Curated Fernweh
When I arrived in the forest for Day 1 of the 4-day tree climbing course, I’d never touched climbing equipment before, and I’d only really used knots to tie friendship bracelets, and the only kind of climbing I’d tried was in a bouldering gym on routes that were designed for literal children. None of that seemed to matter.
Freiburg im Breisgau is the best city in Germany. I promise I'm not just saying that because I've lived, studied, and worked here for 5 years; it's just a city that draws people in. Freiburg is a small city at the threshold of the Black Forest, but don't let the name scare you, because it's... Continue Reading →
A series of abstracts on my favorite European places
Spectators dressed as pirates and Mickey Mouse line the sidewalks, waiting with nervous energy for the parade to start. A gang of children stands warily in the street, staring ahead at something I can’t see; their stances suggest they’re set to flee at the slightest hint of danger. They stand motionless for so long that... Continue Reading →
I’ve always been a runner. Not in the actual foot-on-pavement way (who has time for that crap?), but in the sense that I always need to be moving. Whenever I get bored with a place, or if life takes an unexpected turn, or even just if I’ve been in the same place for too long,... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, I dove headfirst into a graduate program in a foreign country with no idea what to expect. Even though I’m now in the sixth and last class of my first semester, I still feel a bit like I was tossed overboard during a voyage across the Sea of the Unknown. Luckily,... Continue Reading →
When you’re stranded in a foreign country for the holidays and surrounded by people you’ve only known for a few months, there are only three real solutions: fly back to your family, get out of Dodge and travel around, or band together with your fellow expats and make the best of it. Just for something... Continue Reading →
An in-progress list of cultural differences between Germans and Americans, three months later: Goodbye! I’m not sure if Americans are just not very formal or what have you, but saying “bye” to each other is something we rarely do unless we are conversing with someone we know or we’re hanging up the phone. I’ve lost... Continue Reading →
When the sun sets on Freiburg - or really any city - its entire persona changes. The shops close and the sidewalks empty. Most nights, the city just rolls over and goes to sleep until dawn. But as the week comes to a close, sunset brings with it a whole other meaning. The shops still... Continue Reading →
There are countless travel destinations in the world - sprawling cities, adorable villages, stunning national parks, brilliant white beaches, etc. etc. I can't find the statistics to support this statement because Google doesn't know either, but it's a fair assumption that you could travel every day for your entire life and still not see even... Continue Reading →
[I've been in Freiburg for over a month now, and have yet to make a post about my new home city. I finally decided that my problem was that I was focusing solely on the city itself. Instead, I chose to write instead about my personal insights since moving here and intersperse it with pictures... Continue Reading →
Everyone sounds the same when they scream. This creepy thought hit me with a jolt as I watched twenty terrified trachten-clad* Germans freefall towards the ground on a rainbow-lit carnival ride. Although I probably wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation with most of these people, their primal screeches of fear didn’t sound any different... Continue Reading →
Three days, three adventures 1.... Waking up early on a Saturday morning is one of those unfortunate ideas that never seem to work out. It sounds so grandiose the night before: ah, yes, I shall sit upon my porch and watch the sun rise over the mist-clad Black Forest hills, but the reality the next... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite things about the Freiburg region is its incredible public transportation system. Coming from America, where public transportation is an unreliable and pathetic joke almost everywhere, I am floored by this [largely] punctual, clean, efficient, available, and wide-spread system that is actually used by the majority of residents. Even more fantastic is... Continue Reading →
Surprise, surprise: I've been in Germany less than a week and have already taken a trip outside of Freiburg. Twas a well-deserved vacation, I believe, because there's this tiny detail that no one tells you about moving overseas: it is exhausting. Finding edible foods in grocery stores, weathering DMV-esque government agencies, checking something off your... Continue Reading →
Let's set something straight: we have already invented time travel, only we call it flying overseas. Two days ago I raced east as the sun headed west, and by the time we met again high above the frigid seas of the north Atlantic, I had lost several hours of my September 1, 2015 down some... Continue Reading →
Window Seat Odyssey 