back in NY

Christmas is over, New Year's is approaching, and I have been back in upstate NY for about 2 weeks now. I was very sad/nervous/excited about coming home and thus far those feelings have remained true. I was just starting to feel at home in Stuttgart and did NOT want to leave our wonderful, big, new apartment. What worried me more is that I really thought I would come home and it would still feel like my home, setting me back to square one when I return to Germany. I am so happy and relieved to say that I know this will not be the case. Despite the fact that I have lived here in Albany for the entirety of my life I see things in a very different light now.

For those of you who know me well, this next statement will come as a shock. But, I am here to report that Dunkin' Donuts coffee is absolutely horrible. For as long as I have been drinking coffee I thought it didn't get any better then a hazelnut coffee from this chain coffee shop. I could not have been more wrong! On my way home from the city (which I must thank Paul, again, for picking me up in the madness!) we stopped for some coffee. All while going through passport control, customs, and waiting for my bags to finally be released I was dreaming of having a great cup of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts like I had so many times in the past. When the time finally came and I took my first sip I had to take the top off of my to-go cup to see if it was indeed filled with coffee! It looked like coffee and even had a faint coffee sent, but when I took another sip all I could taste was warm water. Disgusting. I concluded that it must've been the fact that we stopped at a rest stop on the interstate and not a "real" Dunkin' Donuts shop that made the coffee taste so blah. I had been traveling for close to 24 hours at that point and was unwilling to accept the fact that my favorite coffee was, in fact, shit. So, the following morning I tried again and went to a proper DD shop. Again, I was served brown water. All I can say is thank God for world domination by Starbucks.

Another thing I have realized since being here is how far away everything really is and how vast it all seems here. You really have to drive everywhere. I have become all too used to running down the street to the grocery store, bakery, movie rental, etc..., but here it is impossible to go anywhere without the use of a vehicle. I have been lucky to have friends and family who are always out and willing to drive me to places when need be. It was odd for me at first to not have a car in Stuttgart, but after some time I have come to enjoy walking or (now that it is cold) taking the bus and U-bahn. I started to forget how dependent I used to be on a car. However, after being here for only a day I remembered real fast the importance of having one. As odd as it may sound, I am really looking forward to getting back to living life via public transportation in Benz-town. :-)


Despite these couple of realizations about my hometown, not all has been an eye opening experience for only me. I had a great time spending the holiday with my family and close friends, and had the opportunity to introduce them to Gluwein while sharing photos from my summer travels. I am still the only person in my immediate as well as extended family that has a passport, but hopefully my beautiful pictures from Switzerland, Paris, and Germany (of course!) helped to sway some minds and get them motivated enough to at least apply for one!

With the New Year having already past in Germany and approaching here in NY it is time for me to prepare for the festivities that lay ahead. Happy New Year to all!