling), but there's a learning curve that comes along with working from home, I'm finding. I often don't know when to cut my day off...not answer emails and close up shop. Setting boundaries has been a struggle. I'm literally drawn to my inbox...way too excited to open up my booking engines. While it's a practice good for daytime, it's bad for nightime when my eyes are slowly crossing and D is wondering if my laptop is somehow becoming an extension of my arm (truth: some days I think it might be). Finding a balance between home and work will come with time. I know I won't be afraid to set boundaires forever (I am a yes-girl...learning to be a yes, but tomorrow-girl instead). I'm a work in progress. This new biz is a work in progress. But I do look foward to waking up and sitting in my office chair each morning. It's fufilling in a way Germany wasn't. That in itself makes this new chapter so rewarding.

As far as traveling goes, I still miss it everyday. That's the one part of this whole new season of life that I've not been able to tame. It probably doesn't help having a career based solely on the world of travel (I'm often daydreaming of my own fabulous vacation amidst planning for others), but at least it's still a part of my day to day life...in some tangible way. Truth is, even though we want to travel, we also want to do other things. Silly grown-up things. Like upgrade our walk-in closets and buy new patio furniture. Plan for expanding our family (someday) and saving for the day we could possibly leave the Air Force (maybe?). So many variables, so many possibilies in our new life that we can't frivolously jaunt off to here and there anymore. I get bitter about that some days, but I'm a conscious player in the change of priorities. These new things are all things I want, too. Being a responsible adult is hard, isn't it? D and I loved being less responsible in Germany. America, the land of responsibility! We had it good those 3 years. But we also have it good now. 7 months in and I still compare our Germany life to our Florida life. Apples and oranges (no pun intended). I probably will keep those comparison bubbles around for the forseeable future...lamenting about this and that, reveling in the change still to come. Nevertheless, I'm excited to see how my perspective changes as we creep closer to the year mark of repatriation. YEAR...that's only 5 months away. I can hardly wrap my mind around this. I haven't seen a real castle in 8 months (Disney doesn't count, sorry). That's gotta be like 10 years in Germany time. Time is a rude jerk. 

And with that, I give you my life update. We're good. We're happy. Florida weather is AMAZING. And I'm still super grateful for fo-yo...God's gift to America, I've decided. This is likely the only blog post I'll write this week. Did I mention keeping up with this space has been tough, too? I will get my ducks in a row. I will get my ducks in a row. For now, thanks for sticking around with me regardless of my inconsistent postings and lack of any Instagram content other than my dog and selling vacations. My life in a nutshell, folks. ;) Hope you all are well and I look forward to editing cruise photos for you to see...someday!

Munich, Germany

Our weekend in Munich seems like FOR-EV-ER ago. I'm talking October of 2012. Yep. Why haven't I gotten around to sharing one of Germany's most historic and "fest-worthy" cities? No clue. I simply forgot. But it doesn't mean Munich isn't memorable...far from it. In fact, I counted it as one of the top 10 European cities you shouldn't skip. Munich is what I like to think of as the perfect blended city. It's chock full of fascinating history, kitschy cuteness, modern conveniences, and, most importantly, is the host city for one of the world's largest beer festivals...OKTOBERFEST! And that's precisely why we found ourselves in Munich for a quick visit.

Even though we didn't stay in Munich for our Oktoberfest adventure (we opted for more affordable accommodations in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and trained into Munich), we still found the city easy to navigate and filled with attractions for all types of travelers. We traveled with another military couple, and because the two boys wanted to dive a little deeper into WWII history and the Nazi footprint left behind all over Munich (formerly known as "the Capital of the Movement"), we decided to take the Third Reich Tour with Sandemans New Europe tours. Talk about a humbling 3-hour walk. We wandered all over Munich, stopping at infamous landmarks once occupied by the likes of Adolf Hitler and prominent leaders inside the Nazi party. Headquarters, houses, meeting rooms, and memorials...we heard stories of war, horror, and, eventually, the rebuilding of Munich to its former glory. The scars of inhuman malice and unfathomable fear can still be found lurking all around the city, a constant reminder of a painful time many still don't understand. The tour, while macabre at times, was extremely informative and well-done. I highly recommend it if you've got an inquisitive mind and a stomach for hearing some less than lovely stories of German (and world) history.

The tour offered quite a lot of heavy information to take in, so after our morning tour ended, we returned to Munich's famed beer hall, Hofbrauhaus, for a stein to take the edge off. I honestly can't tell you how cool it was to be standing inside the Hofbrauhaus. We'd heard about it for years, but actually having a drink and partaking in the camaraderie typical of the insanely huge beer hall was just beyond awesome. Ain't no party like a German beer party! It did take us a little bit to find a table, but once we did, we spent HOURS there...eating, drinking, and enjoying the traditional oompah band and partying tourists in town for Oktoberfest. Even if you're not typically into hitting up tourist hotspots, the Hofbrau is a MUST SEE. At least wander around inside and enjoy the beautiful frescoes and lively atmosphere. Such a super neat place.

Even if you're not into beer-drinking or history re-hashing, Munich is a gem of a place to behold. If I had to recommend one large city to visit in Germany, this would be it!

Want more cities to see in Germany? Check out my WANDERLUST page!

Bacharach, Germany

It's no surprise that we LOVED the Rhine River region during our 3 years living in Germany. In fact, I can't count how many time we frequented various villages along the river…sipping local wine, wandering the cobblestone streets, enjoying the slow-paced European way of life. Ahhh…total bliss. Living in the entryway city to the upper Rhine region (Wiesbaden) provided many perks, most notably the close proximity to fabulous wines and spectacular views, so it's easy to see why it ranks right up there as one of my favorite areas of in all of Germany (followed closely by Rothenburg & literally all of Bavaria). A few months before we said our final goodbyes to our life in Deutschland, we made it a point to have one last visit to a town we hadn't visited along the Rhine. Needless to say, our day exploring Bacharach was nothing short of lovely.

Bacharach is another one of those charming wine towns brimming with half-timbered houses, wrought-iron signs, and rich history peeking around every colorful alleyway. Did I mention wine? Of course, how could I not? There's a handful of great vintners stationed right in town, with their vineyards wrapped all around the city like blankets of grape heaven. We spent the afternoon snapping photos all around town, ducking in and out of cute antique shops, and taking in the amazing views from the town walls and Wernerkappele ruins. We also tried a scoop of Bacharach's famed Riesling wein-eis (Riesling ice cream)…DIVINE!

While you won't need a full day to explore (unless you fancy a castle hike to Burg Stahleck or a long, leisurely visit to a winery), Bacharach is yet another perfect example of quaint German charm. If you're visiting Germany from the states, I'd recommend making a weekend out of the Rhine River region--including stops in Boppard, St. Goar, Rüdesheim, and Bacharach, of course!

Have you ever visited Bacharach?

Want to see more Rhine River villages? Find them here!